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I have recently been asking people what they believe to be the definition of the word remedial. So far everyone has answered the question with idea of being mentally slow. Is that what everyone associates it with? I understand why it goes with idea, but it really is in poor intellectual form to incorrectly associate words of this sort. I think a possible reason for this is the decline of foreign language education, which forces a person to break down words and see what they are made of. Any thoughts?
Words always do that though- they evoke contexts they've been in.
Like 'remedial,' words like 'challenged' and 'special' have similar new connotations that stuck to them I would guess only over the last couple decades. A word will become whatever people make it.
Of the 3 words, in spite of how far they've evolved, I believe that the earlier meaning of each of them has not been weakened let alone lost.
I didn't know that some people have been using "remedial" to mean "slow" or "retarded". I can see why they would, but in my mind it just means a class (or some other measure) intended to remediate a situation. If a student has fallen behind in English, he may have to take a "remedial" English class to catch up with others in his grade, that's all.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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