Ethnographic semantics is that discipline which seeks to understand human cognition through an analysis of the cognitive content of linguistic expressions: that is, the systematic study of the meanings of words and the role of these meanings in cognitive systems. There are many misconceptions about the nature of ethnosemantics, however, and by…

A general observation about the vocabularies of most languages is that they tend to increase in size over time. Little is known about the causal mechanisms involved in this lexical expansion, but most anthropologists and linguists are in agreement that it probably mirrors general cultural evolution. The study of lexical growth becomes important if…

A review of the literature related to methods for analyzing content or tasks prior to instructional development is presented. The review classifies methods according to a two-dimensional matrix. The first dimension differentiates phases of analysis, each dealing with content and tasks of a particular scope and each generating certain…

This study compared the vocabulary of the period from 1943 to 1945 to the vocabulary of 1975. In addition to a direct comparison of word use, an indirect comparison was made using Thorndike's word list in the "Teacher's Word Book" (1931). The 1975 vocabulary, based on frequency of word appearance, was derived from 93 speeches made by students in…

An analysis of occupational age structures for males has pragmatic implications for vocational advice and decisions (particularly for older workers), personnel and manpower planning, and experimental research. (A 5-page appendix lists occupational age ratios for 2( categories of occupations based on 1961 census data.) (Author/AG)

Discusses the study of Lisramic, a phylum of six presumably related language groups: Semitic, Egyptian, Cushitic, Omotic, Berber, and Chadic. (AM)

Presents a series of lessons, developed to give children the opportunity to construct a classification system for animals and to analyze the classification. Procedural information and suggestions for preparation of materials are included. (Author/EB)

Based on a paper read by the first author at the American Educational Research Association meeting, 1967.

An analysis of reading instructional research reveals eight analytic categories for organizing various aspects of instruction. The first three categories describe the rhetorical distinctions that are often made about instruction, providing a background to the analysis of the instruction found in current research. The distinctions in these…

Previous studies have found that an object can be categorized faster at a basic level (hammer) than at either a subordinate (club hammer) or a superordinate level (tool). While some attribute this result to basic categories having more distinctive attributes, other factors might cause this result. For example, basic categories routinely have…

The main purpose of this study was to identify educational research that had been undertaken in Kenya between 1963 and 1980 and to categorize it under major educational issues. To collect data, questionnaires were sent to libraries and data gathering institutions, organizations, and agencies. Personal interviews were also conducted with staff and…

Described in this unit are three activities related to classification and fish identification. In the first activity students design and use a dichotomous key to common classroom items, while Activity B involves the construction of a key to Lake Erie fish families. During Activity C, each student writes a story and draws a humorous picture of a…