This paper attempts to compare the nativist approach on the contextualization of vocabulary with approaches by behaviorists, empiricists, and neofunctionalists. It considers such themes and issues as the following: cognition, comprehension, and communication; prior knowledge and content; the process of contextualization; the skill and process of inference and reference; problem-solving; retention; empirical research; and the implications and conclusions of the nativist approach. (Contains 25 references.) (KFT)