Words have Power

Words have Power

In the beginning was the Word…

John 1 : 1

Sanskrit

The Scottish

play

Language separates us from animals

Too simple

Too complex

The problem of meaning

Brown house

Cave under the mountain

Too complexhidden cultural meaning & understanding

What’s the difference between a devout believer and a fanatic?

Too complexCultural meaning

What’s the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter?

Too complexHistorical meaning

What’s the difference between nigger and nigga?

Too complexPersonal meaning

Cultural capital

Add examples here.

Writing is actually a simple symbol system for much more complex concepts

Too simpleWords are merely symbols

Cat

Animal sounds are symbolic of the real thing

Too simple

CatDogDuckMouseCow

Language is fraught with complexity &

nuance

The problem of meaning

Language is fraught with literal

simplicity

Art

The problem of meaning

Love

Knowledge

Advertising

Language is easily manipulated

Advertising

Politics

So what use is it?

Language provides a structure for our sensory perception

& Language allows us to logically link

various concepts&

Language allows us to share our ideas with others

Random Words

www.edwarddebono.com

Give students a list of five random words,

e.g. Box; Cow; Sunshine; Beyond; Fence

And ask them to:

-Show how any or all of the words connect to one another.

- Explain how they may influence one another.

- Suggest how they might link to the learning.

- Create a story encompassing all the words.

- Mind-map the connotations of each word and then analyse the links between them.

Adapted from an idea by Edward De Bono – a super author for all

things thinking.