As the field of adult education continues to evolve and mature, so grows the importance for those engaged in it to recognize and be able to communicate its key concepts. Newcomers, those with tangentially related interests, or those on the margins of the field for whatever reasons ‐ may be disadvantaged by unfamiliarity with the peculiarities of the language. This article challenges and encourages writers/speakers in the adult education discourse community to acknowledge that the meanings they assign to polysemous words and phrases may differ from those of their reader/listeners, and to ensure that their intended meanings are made clear.
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