This article written by Juan Antonio Prieto Velasco introduces a study made for a targeted public with the purpose of highlighting the importance of the image regarding the understanding of a cognitive field. The purpose of the experiment is to analyse the representativeness of the image from the point of view of different users.
The medical reality is based on different cognitive and communicative features. To be considered reliable, a related terminological resource must respect a consistent set of criteria such as conceptual, linguistic and visual information. As an example, VariMed, a specialized terminological database, is taking into consideration images so as to distinguish similar terms trough visual representativeness in order to complete cognitive and communicative levels.
According to the Frame-based Terminology (Faber, 2013), the concepts should be described pragmatically, syntactically and semantically. The last criteria can be accomplished by means of definitions and linguistic-based ontologies. The theory defends a process-oriented terminology management by combining different semiotic modalities with the purpose of facilitating the acquisition of specialized knowledge.
Specialized Knowledge Visualization initiated by Prieto (2008, 2013) perceives the image as one of the several devices that would provide intentional details for concept depiction. Therefore, it should make part of termbases. In this framework, the VariMed project analyses the phenomenon of variation on images related to terms extracted from English and Spanish medical corpora. The aim is to compare designations of a unique concept by adding images that optimise the understanding of a concept.
The study consists of four experimental surveys submitted to English-speaking and Spanish-speaking healthcare providers as well as English-speaking and Spanish-speaking non-experts. They pointed out that one in four images reflected the image scheme provided by the definition. According with the on-going study, on the one hand it was demonstrated that linguistic variation between formal and informal designations (heatburn or gastro-esophageal reflux) does not influence the visual representation. On the other hand, terms register variation on a syntactical and pragmatic level.
Consequently, the article provides two central notions for the cognition and its acquisition. The representativeness shows how the images are conceptual depictions. The specialization shows how images may clarify technical information. As a result, the schemas were more representative for English-speaking non-experts then for the other participants. Regarding cultural and linguistic features, it would be necessary to continue the research by comparing both languages and expert with non-expert levels.
In my opinion, the theoretical approach is an integrative one because it points out the importance of semantic, syntactic and pragmatic features regarding the domain-specific language. The purpose of the study is to simplify the cognitive acquisition by using the image as a complementary resource in terminology databases. I consider that this method is practical for specific domains, especially for a non-expert public. For instance, technical or scientific disciplines are based on visual learning resources, like atlases, manuals, articles that intend to complete theoretical information with images, schemes or figures.
The linguistic and graphic structures are more frequent in materials planned for non-experts, than for experts projected materials. In the medicine field, the students need more visual help to acquire and conceptualize a new notion. The experts prefer written information due to the fact that for them it is necessary only a basic and visual understanding of the scientific reality.
* You can download and read the whole article here, also the rest of the articles of this recommended book Languages for Special Purposes in a Multilingual, Transcultural World.
Written by Mioara Stroe
Terminology trainee at TermCoord