Oxford style guide advises staff to avoid idioms such as 'learn the ropes'

Right · 2Oxford University's official style guide advises staff to avoid expressions such as "learn the ropes" and "find your feet", which it says may confuse international students. 1 2 Right · 2The guide's section on inclusive communication says: "Be mindful of idioms that may not be familiar to international readers or that may use stereotypes." It also advises against the word "blindspots", suggesting "gaps in knowledge" instead. 2 1 Right · 2It recommends plain English over jargon and unexplained acronyms, and common words, short sentences and familiar constructions. It suggests, for example, describing someone as learning "how to do that" or "getting used to their new environment". 2 1

Right · 2The guide also covers other wording: it favours gender-neutral terms over "chairwoman", "mankind" or "spokesman", and "older people" over "the elderly". It prefers "gay" to "homosexual" outside legal or medical contexts, and advises against "DEI" and "equity" in favour of the university's own EDI terminology. The Daily Mail says it was last updated in May. 2 1 Right · 2Lord Young of Acton, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, criticised the advice, saying: "Surely, one of the reasons international students come to Oxford is so that they can immerse themselves in our culture and master colloquial English. What's next? Is Oxford going to insist all lectures have to be in Esperanto?" The Daily Mail reports the union called it 'mad' and 'language policing'. 2 1 Right · 2An Oxford spokesperson said the guide helps staff write clearly and consistently, and that its guidance is advisory and supports staff in using their own judgement. The Daily Mail quotes the university as saying that, as a global university, it writes for a wide international audience. 1 2

Right · 1The Daily Mail reports that international students make up 46 per cent of Oxford's students, including 23 per cent of undergraduates and 65 per cent of graduate students. It says overseas students can pay £39,620 to £66,580 a year, against a home-fee cap of £10,050 for 2027, and links the guide to financial pressure on universities to recruit them. 2 Right · 1GB News, citing recommendations seen by The Sun, places the story alongside inclusive-language guidance the Green Party under Zack Polanski issued earlier in October. A Green Party spokesman called that guidance "an existing and standard equalities training document" and said it was "a guide and nothing else". 1