I was reading Funny: How Men & Women Use Punctuation Differently and I was reminded that this is not just limited to men and women, it is also true with companies.

Companies are, after all, made up of men and women, people with different cultural filters, and differing wants and needs.

As educators we need to be extra careful of word use. The interrelation of thought to word and word to thought is a complex dynamic process. The process undergoes constant change as individuals interact with their environment. “Every thought tends to connect something with something else, to establish a relation between things. Every thought moves, grows and develops, fulfills a function, solves a problem” (Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986, p. 218). This movement occurs through the planes of action and the planes of knowledge. As we master a topic it moves from conscious thought into our subconscious.

Educators run a terrible risk when they assume that learners understand them. This is especially true when using technical jargon, but it can creep into other conversations as well. Spending time to teach vocabulary as it is used in the field or course being taught is time well spent. As Vygotsky said, “it is not just the [hearing impaired] that cannot understand one another, but any two people who give a different meaning to the same word or hold divergent views” (Vygotsky & Kozulin, 1986, p. 239).

As educators we need to remember to first lay the foundation for understanding. This may mean ensuring that the vocabulary that will be used has the same meanings attached to it by all learners, or taking the time to negotiate a shared understanding.

Reference:

Vygotsky, L. S., & Kozulin, A. (1986). Thought and Language – Revised Edition. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.