Diminishing The Lexicon
It's simply amazing that a venerable institution like the Oxford Dictionary publications would take such a backward step as to toss out important words critical to helping the young understand the natural and historical world around them, in favour of including newer words explaining how the world has embraced electronic technology.
Do we really feel it is required that we produce huge lapses in knowledge for the benefit of young minds, to make them feel more comfortable with the latest in gadgetry over the importance of knowing where we came from?
It boggles the mind that a dictionary used in schoolwork such as the highly respected Oxford Junior dictionary would present with huge missing elements, naming items that everyone should be aware of.
Nomenclature is important, and all members of a society should have a working knowledge of a wide range of words describing traditions, rituals, customs and above all, the constituents of the natural world surrounding us.
To delete those important identifying words and their explanations in favour of including words relating to the Internet does a true disservice to educating the young. It speaks, actually, of low expectations, that those who make these decisions feel that children are not capable of extending their grasp of language and meaning.
In removing words such as "aisle, bishop, chapel, empire, monarch, willow, moss and fern", in favour of words such as "blog, broadband, celebrity, MP3 player, voicemail and attachment", the Oxford dictionary luminaries have made a publishing decision that will aid illiteracy, bowing to the lowest common denominator.
The education process should be encouraging a more inclusive vocabulary, not detaching itself from a wide scope of learning opportunities.
If children are not given the opportunity to learn about the natural world surrounding them, through the descriptive words being denied them, they're being ill prepared for the future. Nature is our touchstone.
When the language experts at Oxford decided that room must be made for 21st Century nomenclature, tossing out important words relevant to history, Britain's monarchical system, and religion, they've beggared children's learning opportunities.
Trouble might be that the experts they've turned to for advice, in-house or academic, are derived from a changed demographic who spurn the past, have little respect for nature, and are wedded to the world of electronic communications. That world is detached from reality, absorbed with itself and antithetical to learning.
The shock won't readily wear off. The end result will be a flood of young people knowing little and caring less about how they got where they did, and how to gauge the important things in life.
Do we really feel it is required that we produce huge lapses in knowledge for the benefit of young minds, to make them feel more comfortable with the latest in gadgetry over the importance of knowing where we came from?
It boggles the mind that a dictionary used in schoolwork such as the highly respected Oxford Junior dictionary would present with huge missing elements, naming items that everyone should be aware of.
Nomenclature is important, and all members of a society should have a working knowledge of a wide range of words describing traditions, rituals, customs and above all, the constituents of the natural world surrounding us.
To delete those important identifying words and their explanations in favour of including words relating to the Internet does a true disservice to educating the young. It speaks, actually, of low expectations, that those who make these decisions feel that children are not capable of extending their grasp of language and meaning.
In removing words such as "aisle, bishop, chapel, empire, monarch, willow, moss and fern", in favour of words such as "blog, broadband, celebrity, MP3 player, voicemail and attachment", the Oxford dictionary luminaries have made a publishing decision that will aid illiteracy, bowing to the lowest common denominator.
The education process should be encouraging a more inclusive vocabulary, not detaching itself from a wide scope of learning opportunities.
If children are not given the opportunity to learn about the natural world surrounding them, through the descriptive words being denied them, they're being ill prepared for the future. Nature is our touchstone.
When the language experts at Oxford decided that room must be made for 21st Century nomenclature, tossing out important words relevant to history, Britain's monarchical system, and religion, they've beggared children's learning opportunities.
Trouble might be that the experts they've turned to for advice, in-house or academic, are derived from a changed demographic who spurn the past, have little respect for nature, and are wedded to the world of electronic communications. That world is detached from reality, absorbed with itself and antithetical to learning.
The shock won't readily wear off. The end result will be a flood of young people knowing little and caring less about how they got where they did, and how to gauge the important things in life.
posted by Pieface @ 6:17 PM
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