03 language learning skills

Language Learning Skills

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ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES 1

1. WHAT SORT OF LANGUAGE LEARNER ARE YOU?

2. MY LANGUAGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

3. EXTENDING VOCABULARY AND USING A DICTIONARY

4. USING CONTEXT CLUES

5. VOCABULARY BUILDING & WORD FORMATION


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Tick () your answers to the questions.

Usually Sometimes

(Almost)

never

Dont know

1. Did/do you get good result in grammar tests?

2. Do you have have a good memory for new words?

3. Do you hate making mistakes? 4. In class, do you get irritated if mistakes

are not corrected?

5. Is your pronunciation better when you read aloud than when you have a

conversation?

6. Do you wish you had more time to think before speaking?

7. Did/do you enjoy being in a class? 8. Do you find it difficult to pick up more

than two or three words of a new

language when you are on holiday

abroad?

9. Do you like to learn new grammar rules, words, etc., by heart?

How to calculate your score:

Score: 3 points for each Usually

2 points for each Sometimes

1 points for each Almost never or never

0 points for each Dont know Total Score

Now match your score with the appropriate comments on the next page and read them carefully.


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Now reflect on your own past experiences in learning

English. Here are some questions for you to consider:

1. How long have you been learning English? 2. How did you learn it? Did you take English

lessons? Did you have a pen friend?

3. Is there anything/anyone that helped you in learning English?

4. Why do you think this was helpful? 5. Is there anything that made it difficult for you

to learn English? If yes, what and why?

6. Were you able to overcome this difficulty? If so, what did you do?

Share your experience and ideas with your friends in the group.

A. Ask and answer the following questions:

1. Do you think you are good at learning languages? Why or why not? 2. What do you think is the best way to learn a new language? Why? 3. What kinds of activities do you think should be included in your

course? Why?

B. Discuss your ideas with the rest of your class. Then read the following article about how to be a successful language learner.

A Profile of the Successful Language Learner

Some people seem to have a knack for learning languages. They can pick up new vocabulary, master rules or grammar, and learn to write in the new language more quickly than others. They do

not seem to be any more intelligent than others, so what makes language learning so much easier for

them? Perhaps if we take a close look at these successful language learners we may discover a few of

the techniques which make language learning easier for them.

First of all, successful language learners are independent learners. They do not depend on the

book or the teacher; they discover their own way to learn the language. Instead of waiting for the

teacher to explain, they try to find the patterns and the rules for themselves. They are good guessers

who look for clues and form their own conclusions. When they guess wrong, they guess again. They

try to learn from their mistakes.

Successful language learning is active learning. Therefore, successful learners do not wait for a

chance to use the language: the look for such a chance. They find people who speak the language and

they ask these people to correct them when they make mistake. They will try anything to

communicate. They are not afraid to repeat what they hear or to say strange things; they are willing

to make mistakes and try again. When communication is difficult, they can accept information that is

inexact or incomplete. It is more important for them to learn to think in the language than to know

the meaning of every word.


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Finally, successful language learners are learners with a purpose. They want to learn the

language because they are interested in the language and the people who speak it. It is necessary for

them to learn the language in order to communicate with these people and to learn from them. They

find it easy to practice using the language regularly because they want to learn with it.

What kind of language learner are you? If you are a successful language learner, you have

probably been learning independently, actively, and purposefully. On the other hand, if your

language learning has been less than successful, you might do well to try some of the techniques

above.

C. Home assignment: Write a one-page (approximately 250 words) summary of your experience of learning English (your strengths and weaknesses), your expectations of the course and your plans for

improving your English.

EXTENDING VOCABULARY AND USING A DICTIONARY

I. Extending Vocabulary How do you feel about learning vocabulary?

Brigette and Adel have different feelings about learning English vocabulary.

Brigette, Switzerland:

I really like learning new words. I think its so important if you want to express yourself well.

Adel, Algeria:

I dont think its necessary to learn lots of new words. I can always get round it somehow if I dont know the exact word.

1. What are the positive and negative aspects of these two opinions about vocabulary learning? 2. How do you feel about learning English vocabulary? 3. Find out what other people in your group feel.

What do you know about English vocabulary?

Knowing a word

What do you think knowing a word means? Look at the following list:

i. to understand it when it is written and/or spoken ii. to recall it when you need it

iii. to use it with the correct meaning iv. to use it in a grammatically correct way v. to pronounce it correctly

vi. to use it in the right situation vii. to know if it has positive or negative associations

These points may not all be equally important to you for knowing a particular word or phrase. Their importance may depend on whether you need to recognize a word passively or whether you want to use it

actively.


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How do you prefer to learn vocabulary?

1. Personal strategies

We interviewed some students to find out what strategies they use for learning new words.

Luis, Portugal:

I have to see the word written down. If you just say it I cant remember it.

Anne, Belgium:

I think I remember words best by listening and then repeating them aloud.

Andre, France:

I think its a good idea to learn vocabulary by topic, for example, types of furniture, parts of the car, because if I think back, some of them remind me of others.

2. Some strategies to learn new words

a. Grouping words

Research has shown that people often remember words in groups which have something in common.

They way we group the words is always very personal.

Common features

i. Here are some words which have been sorted into groups. Can you see what each group has in

common?

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

shoe shop shout

shine sheep

biology psychology

geology sociology

run jump hop

sprint jog

ii. Sort the following words into groups. When you have finished, find out if another learner has the same answer like you:

blackberry, banana, kitchen, walnut, hazelnut, wok, knife, gooseberry, raspberry, chestnut,

saucepan, tomato, pear, peach, plate, strawberry.

Word network

Grouping word according to their meanings can be useful way to remember them. Here is an example of one

way of one way of doing this.

(1) Choose a topic, for example politics. Write it in the middle of a blank sheet of paper.


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(2) What is the first word that comes into your mind which is connected in some way with it? Write the

word anywhere you like on the paper and join it to the first word.

(3) Continue in this way, adding new words as you think of them.

Each word network you create is unique because you have thought of the words, and made the connections.

Your word network can be as large as you like.

If you decide to try this strategy, test yourself later on and you will probably be amazed at how many new

words you can remember.

b. Making associations

Word bag

Research has also shown that people remember words by making associations in their minds. For this

activity you will need a large plastic carrier bag and some small pieces of card.

(1) When you meet a new word that you want to learn, write it, or cut it out and stick it, on a piece of card.

(2) Look at the word and try to recall the whole sentence and its meaning. Make up pictures/associations in your mind to help you remember it. Be imaginative!

(3) Put the word in your word bag. (4) Later, take out a card. Look at the word on the card and try to recall its meaning. You will probably

find that your picture/association will help you.


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3. Your own strategy

The dictionary is a source of many kinds of information about words. Look at this sample entry carefully;

notice how much information the dictionary presents under the word prefix.

Your dictionary may use a different system of abbreviations or different pronunciation symbols. It is

important for you to become familiar with your English dictionary and with the symbols that it uses. Look up

prefix in your dictionary, and compare the entry to the sample entry. Discuss the differences that you find.

Exercise 1

Use the sample entry above and your own dictionary to discuss this exercise.

1. When a dictionary gives more than one spelling or pronunciation of a word, is the first one always

preferred?

2. Look at the same entry. How many syllables are in prefix? What symbol does this dictionary use

to separate the syllables? Which syllable is accented in the preferred pronunciation of the verb

prefix?

3. Why would you need to know where a word is divided into syllables?

4. What are derived words?

5. Dictionary entries sometimes include usage labels such as archaic, obsolete, slang, colloquial,

poetic, regional, and informal. Why are these labels useful?


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Exercise 2

In this exercise you will have to read a page of a dictionary on page 10. Read each question, find the answer

as quickly as possible, then write it in the space provided. These questions will introduce you to several kinds

of information to be found in a dictionary.

1. Would you find the word glory on the page? ____________________________________________

2. How many syllables are there in glossolalia? ___________________________________________

3. Which syllable is stressed in the word glutarnic?

4. What are the key words that tell you how to pronounce the o in the preferred pronunciation of

glycerol? ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the preferred spelling of the plural of glottis? _____________________________________

6. What is the past tense of to glue? _____________________________________________________

7. What is the adverb derived from glower? ______________________________________________

8. What word must you look up to find glossographer? ______________________________________

9. For whom was gloxinia named? ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

10. From what two languages has glucose developed? _______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

11. Is the intransitive verb gloze commonly used today? ______________________________________

12. How many synonyms are listed for the word glum? Why are these words defined here? __________

________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

13. When was Christoph Willibald Gluck born? ____________________________________________

14. What is the population of Gloucester, Massachusetts? ____________________________________

15. List the different kinds of information you can find in a dictionary. __________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________


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From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin).


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USING CONTEXT CLUES

What do you usually do when you come to a word that you do not know in your reading? Do you

a. look it up in the dictionary? b. ask your teacher? c. ask another student or a friend? d. Try to guess what it means?

If you answered a, b, or c, then you are not reading as effectively and efficiently as you could be. In fact, the

best strategy for dealing with an unknown word is to try to guess what it means. This strategy

is fast because you dont interrupt your reading.

helps your comprehension because you stay focused on the general sense of what you are reading.

helps build vocabulary because you are more likely to remember the words.

allows you to enjoy your reading more because you dont have to stop often.

Context clues exercises are designed to help you improve your ability to guess the meaning of unfamiliar

words by using context clues. (Context refers to the sentence and paragraph in which a word occurs.) In

using the context to decide the meaning of a word, you have to use your knowledge of grammar and your

understanding of the authors ideas. Although there is no formula that you can memorize to improve your ability to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words, you should keep the following points in mind:

1. Use the meanings of the other words in the sentence (or paragraph) and the meaning of the sentence as a whole to reduce the number of possible meanings.

2. Use grammar and punctuation clues that point to the relationships among the various parts of the sentence.

3. Be content with a general idea about the unfamiliar word; the exact definition or synonym is not always necessary.

4. Learn to recognize situations in which it is not necessary to know the meaning of the word.

Example: Do you know what misogynist means? If not, try to make a guess:

A misogynist is _________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________


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Now read these sentences. Try again to guess what misogynist means.

a. She realized that her boss was a misogynist soon after she started working for him.

b. It is difficult for a woman to work for a misogynist. She is never sure of the reason for his criticism.

c. She knew that no woman would ever get a top-level job in a company owned by a misogynist.

We know from sentence a that a misogynist is a man. From sentence b we learn that a misogynist criticizes

womens work. Then from c we understand that a misogynist has negative feelings about women.

Exercise 1

In each of the following items, there is a word you may not know. Guess the meaning of the word from the

context of the sentences. Than compare your work with another student.

1. What does ravenous mean?

_____________________________________________________________________

Could I have a piece of bread? I missed breakfast and Im simply ravenous. The poor horse was ravenous and it ate the leaves and bark off the trees.

2. What does gaudy mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

She was wearing such gaudy clothes that it was easy to find her in the crowd. My mother always said that old ladies shouldnt wear bright colors. She thought that they would

look gaudy and foolish.

3. What does dike mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

After so much rain, the river flowed over the dike and into the fields. People in this area began building dikes many centuries ago. It was the only way to keep the sea out

of their villages.

4. What does sallow mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

The poor child had sallow skin and very thin, bony arms and legs. You could tell from his sallow complexion that he had lived in an unhealthy climate for many years.

5. What does shred mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

He read the letter carefully and then tore it to shreds.

Sammy was a real mess when he came home; his clothes were in shreds and he was covered with mud.


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6. What does mold mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

The liquid plastic was poured into a mold and left there until it was hard.

The dentist first makes a mold of his patients teeth. From that he makes a model of the teeth to decide how to correct any problems.

7. What does eaves mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

Some birds had built a nest high up on the eaves of our house.

Houses in the mountains have wide eaves so the snow will not pile up against the windows.

8. What does porch mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

On nice days, old Mrs. Willows always sat out on her porch and watch the people pass by.

From the second floor porch, there was a wonderful view of the ocean.

9. What does imp mean?

____________________________________________________________________________

What an imp he was! Little Tommy was always getting into trouble, but making us laugh about it.

With her pointed little chin, bright eyes and impish expression, we didnt know whether to believe the child.


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Exercise 2

Guess the meaning of the word in italics using the context of the sentences.

1. Labor union leaders have been bitter foes of job specialization and scientific management, yet they complain that job enrichment programs are management ploys to get more work out of employees

for less money.

foe _________________________________________________________________________

ploy ________________________________________________________________________

2. Self-monitoring includes designing artificial feedback where natural feedback does not occur. Production staff might have gauges on computer feedback system installed so they can see how

many errors are made on the production line.

gauge ______________________________________________________________________

3. One persons consumption of the security provided by our national defense system doesnt decrease the security of someone elsedefense is nonrival.

nonrival ____________________________________________________________________

4. Creativity flourishes when employees are given freedom deciding how to accomplish tasks and solve problems.

flourish _____________________________________________________________________

accomplish __________________________________________________________________

5. Employees may have reward power by extolling praise and extending personal benefits within their discretion to other co-workers.

extol _______________________________________________________________________


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VOCABULARY BUILDING WORD FORMATION

Learning the use and meaning of words in English can be made easier, and even enjoyable, if you understand

something about one way in which many English words are formed, which is called word formation.

The stem of a word is its basic form, the fundamental element which is common to all the other forms of the

word.

A prefix is a form which is fixed to the beginning of a stem.

A suffix is a form which is fixed to the end of a stem.

For example:

stem = measure suffix = measureable

prefix = immeasureable

A prefix usually changes the meaning of a word, while a suffix usually changes its part of speech. For

example, the suffix able changes verbs into adjectives (breakable, enjoyable). The prefix im- changes the meaning to the opposite: measureable means capable of being measured; immesureable meansnot capable of being measured.

Notice the numerous words formed on the stem

Prefix + act act + suffix Prefix + act + suffix

react action reaction

enact active enactment

reenact actively reenactment

interact actionless reactor

transact actable reactive

activity reactivate

activation reactivation

actor interaction

actress transaction

inactive

inaction

By learning only a few prefixes and suffixes, you will be able to recognize or guess the meaning of hundreds

of English words.

Prefixes and suffixes

In the list below are some of the most common prefixes and suffixes. The meaning is given as an area of

meaning, because most often there is no single specific meaning. Find example of words that use the prefix.

Your dictionary will provide examples. Choose those which are familiar or potentially useful to you.

prefix / suffix Area of meaning Examples

anti against, opposite

act


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prefix / suffix Area of meaning Examples

auto self

inter between, among

mis wrong, unfavourable

re again

able / ible capable of being

ation / tion condition, or the act of

dom state, condition, dignity, office

er / or the one who

less without, loose from.

Changing parts of speech

As mentioned above, a suffix usually changes its part of speech. List some examples of suffixes that can

change:

1. verbs into nouns: __________________________________________________________

2. adjectives into nouns: ______________________________________________________

3. nouns into adjectives: ______________________________________________________

4. verbs into adjectives: _______________________________________________________

5. adjectives into adverbs: _____________________________________________________

6. nouns and adjectives into verbs: ______________________________________________

Word stems

Prefixes and suffixes are added to word stems. Sometimes a word stem can be used by itself, such as the

word act or form. Most often a word stem can be used only in combination with a prefix or a suffix. For

example, the word stem dict has a root meaning of to say or to speak, but it is never used alone. Prefixes can be used before the stem (predict, contradict), or suffixes added after the stem (diction, dicator).

Most word stems in English come from Latin and Greek. If you learn the most common of these, you will be

able to analyse the meaning of many words without having to look them up in a dictionary.

In the following examples, some of the most common word stems are listed. The meaning of the stem is

given as an area of meaning because most often there is no one single specific meaning. In the space on the

right, record examples of words which are built upon the stem.


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word stem area of meaning examples

anthro man, mankind

bibl book

chron time

duc, duct lead

fort strong

homo same

log, logy speech, word, study

phil like, love

Exercise 1

Identify the stem, prefix / suffix in each of the underlined word and explain its meaning.

1. What does the conductor of an orchestra literally do?

2. No one dares to make a prediction of the likely outcome of the next general election in Indonesia.

3. Andi bore his pain with commendable fortitude.

4. What is the inductive reasoning?

5. Cereals are food which are fortified with iron and vitamins, so they are good for children.

Exercise 2

Complete each of the following sentences with another form of the underlined word.

1. Although the critics often said unkind things about the writers work, he refused to be discouraged

by their _____________________________

2. They told me to practice economy but Im not sure how to _______________________

3. You need to determine the benefits of each plan before you can decide which is most

_______________________

4. Synthetic rubber was not widely available before World War II. It took time to learn how to

_______________________

5. Sally appealed for help with her heavy load, but no one listened to her ________________________

03 language learning skills

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language learning easier

language learning experience

successful language

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