Social meanings of academic terms in student-to-student interaction

This article focuses on the use of academic terms among students enrolled in social and teacher education programs. Across a data set comprising recordings of group works sessions, student interviews, and ethnographic observations, I investigate a reoccurring practice among the students of regularly orienting explicitly to their use (or non-use) of academic terms during group work. With a point of departure in linguistic ethnography, I analyze three instances of metapragmatic discourse related to academic terms. I argue that academic terms carry social meaning and are a rich resource for social positioning and negotiation of social relations, and I show how the use as well as non-use of academic terms play a central, multifaceted role among students. More specifically, I demonstrate that– in a student environment with substantial focus on academic terminology – several of the students put great effort into navigating various social positions when using academic terms during group work (including that of distancing themselves from the terms) while students not using academic terms might feel they are being overlooked by their peers. • Academic terms carry social meaning among students. • Academic terms are a resource for social positioning and negotiation of relations. • The use and non-use of academic terms plays central, multifaceted role among students. • A delicate balance for students' of using academic terms but not too authentically. • Restrained access to academic terms might influence students' sense of belonging.