Introduction
Knowledge is the skills, information and facts that are acquired through education and or experience. It can also be said to be the practical and theoretical understanding of an area of the subject. On the other hand, vocabulary is a collection of words used and recognized in a particular language. It can also be said to be the words known to an individual in a particular area or field. There are claims that vocabulary that we know does not only enhance communication but also shapes what we can know. Basically, considering the different theories of knowledge, this claim is justified to some extent. Therefore, the vocabulary we have does more than communicate our knowledge; but it also shapes what we can know. This is an argumentative paper on vocabulary and knowledge acquisition with reference to the theories of knowledge, but the main focus is on 2 AOKS that are psychology and ethics and 3 WOKS that are language, reason and emotion.
Discussion
There are several theories of knowledge, but AOKS and WOKS are frequently used in enhancing the understanding of knowledge. Moreover, there are different ways of knowing areas of knowledge among these two ways, but the main focus will be on emotion, psychology, arts, ethics, reason, and language (Russell & Eames 1984). These factors may greatly influence what we can know despite influencing how we communicate knowledge. Basically, vocabulary varies with different languages and each has different meanings and ways of communication (Lagemaat 2011). Moreover, languages that have multiple vocabularies not only enhance communication ad how people interact but also what the language speakers can know. Therefore, languages with more vocabularies enhance communication among speakers and also increase the chances of learning more things or concepts due to diversity (Russell & Eames 1984).
On the other hand, the availability of multiple vocabularies in a language may also hinder effective communication and what the speakers can know especially those who consider such language second. Multiple vocabularies may lead to confusion among speakers due to similarities in pronunciation and meaning (Keith 2000). Generally, most languages that have multiple vocabularies have words with similar pronunciation but different meanings and words with different pronunciation but same meanings. This might confuse several speakers who are not well versed with the respective language and hence hinder effective communication. It might also affect what the respective speakers can know (Russell & Eames 1984). Confusion in meaning may also lead to confusion in learning hence limiting what speakers can know except for native speakers who are well versed with the language and its command (Lemos 2007).
Secondly, vocabulary may not only affect how people communicate emotionally but what they can learn about emotions too. This might improve relations among people and foster peaceful co-existence (Lagemaat 2011). Multiple vocabularies may enhance how people express their emotions while communicating with others depending on the expected mode and also shape what the respective speakers can know about emotions and how to handle different emotions while communicating with others (Palmer 2005). This might enhance the expression of the level of knowledge of different people and shape how they communicate depending on the mood (Keith 2000).
On the other hand, vocabularies may affect how people communicate especially people from a different cultures. There are vocabularies that may negatively portray an emotion while other vocabularies from other cultures have different meanings (Russell & Eames 1984). Furthermore, other speakers may not have adequate knowledge on how to use certain vocabularies while emotionally communicating with others hence affecting communication between people (Palmer 2005). Moreover, vocabulary may also affect what people know emotionally. There are vocabularies that trigger violence hence promoting violence while others may promote peace. Therefore, apart from promoting communication and knowing how to handle different emotions, vocabularies may also trigger violence, for instance, “fuck” is a common vocabulary in the United States while expressing certain emotions, while other people consider it an abusive word hence when emotionally uttered may trigger violence between the parties involved (Lagemaat 2011).
There are vocabularies that are used for different reasons. They enhance communication and better understanding depending on the contexts they are being used. Multiple vocabularies may also increase understanding because it allows for an adequate explanation of different concepts (Russell & Eames 1984). Furthermore, it may also promote mutual understanding and minimize ineffective communication in different environments (Lagemaat 2011). Moreover, vocabulary may also promote what a person can know. Multiple reason vocabulary may enhance the explanation of concepts because the complexity of vocabularies varies. Therefore, multiple vocabularies not only enhance understanding but also enhance learning among people and what they can learn because it allows for a better explanation of concepts. This may assist in the explanation of different concepts to different people with different levels of understandings hence promoting access and gaining of new knowledge irrespective of levels of literacy (Keith 2000).
On the other hand, vocabularies may also negatively influence reasoning communication between people. There are several vocabularies that can be used to explain a concept but they have slightly different meanings or they are not commonly used (Palmer 2005). This might limit understanding among those who are not well versed with such vocabularies (Keith 2000). Furthermore, understanding different vocabularies depend on the literacy levels of people. Understanding of vocabularies also differs and there are some vocabularies that are not commonly used among people. This can lead to conflict in explanation and understanding. Vocabularies also depend on the context where they are used (Russell & Eames 1984). Furthermore, this might also affect what people can know. People with limited knowledge of vocabulary may not adequately understand explanations made by those with high vocabulary knowledge. It can, therefore, limit the gaining of new knowledge especially among those with limited knowledge of new and advanced vocabulary (Russell & Eames 1984).
Vocabularies used among people may also be determined by ethics especially in working environments. Different professions recommend different vocabularies to be used universally among professionals. This increases better communication and understanding among different people within the same line of the profession through the operating environment may be different (Russell & Eames 1984). It may also enhance private and confidential communication among professionals and people with the same line of the profession (Palmer 2005). Moreover, vocabulary may also enhance communication in society especially between the young and the elderly due to stipulated rules to govern communication based on ethics. It may also shape discipline in society and maintain mutual coexistence between the young and the old. Additionally, it may also assist in upholding professional ethics and ethos and ensure professional relations among different people (Lagemaat 2011).
On the other hand, vocabularies may affect communication, especially between professionals and clients. Ethics may lead to the adoption of an addictive communication pattern hence affecting communication with those who are not well versed with the vocabularies recommended by ethics in such lines of professions (Lemos 2007). For example, ethically doctors use medical terms in communication among medical professionals. This might be additive to an extent that they communicate with clients hence affecting effective understanding due to the complex nature of the vocabularies (Russell & Eames 1984). Furthermore, this might also affect what clients know and doctors too. It might restrict medical professionals’ knowledge within the medical field and ignore other important knowledge that they should know. Therefore, ethically, vocabularies may affect diversity in gaining new knowledge and restrict one to particular knowledge and also affect effective communication with clients (Palmer 2005).
Finally, vocabulary may also influence psychological communication between people. There are certain vocabularies that are used to explain different human science. This enhances understanding of the different sciences of humans. Different vocabularies explain different human sciences and this may also shape understanding of the different human sciences (Russell & Eames 1984). The use of different psychological terms also enhances a better understanding of human science. Therefore, vocabulary not only enhances the communication of human scientific knowledge but also enhances human science knowledge (Palmer 2005).
On the other hand, the vocabularies are complex and may complicate communication between people. Different human sciences or psychology have different meanings hence require adequate understanding. This might hinder effective communication (Lagemaat 2011). It might also limit understanding of human science or psychology because it mainly uses scientific and psychological vocabularies. Therefore, vocabulary may affect psychological understanding of different aspects of human science or psychology (Keith 2000).
Conclusion
Vocabularies enhance communication between people. Multiple vocabularies may enhance communication between people because the nature of complexity varies. They may also shape what people know or learn. This might assist in gaining new knowledge and increase better understanding of different concepts especially among speakers with different levels of proficiency. On the other hand, vocabularies may also negatively affect communication among people due to differences in meanings and pronunciation of different vocabularies. There are vocabularies with similar pronunciations but different meanings. Furthermore, there are those with different pronunciations but similar meanings. This might affect communication among people. Moreover, the use of vocabulary also depends on contexts hence may affect better understanding and gaining of new knowledge.
References list
Keith, L. 2000, Theory of knowledge. Chicago: Westview Press.
Lagemaat, R. V. 2011, Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma Full Colour Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Lemos, N. M. 2007, An introduction to the theory of knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Palmer, R. 2005, Getting Straight ‘A’s: A Student’s Guide to Success. Chicago: Routledge.
Russell, B., & Eames, E. R. 1984, Theory of Knowledge: The 1913 Manuscript. New York: Routledge.