Final answer:
Understanding semantics is important in avoiding misinterpretations, considering both denotative and connotative meanings. Strategies to avoid gender bias include using gender-neutral terms and non-gender-specific job titles. Interpretations of messages can vary based on structuralist or post-structuralist perspectives and personal experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Semantics is the study of meaning in language, an essential aspect of communication. Misinterpreting messages can happen due to many factors, including ambiguity in language or cultural differences. To avoid misunderstanding the meaning of a word you're unsure about, it's important to consider its denotative and connotative meanings. The denotative meaning is the literal definition, while the connotative meaning includes the emotional or associative aspects.
To address gender bias in language, three strategies include using gender-neutral terms like 'they' instead of 'he' or 'she', alternating between masculine and feminine examples, and employing job titles that are not gender-specific, such as 'firefighter' instead of 'fireman'.
The distinctions in meaning can lead to different interpretations. For instance, structuralists believe in an objective structure of the universe reflected in language, while post-structuralists argue that meanings are subjective and plural. Interpretation also depends on one's personal experiences, and critical understanding is developed over time. This is why even in literature classes, different students and professors may have varying interpretations of a text that are all valuable but may differ.