Semantics

Comparing and contrasting is a way to comprehend information. When comparing examples of information, you can make connections between multiple things, whether it’s in text, real life, or something that you’ve learned. For example, “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson and “First They Came”, by Martin Niemoller have a lot of things in common but they have a whole different plot. Certainly, “The Lottery” is about following a crowd for example “The Lottery” is about a small country town pursuing a…

Denotation and Connotation Connotation and Denotation are the two principal methods of describing the meanings of words. While denotation describes the precise and literal definition of a word that would be found in the dictionary, connotation refers to the wide range of interchanging associations that most words carry with them. To use these two variances incorrectly can be a very negative thing, and could induce many damaging consequences. “The New York Times has a Communism fetish” (The…

Although conceptual and procedural knowledge cannot always be separated, it is useful to distinguish between the two types of knowledge to better understand knowledge development. First consider conceptual knowledge. A concept is ‘an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular instances’ (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 2012). Knowledge of concepts is often referred to as conceptual knowledge (e.g. Byrnes & Wasik, 1991; Canobi, 2009; Rittle-Johnson, Siegler, & Alibali, 2001).…

Have you ever heard a certain word and you are immediately brought back to a certain memory? Maybe you hear the word “summer” and you can almost feel the sun beating on your skin and smell the fresh ocean air. Maybe it’s a negative memory. Maybe you hear the word “Valentine’s day,” and instantly drown in thoughts of heartbreak and can feel the regret of overindulging in chocolate and wine in your stomach. For me, it’s the word “kolache,” and it is not a good experience. You are probably…

Discourse communities are a fabric of social interaction that explain connections between groups and organizations. James Porter describes a discourse community as “A local and temporary constraining system, defined by a body of texts that are unified by a common focus.” (Porter 1) The common focus as defined by James Porter is also the first Point of author John Swales six characteristics of discourse. A discourse that I am involved in is the Ocean City Beach Patrol. All 160 members of the…

Allusions to Their Eyes Were Watching God An allusion is an indirect reference to something famous or ta a person, place or happening in history. People use them every day whether its intentional or not. Most people can relate to Bible allusion because they are well known. In Zora Neal Hurston’s book “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” she uses allusions to explain the plot and Janie’s role as the protagonist. Zora Neal Hurston the stories Saul’s daughter and David, Methuselah and keys to the…

In geometry, congruence means the figures have the same measure and shape. For a student to effectively discuss congruence they must first recognize the figure and its attributes. To achieve this, the learner must be able to differentiate one figure from another. To compare figures and establish that one is congruent to the other or not, the student pulls on an understanding of shapes. To prove congruence, the student makes connections with axioms, properties, analysis, and logic. The…

Across many essays that have been written, it is common to see Bitzer's Criteria for setting up rhetorical situation. This allows for the context of a rhetorical event, that consists of an issue, an audience, and a set of constraints, to be seen and analysed by the audience. First, Within James Baldwin's “Notes of a Native Son”, the audience can find all of the relevant characteristics described by Bitzer in his six characteristics of rhetorical situation. For the first characteristic of…

Matt Albert Period 2 10/15/15 Language Essay The internet is a place where people from all over the world have the opportunity to voice their opinion. However, this includes the misuse of hurtful words that can single people out. Time and time again I have witnessed people misuse the word retard, whether it be referring to something as “retarded” or even trying to insult someone by calling them a “retard”. The other day while discussing an upcoming test with one of my classmates, I heard the…

Discourse community is a group of people who communicate with each other with the same goal. James Paul Gee wrote “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction”, James E. Porter wrote” Intersexuality and the Discourse Community”, and John Swales wrote “the Concept of Discourse Community”. They express the ideas on discourse communities; but they also have some similarities on the ideas of discourse communities. Gee and Swales have the similar idea on the importance of social practice in…