[MUSIC] English for Teaching Purposes. [MUSIC] Definitions. >> A lot of what teachers do in class has to do with defining. [MUSIC] We use definitions to set the limits of our discipline. And we use working definitions when we do experimental work. [MUSIC] Definitions can act as building blocks with which we can construct complex ideas. There are many taxonomies of definitions around, but on this video we will not attempt to offer you a new one. This is just a collection of useful definition types. This is the classic a is b definition, in which the concept to be defined is mentioned before one actually finds it. Examples of this kind of definition are. A lightbulb is an electric device that produces light with a heated filament wire. You equate a notion to the features that define it. When definitions are reversed the elements that build up the concept are presented before mentioning the concept itself. An instance of such definition is. The basic structural, functional and biological unit of all known living organisms is the cell. Now let's see how this is done live. Christian Geadah, from the School of Education here at the UAB, will tell us what tonic dialogue is by means of a reverse definition. >> The first communication between the baby and the mother are the first moments, are the first moments of their lives, the life of the children is a tonic dialogue. We don't have the language. We only have our body to communicate sensations, problems necessities. So we do it with our body. >> Contextual definitions attempt to describe the where, when, how, or the why of a phenomenon as a means to define it. To see how this works Monica Frasiers is going to present a contextual definition of the concept of conflict within the classroom setting. >> So the first thing that I would like to show you is what a conflict is. In any allocation of organizations, schools and teachers, conflict arrives daily. It is unnatural to the organizations that we lead with conflicts. That way that we solve conflicts may tell us how, as an organization, how mature are we, in the terms that. If we are able to confront them, if we are able to discuss about conflicts, this may this may resolve in a, in a positive climate and may not harm the performance of teachers and students. Instead if conflicts are not solved, this may damage the coexistence among us in the different performing of students learning and teachers' work. Property list definitions present a set of features that define accounts. For example, s is an alveolar, fricative, voiceless consonant. The added properties of the sound mentioned, s, are enough to distinguish it from other voiceless sounds that are produced in the same place, t. In the same manner, f. From the School of Education will now present a list of features that define futurist poets. >> For the first time in history, these poets included in the poems things of modernity, for instance cars, planes, electric devices. Things that before had been very weird to melt in, in a poem. >> Some of the technical definitions had an ordinary term as their point of departure and a scientific or a technical explanation at their core. Process definitions explain what a concept is by describing how it came to be, as in. Nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple atomic nuclei join together to form a single heavier nucleus. Example definitions use instances of the notion defined to round up its concept. They are usually expanded with the help of other forms of definitions. Consider the following. Biconvex, plano-convex, positive meniscus, negative meniscus, plano-concave, and biconcave are all examples of simple optical lenses. Accompanying images are desirable when dealing with this kind of information. And both the general motion and its specific instances will definitely require elaboration to help students grasp the function and uses of the concepts mentioned. Analogy definitions are comparisons established between a concept and another that can be deemed as equivalent. Solar-type, solar analog, and solar twin star are those stars that are particularly similar to the Sun. And finally, another practical way to define things is by showing pictures, graphs or any physical representation of the object we are defining. The best and most efficient way to define something is by using verb to be, to link both parts of the definition. Defining tends to happen in the present simple. So is and are, are the most frequent fourths. We can use other verbs, of course, like act as, convey, embody, enact, equate, express, identify, indicate, mean, represent, stand for, symbolize, and understand. Definitions are typically phrased like this. An oar is an instrument which is made of wood and intended for water-borne propulsion. Or, a lawyer is a person who practices the law. A forest is an area where there is a high density of tress. And so on. When presenting direct definitions we will identify the notion to be defined. Use verb to be. Use a relative pronoun to introduce the general class. And expand by mentioning one or more specific features. In lectures we frequently introduce definitions by using a question. We raise it, we create the knowledge void, and then we fill it. The questions that lead to definitions are introduced by what. What is X? And such questions can be made more interesting. How can or could we define X? Or what does X mean? Or even what do we commonly understand by X? Then we proceed to present the working definition of the term. I believe that's all we have for you today. Thank you for watching. See you next time. [MUSIC]