Teacher Summary

Theoretical Basis

General semantics provides a method of studying the part language plays in human affairs. The physical scientist is able to use words so accurately that they enable him to build bridges and erect giant superstructures. Perhaps the scientist’s use of words may provide a clue to help the teacher, the pupil, or anyone evaluate his own language habits. Can we learn to use language more efficiently and accurately to achieve understanding and agreement?

Resource Readings

“When does language become reliable? Why do people so often misunderstand each other? How much of anything can anyone talk about? How can our language habits be brought up to date to fit the most advanced findings of science? How can language be made true to fact? What are the methods of definition? Does silence have any value? What about prophecies, prejudice, and propaganda? What uses of words breed conflict? What characterizes the speaking of men who appear cynical, cocksure, and overly certain? Is it possible to speak without bias and partiality? ...

“These are the questions about which this book is written. Somehow, they come to grips with human living. They have something to do with the problems mankind faces in the twentieth century.”—Lee, Language Habits in Human Affairs, pp. 1, 2.

“... Korzybski had succeeded in formulating a theory and method which gave a means of proper evaluation whenever language is used. This body of data and method leading to habits of adequate language-fact relationships he called General Semantics.”—Ibid., p. 8.

Examples of Misevaluations in This Area

“Korzybski’s system, concerned with accuracy and predictability, must be considered as something different in emphasis from the pursuits of other ‘semanticists.’ I should distinguish several varieties of semanticists: (1) those popular writers who would debunk abstraction-makers by shouting ‘define your terms,’ (2) those students of linguistics who seek to study the history of the changes of meaning of individual words in our language, (3) the anthropologists who study the grammatical and syntactical make-up of languages of different people, (4) the lexicographers who chart the ways individual words have been used, (5) the logicians who emphasize the problems of verbal coherence and the avoidance of inconsistency within discourse, (6) the rhetoricians who work to discover the ways of using words for their effect in influencing attitudes and actions, together with the techniques of expression by which to achieve clarity, strength, harmony, melody, elegance, etc.” Ibid., pp. 8, 9.

General semantics differs from these in that the emphasis is on the effectiveness of human communication.

Attitudes and Habits We Desire Pupils to Develop

1. An awareness of the all-pervasive character of language in a human being’s daily affairs from infancy to maturity.

2. The habit of looking to language as a possible clue to some of our misunderstandings and conflicts.

3. An appreciation of the scientific method as applied in the physical sciences and a consideration of the possibility of application of that method to language.

NOTE TO THE TEACHER

We have found lessons 1 and 2 basic to the successful development of the course and also the most difficult to present. The pupil’s introductory lessons are likely to influence the character of his future responses. For that reason we urge you again to enlist his cooperation in an experiment. Give him to understand that there is no set body of knowledge to be taken on faith. There are no right and wrong answers. Teacher and students are working together to test theories about our use of language, and all that the pupil is asked to contribute is his close attention and his thoughtful consideration of the discussion. Encourage each pupil to participate in the discussion at any time. Assure him that his contribution is likely to be of value and will be respectfully considered.

If this spirit of inquiry and respect for self and others is established and maintained, the lessons will arouse an enthusiasm that far surpasses the ordinary classroom attitude.

Teachers have asked me whether there is confusion and disorder in a large class when so many pupils want to get into a discussion. The answer is “No.” We teach listening as well as thinking. Stress the fact that if a pupil wants to talk, he must be able to express the previous speaker’s viewpoint. Pupils soon learn that they must listen carefully to be able to do this. Establish this idea in the first lesson, and remind the pupils of it when necessary.

Presentation to Pupils^[1]

LESSON 1

Theory

“We have an idea that we should like this class to test. We believe that if the method of the scientist could be applied to a study of our language habits we should have fewer misunderstandings and conflicts. There is such a method of studying language called general semantics.” Write general semantics on the board.

As you draw answers to the following statements from the pupils, write the answers on the board.

“Who are some of our best known scientists? How do you suppose they worked? Tell me what the scientist does.” (He has a question, an idea, a theory, or sometimes just a hunch; he performs experiments, makes tests; he gathers evidence and checks it; he observes carefully; he finally reaches a conclusion; he tests his conclusions.) “Do you think that we might use this method in studying our language habits? Let’s make a start today by testing the idea that our language habits may be a cause of some of our difficulties.”

Observations

“How many uses of language have you observed today?” Write on the board as pupils volunteer examples (greetings, commands, radio, newspapers, street signs, playground games, textbooks, instruction in classrooms, etc.). Establish the foundation for wide participation at this point by encouraging the very shy pupils to volunteer at least one example. Do not refuse or criticize any statement. Restate it if necessary, use it, and encourage the speaker.

“How many misunderstandings have you observed in the last few days at home, in school, on the street, read about in the newspaper, or heard on radio or television?” List on the board as the pupils mention playground quarrels, failure to understand directions, war news, strikes, divorce, etc. Display the front page of a newspaper and call attention to the conflicts shown in the news and cartoons.

“How many of these misunderstandings, do you think, involved the use of language?” Check this list with the class.

Experiments

“Let’s test what language habits have to do with misunderstanding directions.”

1. Ask the pupils to decide among themselves on a very simple command to give you, such as to draw a triangle on the board. Agree very pleasantly and ask whether the pupils are very clear as to what you are to do. Then proceed to devise as many mistakes as you can. You may take a pencil and draw a triangle on the board and ask, “Is this what you mean?” When the pupils protest, comply with their demand for chalk, but draw a triangle too small to be seen, or use zigzag lines, or draw on the border of the board, etc., continually asking, “Is this what you mean?” Continue the game until you feel that the pupils are beginning to show an awareness of how difficult it is to give a simple command.

2. Ask a pupil to explain a game that is new to all of his classmates. Without any further instruction have the class try the game to test how well he gave the directions.

3. “Let’s experiment to find out what we mean by scientific speech and by everyday speech.” Write on the board and ask the pupils to read quickly in unison the signature and a few notes of a song; then have them read science terms and mathematical formulas (100°, H₂O, pr², v = lwh, 60 mph, etc.). When a long list has been compiled and agreement reached that such terms are generally understood, write the words truth, friend, beautiful, and education on the board. Ask the class to respond as before. When they falter or disagree, ask what difference they note between scientific and everyday speech.

4. Have several pupils diagram the following sentences on the board as they have been taught to diagram:

Today is Sunday.

All children hate ice cream.

We speak Chinese.

When the class accepts the diagrams as grammatically correct, ask whether there is any way to diagram the sentences for fact. Point out, “We have used simple statements which we can check for fact, but often we have complex, difficult ideas to evaluate.” Tell them that we have a number of devices in general semantics for testing the reliability and accuracy of statements. Ask the pupils whether they can see how such lessons might prove helpful to them.

Evidence

1. “Let’s make a list of the expressions that we use to show misunderstandings based on speech.” (I wish I had never said it. So what? I don’t get it. What did you say? etc.)

2. Have the pupils list the questions that are most often asked after an assignment is made. (Do we use ink? The same heading? Do we copy the question? What’s the date? etc.)

3. Ask the students to tell about their experiences in following directions on a trip, or about the difficulties in following a recipe or directions on a work sheet in home mechanics or industrial arts.

A study of our language habits is likely to be well worth our time if it increases our understanding and helps us solve some of our problems.

Applications

1. Let pupils report on common quarrels that they have observed at home or in school. Ask for volunteers to dramatize the incidents; then ask them to repeat their dramatization using the same circumstances, but changing their language so that a quarrel may be avoided. Point out the role of language in the conflicts.

2. Ask pairs of pupils to dramatize some of the language habits they have observed: (a) the chronic complainer-people hesitate to say “How are you?” because they will be told at great length; (b) the chronic fault finder-people avoid him because of his complaints. Have the pupils act out changes in these speech habits to show how new speech habits affect attitudes.

Ask the class in the role of the audience whether the actors were convincing. “Did the actors seem really to feel the parts they were portraying? Were they successful in showing what part language had in the incident?”

QUESTION

“Does this lesson mean that if we study general semantics we will be able to solve all our problems and to resolve all our conflicts?”

No. There are physical conditions that we cannot change: loss of loved ones, illnesses, catastrophes, hard times, etc. There are a few people in the world who will not respond to reason or kindness.

However, where language is at fault, we will find that by changing our language habits we can usually increase our understanding and agreements with others.

^[1] Material placed in boldface quotation marks (“ ”) may be spoken directly to the pupils.