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Nov 29, 2013

A Passion for Words

{This post is linked to Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky
I don't examine too closely why a bunch of really talented women enjoy 'chatting up' about what we learned each month. 
I'll will say, reading what these women have learned goes really well with a cup of coffee and cookies. Join us at Chatting at the Sky.}







Lists catch my eye.

Word lists prompt my curiosity.

Naturally, when I came across 100 words Every High School Graduate Should Know 
my interest was peeked and then...
my pride was irked. 

I'm a reader, a word collector, and a writer; 
and yet, there are words on this list I. did. not. know. 

Working on that! 

~


Words like "just" and "thing" 
don't serve me well.

I've always been conscious of how our choice of words affect those whom we are speaking too. 
As an educator, my word choice was paramount to the learner's attention, understanding, and ultimate success. 
As a mentor to other women, being clear, maintaining the roll of faciiltator, the importance remains. 
As an artist engaging in self-talk it continues to have a personal impact. 

Writer, Emily Freeman, urges readers to be sensitive to the dismissive connotations of the words "just" and "thing"; I just facilitate the Bible study class or I devote time to a volunteer thing. 
I'm learning to give the respect due to myself or another by dropping words that demean, dismiss, and negatively frame the subject of being discussed.


~

Now that you understand my thinking about words it wont come as a surprise that the term intertextuality hooked my attention. As described by the post at The Write Practice:


 "Intertextuality denotes the way in which texts (any text, not just literature) gain meaning through their referencing or evocation of other texts." 

It's obvious how that is related to the general topic of words and all the other reading a person has ever done, right. Fellow readers out there, it's like gourmet menu when a good read references another good read, and your brain is thrilled by the gymnastics of the domino like, cerebral connections!


~

Lastly, can I state for the record that I prefer  real, hard copy dictionaries. 

I relish every word preceding the one I'm looking up and every word that follows it. Then of course, one could get distracted and end up chasing down a few other words... 
just since you're there.

Lisa


1 comment:

  1. I love lists too. I am guilty of using the word thing too often. My husband keep encouraging me to use better words and I am slowly trying. Great post.

    ReplyDelete