Section 2: Vocabulary Skills develops the ability to obtain, retain and use the parts of a term's definition to recognize an example, use context clues, determine the meaning of similes and metaphors, select a synonym and answer definition and example test questions. In order to do this it is necessary to recognize the three parts of a definition statement. It is important that the student completes the practice exercises in Units 2, 3, 4 and 6. These exercises give the student practice recognizing the identifying characteristics in a variety of uses.
A definition is a statement giving the meaning of a word or a phrase. It consists of three parts. The first part of a definition is the term being defined. The term being defined is the part of a definition statement that serves as a label/name for the term's classification and identifying characteristic(s). A term's classification is the part of a definition statement that tells under what category or group a term is located or belongs. A term's identifying characteristic(s) is the unique feature(s) of the term that are not shared with other terms having the same classification . A term's classification sometimes is referred to as the genus (the family) and the identifying characteristic(s) as the differentia (distinguishing feature).
A Definition Cognitive Map is introduced in Unit 1 that reveals the three parts of definition statement. In Section 3: Comprehension Skills the Definition Cognitive Map becomes the integral part of the Comprehension Cognitive Map.
What must be identified in a definition is the condition of the identifying characteristics. T he condition of the term's identifying characteristics is the indispensable requirements that must be met before something can be identified as a n example of the term. There are nine different kinds of indispensable requirements that can be used to define a term. Two kinds of indentifying characteristics are illustrated in the following two definitions.
Definition 1: An excise tax is an internal tax levied on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of something.
The word “or” separating the identifying characteristics means only one of the three identifying characteristics is required in order to identify an internal tax as an excise tax. Later in Comprehension Unit 5 it is shown that in order to understand information using this term it is necessary to know the cause and effect of each of the identifying characteristics of internal tax.
Definition 2: Accountability is the requirement that workers accept the consequences of his or her actions and report those actions to their immediate supervisor .
The word “and” separating the identifying characteristics signals that both of the identifying characteristics of “accept …” and “report…” must occur before the "requirement” can be called “accountability.” If a worker only accepts the consequences of his or her actions but does not report them to his or her immediate supervisor, this does not meet the "requirement” needed to be called an example of accountability.
- Learning is defined as the ability to (1) obtain, (2) retain and (3) use new information.
- Ability being able to do the activities required to successfully complete a task.
The definition of learning gives the following three abilities required to successfully learn a new term's definition:
Obtain the meaning of each new term by locating the new term's classification and identifying characteristic(s).
Retain the new terms' classification and identifying characteristic(s) by keeping then in one's mind for future use.
Use the new term's classification and/or identifying characteristic(s) to solve a problem
or communicating to others information containing the new term. Only by using
a new term as soon as it is obtained, it is possible to retain it.
The Learning Wizard uses the Systems approach to sequence the units in Section 2: Vocabulary Skills. The units are introduced according to the way information is learned: obtaining, retaining and using it.
Obtaining the Definition of a Term
Unit 1: Three Parts of a Term's Definition
It is given how to recognize the three parts of a term's definition and the condition required to recognize an example of a term.
Unit 2: Examples
An example of a term contains a specific illustration of a term's classification and the identifying characteristic(s). This unit demonstrates how to connect the characteristic(s) found in an example to a term that has similar identifying characteristic(s) by using criteria questions.
Unit 3: Context Clues
Context clues are the clues found in the information given before and/or after an unknown term that reveal the unknown term's meaning. Two general types of context clues are introduced: inference and redundant. The inference context clues are cause, effect, and experience. The redundant context clues are comparison, contrast, and example.
Unit 4: Similes and Metaphors
A simile or a metaphor is a comparison between two things that are unlike, but resemble each other in at least one important characteristic. It is explained how a characteristic of a simile or metaphor is used as the identifying characteristic used to describe a person, place or thing.
Retaining a Term's Definition
Unit 5: Memory Techniques to Learn Definitions
Because of the hundreds of new terms that must be learned in a college course, it is important to apply the strategies used to retain and recall the three parts of a term's definition. Twenty different retention strategies introduced in the Study Skills Section of TLW are applied to retaining and recalling a term's definition.
Using a Term's Definition
Unit 6: Synonyms
A synonym is a term whose classification is similar to other terms, but has a unique identifying characteristic(s) that gives a precise meaning to a term used in a statement. It is given how to select a synonym that has the identifying characteristics that best convey a specific idea. In Comprehension Unit 7: Problem Solving it is necessary to select a synonym that describes the action required to solve a problem.
Unit 7: Predicting Definition and Example Test Questions
Both college tests and professional licensing examinations have questions measuring the ability to recognize one of the three parts of a term's definition and examples of the term. By applying the strategies developed in this unit, it is possible to predict definition and example test questions for the terms introduced in a college course and on professional licensing examinations.
Instructor's Guide
Vocabulary Skills
Retaining and recall the definition of a term
Using a term's definition:
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