Exam 2 language acquisition

Aristotellian

dictionary definition. Genus+ differentiae- the gold standard in literate contexts

ex. “A spatula is a kitchen tool used to flip food”

operational

refers to a specific action or outcome

ex. “patience is when you wait without complaining”

negative

describes the opposite condition

ex. “quiet means not loud”

comparative

notes similarity to something familiar

ex. “a tangerine is like a small orange”

illustrative

offers an instance/ example of the term

ex. “apples and pears are fruits”

definiendum

the word being defined

genus

the superordinate/ category term

differentiae

the key features that set it apart

concrete nouns

category + characteristic. easy at every age

abstract nouns

characteristic is there but the category term is often dropped even by young adults

defining verbs

either give a synonym or describe the activity itself

defining adjectives

best strategies: participle clauses, synonyms, explanations, negations, and illustrations

what makes a word easier or harder to define

type or word, word frequency, age, ability to “think about language”

type of word

nouns are easier to define than verbs to adjectives- they have that natural category word to lean on

word frequency

a word you hear all the time is easier to define one you rarely encounter

age

older kids and adults generally give fuller, more accurate definitions than younger kids

ability to “think about” lanaguage

kids who are better at reflecting on language in general-not just using it- also tend to give better definitions