Options
Misalignment of everyday and technical language
Publikationstyp
Conference Paper
Date Issued
2015-02-17
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Institut
First published in
Volume
2015-February
Issue
February
Start Page
1
End Page
4
Article Number
7044125
Citation
Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2015-February (February): 7044125, 1-4 (2015-02-17)
Contribution to Conference
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
IEEE
Technical terminology is the vocabulary with specific definitions depending on the field in which it is being used. People working within that field are familiar with this language and use it carrying a very specific meaning that might or might not be aligned with the use in everyday language. Three categories of technical terms can be distinguished. In the neutral category, technical terms are expressed using words that are not part of everyday language and that students learn from the instructor, giving the instructor a blank canvas to work with. However, technical terms often use language that carries a meaning in everyday language. Depending on the meaning, associations are provoked that can help or hinder understanding the technical meaning of the terms. Especially in cases where the everyday meaning of a term is not aligned with the technical meaning, this can lead to student misunderstandings of concepts that are hard to unveil because both students and instructors are using the same terms without being aware that they are not talking about the same meaning of those terms. In addition to difficulties introduced in the native language already, a second level of difficulty arises in a globalized world where instructor and students potentially have several different native languages. Now terms that might be provoking misleading associations for parts of the group might be neutral or even helpful for others, leading to a higher degree of complexity to be dealt with by the instructor and students alike. In this paper, we present examples of technical terms in engineering in the different categories. We discuss how instructors need to be aware of and respond to the possibility of students' associations in order to prevent and counteract misunderstandings and false perceptions.
Subjects
Engineering education
Language
Technical terminology
DDC Class
370: Erziehung, Schul- und Bildungswesen