Nuanced Language Research

Worksheet Description

The worksheet titled “Contested Words” is a pedagogical tool designed to prompt students to investigate the complexities of English vocabulary, particularly focusing on words whose meanings or usages can lead to confusion or debate. The directions at the top of the page guide the students to look up each listed word in a reference text of their choice and to write about why the word is sometimes contested in its usage. This exercise aims to deepen students’ understanding of nuanced language and encourage them to think critically about word choice and meaning.

The words selected for examination are “Deepfake,” “Enormity,” “Fortuitously,” and “Gender,” each followed by several lines for the students’ written responses. These words have been chosen for their potential to be misunderstood or misapplied in contemporary discourse. For instance, “Deepfake” refers to synthetic media where a person’s likeness has been replaced with someone else’s, “Enormity” often is confused with enormousness despite its connotation of extreme evil, “Fortuitously” can be misused as a synonym for fortunately, and “Gender” has various interpretations and uses that can lead to contentious discussions.