#writing_tips Specific words vs General vocabulary The effectiveness of this malaria vaccine has been a subject of controversy. ‘Malaria vaccine’ will be understood by medical students, while ‘effectiveness’ and ‘controversy’ are general academic vocabulary that all students need to understand. In your writing, you must make sure you use general vocabulary common to most disciplines. You write your essay to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge. This means you can use a specific word in your subject area providing they are combined with general vocabulary so that a reader can comprehend the meaning of your arguments. @Insight_English adapted from: Academic Writing. A handbook for international students by Stephen Bailey
