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Language in Change: Academics' and Executives' Perceptions of Usage Errors

Arizona State University

Jeanette W. Gilsdorf

California State University, Long Beach

A research study gauged the distraction potential of 45 written usage elements, tradi tionally considered errors, for systematic random samples of two different educated reading audiences: post-secondary business communication teachers and executive vice presidents in very large firms.

Findings showed that the usage errors least distracting to both audiences were lexical elements such as use of "disinterested" for "uninterested," the verb "prioritize," and "data" as a singular, as well as the use of an adverbial phrase to complete a linking verb. The most distracting errors were primarily sentence-structure errors such as run ons, fragments, danglers, and faulty parallel structure.

The findings are useful in two ways: They describe the reactions of educated users to language elements that may be in process of change; and they offer instructors more in formation to use as a basis for emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain usage elements in an already crowded communication course.

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