%0 Journal Article %1 citeulike:9224772 %A Iris, Madelyn A. %A Litowitz, Bonnie E. %A Evens, Martha W. %D 1988 %J International Journal of Lexicography %K ijl, lexicography %N 3 %P 238--252 %R 10.1093/ijl/1.3.238 %T Moving Towards Literacy by Making Definitions %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijl/1.3.238 %V 1 %X Defining can be as simple and natural as the common practice between mother and child, or an erudite exercise pursued by scientists and an area of scrutiny for lexicographers. This paper examines the question of how members of a literate society progress from a natural beginning towards a mastery of increasingly formalized definition-making. We suggest that formal definition-making is one aspect of becoming literate, where literacy is defined as using and creating written texts. Focusing on the use of the expression of the relationship between parts and wholes, we present data from three sources, including children, university students, and an English-language dictionary. Our findings suggest that one important aspect of acquiring literacy is learning to make formal definitions.

@article{citeulike:9224772, abstract = {{Defining can be as simple and natural as the common practice between mother and child, or an erudite exercise pursued by scientists and an area of scrutiny for lexicographers. This paper examines the question of how members of a literate society progress from a natural beginning towards a mastery of increasingly formalized definition-making. We suggest that formal definition-making is one aspect of becoming literate, where literacy is defined as using and creating written texts. Focusing on the use of the expression of the relationship between parts and wholes, we present data from three sources, including children, university students, and an English-language dictionary. Our findings suggest that one important aspect of acquiring literacy is learning to make formal definitions.}}, added-at = {2011-05-04T16:04:17.000+0200}, author = {Iris, Madelyn A. and Litowitz, Bonnie E. and Evens, Martha W.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/269bf479c3eff9daa500f6044c42d6586/baisemain}, citeulike-article-id = {9224772}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijl/1.3.238}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://ijl.oxfordjournals.org/content/1/3/238.abstract}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://ijl.oxfordjournals.org/content/1/3/238.full.pdf}, day = 21, doi = {10.1093/ijl/1.3.238}, interhash = {03ab60d97679c2f0979c20adec553d49}, intrahash = {69bf479c3eff9daa500f6044c42d6586}, journal = {International Journal of Lexicography}, keywords = {ijl, lexicography}, month = sep, number = 3, pages = {238--252}, posted-at = {2011-04-28 19:31:04}, priority = {2}, timestamp = {2011-05-04T16:04:31.000+0200}, title = {{Moving Towards Literacy by Making Definitions}}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijl/1.3.238}, volume = 1, year = 1988 }