I think the title is stating that our vocabulary does not only add to our knowledge but it limits what we do and can know. It wants us to evaluate the claim and see whether it is true or false based on two or three chosen areas of knowledge. As this claim deals mostly with vocabulary, communication, and knowledge, we must understand what these terms mean. Vocabulary is the words that make up a language. Communication is the means by which people share and connect with one another. Knowledge is a justified true belief. While there are many ways of knowing, the most prominent ways are knowledge by acquaintance and by description.
The claim above causes me to ask these questions: “To what extent can knowledge be shaped by the language we speak?” and “Can we prove that language is shaped by our vocabulary?” Both of these questions do not have simple or single answers. These open ended questions may help the claim presented above. The first question has similar pretenses as the claim and may have similar responses. The second question involving whether we can prove that language is shaped by our vocabulary is also quite similar to the claim in that it is trying to prove that language is indeed shaped by our vocabulary and not the other way around.
I agree that what we know is shaped by the vocabulary we are familiar with. In the area of math, Calculus is directly impacted by the words and vocabulary we do know. This is the same idea with history. When we explore history, our knowledge that we gain from our exploration is molded by what our vocab consists of. I believe that vocabulary may play a larger role in mathematics than in history because there are specific symbols, terms, and principles that are necessary to know. Whereas in his...
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...re are many words that are unable to translate to another. For example, in the Eskimo language Inuit, there are over twenty words and phrases for snow, whereas in English there are very few. Since they have so many terms for snow, their knowledge of what the weather is like is vastly increased over an American. Another counter-claim to my claim is that we use our vocabulary to externally display our knowledge and that our vocab does not shape our knowledge. This contradicts the claim presented by the prescribed title in 2012. These claims, however skillfully and detailed they may claim to be, fail to recognize actual real life examples. The claim that vocabulary shapes our knowledge is true and is proven by the examples of our lives. Vocabulary shapes how we know, what we know, and the ability to know. There is a direct relationship between vocabulary and knowledge.
Perhaps the most ubiquitous quality shared between humans is the capacity to know. The English language seems stark and stale when considering a definition for the word itself that encompasses the various feelings that can be summoned in knowing something. John Farella examines the inequality that exists in the relationship between the West...
When discussing something like words and ideas it seems much simpler to allow someone who has done both for a living do it for you. This quote, quite succinctly, summarizes language, and ...
Sometimes we think that words are a way to express what we have on our minds. Right? Think again. Guy Deutscher justifies just that. Our mother tongue does train our brains into thinking a certain type of way, also altering our perceptions of reality. In the NY Times article, “Does Your Language Shape How You Think?,” Guy points out that the mother tongue is Hebrew and leaves us with how we perceive the world. Guy’s protestor, Benjamin Lee Whorf, exclaims that language doesn’t have a particular word for a concept and that the concept itself could not be understood by the speaker. Guy argues that he does not have enough evidence that will substantiate the theory. He claims that Whorf is wrong on so many
Living in the Southern United States during eighteenth century was a difficult time for African-Americans. Majority of them were slaves who received manipulation, sexual abuse and brutally whips to the spin. They were treated this way in order to stop them from gaining hope, knowledge and understanding of the world. Some African Americans managed to obtain these qualities from books and use them to escape from slavery. Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist who wrote an autobiography, from which the excerpt "Learning to Read and Write" explains how he developed literacy. In the excerpt, an African American slave banned from learning to read and write, breaks the law in an attempt to free his mind from the restricted beliefs of his master. One significant idea portrayed from Douglass's ordeal is that reading and writing is a vital skill that benefits humanity.
By analyzing this quote one can find that since Newspeak narrows thought and Newspeak is shortening the English Language, therefore, shortening the English vocabulary shortens the range of thought. Basically, ‘Don’t you see shortening vocabulary narrows the range of thought?’ This is key to the Party’s need of control. In order to control the mind what better way to do so than by reduce the amount of words one can use to express themselves and even think. It was important that Winston figure this out because it was another piece of proof of the Party’s plan to gain total control over the
Teachers who work with English Language Learners know that academic language takes longer to achieve proficiency in than does conversational language. On average, ELL students need at least two years to achieve conversational language and, five to nine years to develop academic language proficiency. Many English words ELL students are exposed to in school, they have not yet learned or even heard in their first language, which makes transference of knowledge impossible. The vast differences in the ability to use conversational versus academic language can be a hindrance to these students and have lasting effects on their academics and therefore, their lives.
“We can distinguish between being able to read and write (which is the ability to decode and encode text), and being literate, which is the ability to critically evaluate and to act upon knowledge and experience” (Corden, 2000. P. 39). The concept of Literacy also comprehends the ability to adequate one’s speech, either oral or written, to the situation, to the task representation, and to the potential receiver of it.
...t find anything new. This description points out the hindrances on humans’ acquisition of knowledge because of our finite biological capacities.
...lary and allows them to understand and gain knowledge from the classroom within which that vocabulary is being used. Consequently, learning vocabulary skills addresses the problem of students being able to read but not having sufficient vocabulary skills to understand what they are reading within and outside the classroom environment.
Vocabulary development should give the students the ability to learn the meaning of new words and concepts that are presented to them in their text. Learning this skill will help students with comprehension and their content area curriculum. By teaching students vocabulary development, students will have a reserve of new words, connect new words with their previous knowledge, gain the ability to understand and comprehend the text, and lastly, it will increase a students’ word knowledge to connect with their comprehension and success.
Cognitive Development and Language Skills Development “Cognitive development underpins all the other aspects of development as children start to explore and make sense of the world around them. It is closely linked to the development of language and communication skills as children interact with the people around them.” There are many theories written on the subjects of cognitive development and language and communication. These theories vary in several ways, but they all seem to make the link between the too subjects. Childcare settings put these theories into practise in a lot of ways, sometimes without even realising it, just through conversation.
To continue with the key features, language is known to be special because of how children are able to learn in ways that are different from learning other things. (Willingham, 2007). Strong evidence shows how prepared the human brain is to learn language with very little stimulation. The results that show this point of view to be true is known to be the worldwide consistency of language learning.
Being literate defines who I am, and forms an integral part of my life. From the practical to the creative, it aids, and enables me to perform in the tasks that modern society dictates. I shall explore the many aspects of my life that are affected by literacy. Through this, understanding in greater depth what it means for me, to be literate.
During the course of this semester; the variety of writing styles and essays assigned to me in my communication skills class encouraged the development of my writing skills, as well as provided me with more self-assurance in my abilities. My writing, research, and presentation abilities enhanced through practice, determination, and the understanding I gained during this course. With every single writing assignment, I learned new innovative approaches and skills, which enhanced my abilities to improve my thoughts logically, enabling me to write more clearly, and to organize my papers more effectively. At the beginning of this semester; despite the fact that I already knew the terminology MAP: message, audience, purpose; I never really understood the significance of MAP. For this reason, my writing lacked clarity, organization, and my writings appeared less focused on the topics. As a result my research papers and essays did not flow as smoothly from one passage to the next. Furthermore, I was unaccustomed with the precise procedures used when writing an essay. For instance, my previous classes before college, although requiring a reference page, did not require me to include proper citations in my writings. After evaluating the quality of my writing toward the end of the semester, I recognized vast improvements in several areas of my writing. By concentrating on the beginning stages of my writings, I could distinguish ahead of time my audience and my message. As a result, my essays are clear, and I remain on topic. In addition to that using transition phrases efficiently also helps my writing to flow smoothly. The proper use of transitions makes my writings easy to follow from one topic to the next. I also learned that pre-writing...
The effectiveness of one’s communication can significantly impact one’s ability to initiate, develop, and maintain personal, therapeutic, and interprofessional relationships. According to Casey and Wallis, “Without it, people cannot relate to those around them, make their needs and concerns known or make sense of what is happening to them,” (2011, p.35).