Definition
As educators, we are aware of differing theories which lead to our development of speech and language. Piaget believes our oral speech is developed as a symptom of egocentrism, as young children we learn to speak by first creating sounds and symbols internally and over time is expressed externally (Glassman 1994). Whereas, Vygotsky believes quite the opposite. It is Vygotsky’s viewpoint that our speech is a result of external symbols we receive from social environments. According to Brown et al., the average 17-year-old will learn approximately 5,000 words per year through situated learning. However, through the use of a dictionary and definitions, it would only be possible to be taught 100 to 200 a year (1989).
Through our experience as students and as educators we are familiar with the ever-so-popular weekly vocabulary list. Each teacher approaches this list in a different manner; some test spelling, some test understanding in written context, some expect understanding for use in contextual conversations. To develop a deeper understanding of the meaning of the vocabulary words provided to the students, they are often required to produce a sentence to support their interpretations.
In this section you will be focusing on learning and interpreting the meaning of philosophical -isms vocabulary through the use of “Definitions.”