how to learn vocabulary in english
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Información General
Programa Análisis y Desarrollo de Sistemas de
Información.
Tema Guía 5:
Duración estimada de
estudio (horas)
20
Desarrollador de contenido Alba Nury Cardona Yepes
Fecha de entrega Octubre 2013
Versión 1
HOW TO LEARN VOCABULARY IN ENGLISH
CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WAYS TO LEARN AND GUESS THE MEANING OF A WORD OR
PHRASE IN CONTEXT
2.1 Lexical Relations
Same Word class: Adjectives, verbs, nouns.
Same word family and its derivate.
Synonym
Antonym
Co-hyponym
Homonyms
Same lexical field
2.2 Word formation
Blending
2.3 Knowing a word from its categories of meaning: meaning, spoken
form, grammar, derived forms, collocations, register, frequency
(dictionary meaning).
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2.4 From Familiar Context
2.5 Selective level of words
Elementary
Intermediate
Upper-Intermediate
2.6 Words in contexts
Short texts
Literary texts
Corpora
2.7 Idioms
2.8 Direct translation
3. Map Concept
4. Complementary Activity
5. Bibliography
6. Glossary
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1. INTRODUCTION
In order to learn and being able to communicate in English, there are two
fundamental aspects to be considered: vocabulary and grammar through which
the four skills are developed. Therefore, you should study the specific meaning
of each unknown word, so that the context can be evident for an overall point of
view to understand the whole message.
The next explanations will be of help for you to know how to learn vocabulary,
according to each learning style and individual preferences; since this
knowledge depends on your personal characteristics, context, past experiences
and contact with the language.
Although there are many ways in which vocabulary can be learned, some main
considerations will be taking into account in this material, to facilitate the
beginners´ acquisition of elements as well as intermediate to develop the
proposed tasks in each activity.
There have been presented different examples about each characteristic and
topic taught that let you know the best and easiest way to get the meaning of a
word or phrases applying it in the required context.
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2. WAYS TO LEARN AND GUESS THE MEANING OF A WORD OR
PHRASE IN CONTEXT
The learning of any language starts with the vocabulary, which plays a
fundamental role in getting not only the meaning but also the form, and their
relationship with the whole message.
According to Thornbury (2002), to produce and use an intended word in a
context, the learner needs to:
Acquire a critical mass of words for use in both understanding and
producing language
Remember words over time, and be able to recall them readily
Develop strategies for coping with gaps in word knowledge, including
coping with unknown words, or unfamiliar uses of known words
To get these challenges it must be defined and understood what a word is.
Through the next explanations you will be familiar with the terms, definitions,
lexical relations, and in general, grammar implications of a word itself as well as
specific use in different contexts.
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2.1 Lexical Relations
Same Word class: Adjectives, verbs, nouns, etc.
Adjectives Verbs Nouns
Big
Wonder
Bed
Red
Run
Couch
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Loud
Design
PC
Same word family and its derivate
Feminine Feminity Feminist Feminism
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Synonym/Antonym
Bad/good Tall/short Dark/light
Co-hyponym: Words of same topic.
Goldfish Trout Shark
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Homonyms: Same sound, different meaning.
Son/sun Dear/Deer Eye/I
Hyponym and superordinate term:
Wood/material Bronze/metal Sculpture/Art
Same lexical field
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2.2 Word formation: Two words derived from the same root.
Examples:
1. Sculpt: Sculpture, Sculptor
2. Hard: Harden, hardener
Blending
Examples:
1. Twigloo: A tree-house made of branches- a blend of twig and
igloo.
2. Internaut: Habitual user of the Internet- a blend of Internet and
astronaut.
3. Canyoning: Sport that involves descending mountain streams at
high speed. Formed by canyon + ing.
PC´s
Software
Hardware
Monitor
Download
Security
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4. Shareware: Freely distributed computer software. Formed by
share and ware (by analogy with hardware, software).
5. Trainspotter: A collector of information about train movements-
formed by compounding of train + splotter.
2.3 Knowing a word from its categories of meaning ((dictionary
meaning) : meaning, spoken form, grammar, derived forms,
collocations, register, frequency).
2.9 From Familiar Context: Basic vocabulary learned from mother, father
and relatives.
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2.5 Selective level of words: You can choose and create a three level
vocabulary list, according to your understanding of each word.
Elementary: House, Architecture, beauty room, cell phone.
Intermediate: Information, detail, past, determiner.
Upper Intermediate: Available, groom, thunder, carving.
Develop an efficient means of storing vocabulary which you can easily refer to
later. Experiment with the following:
-Alphabetical card indexes with definitions or translations of words.
-A special note-book which you can keep with you at all times.
-An alphabetical list on your home computer.
2.6 Words in contexts: This strategy of learning vocabulary helps a lot to
students when they discover the meaning in practical ways.
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Short texts: The best way to understand and guess the meaning
of a word or word is following the next step.
First, write the general topic of the reading.
Second, make a list of the unknown vocabulary.
Third, look for the meaning in your own language, pay attention to
pronunciation too.
Next, try to get the whole meaning of the text without translating
word by word.
Then, make the reading comprehension or answers the questions
indicated, if there are some.
Literary texts: Remember that the main idea most of the times
goes at the very beginning of the reading, in the middle or at the
end. When the reading is too long, make the analysis of the
vocabulary by sections, titles, subtitles or paragraphs.
Remember to have available a good dictionary, bilingual but also
monolingual if you want to improve your knowledge and lexical
meaning.
Corpora (Corpus data): This means a collection of texts that has
been assembled for the purpose of language study. Modern
corpora are stored electronically and consist of many millions of
words of text, both spoken and written. The benefit for learners is
that it provides them with easily accessible information about real
language use, frequency and collocation. It includes American,
British, and Australian English.
2.7 Idioms: Many phrasal verbs are idiomatic and their meaning is not
easily detected, since most of them are used in certain contexts or
situations. Therefore to study and understand them, it is better to do
it as soon as they arise in the text, according to the topic. To get their
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specific meaning you can use the www, to be sure about what of its
equivalent can be applied for that theme.
2.8 Direct Translation: This resource to learn vocabulary should be the
last but not the least to be used. It is very useful when the learner
cannot guess, nor discover the meaning according to the context,
topic or theme. To be efficient, the skills to manage the use of
monolingual and bilingual dictionary, is compulsory.
3. Map Concept
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4. Complementary Activities
Complementary
Activity´s name
Activity´s description File of the Activity (if required)
Having fun
learning
vocabulary.
The learner
completes the
exercises and
discovers the
meaning of words
in different
categories of
practicing.
Having fun learning vocabulary.rar
4. Bibliography
Nation ISP. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in another Language. Cambridge
University Press.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (3rd Edition). (1995). Longman.
Schmitt N. (2000). Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge Unversity
Press.
Schmitt N and McCarthy M. (1997). Vocabulary: Description, Acquisition and
Pedagogy. Cambridge University Press.
Thornbury, S. (2002). How to teach vocabulary. Pearson Education Limited.
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5. Glossary
Antonym: Antónimo
Applied: Aplicar
Bad: Malo
Blending: Mezcla
Bronze: Bronce
Canyoning: Descender por barrancos
Compulsory: Obligatorio
Connotation: Connotación
Contemporary: Actual
Context: Contexto
Corpora: Información official en internet
Dear: Querido
Deer: Ciervo
Elementary: Sencillo
Eye: Ojo
Feminine: Femenina
Feminism: Feminismo
Feminist: Feminista
Feminity: Feminidad
Field: Campo
Further: Además
Grammar: Gramática
Golfish: Pez dorado
Good: Bueno
Guess: Descubrir
Hard: Duro
Harden: Endurecido
Hardener: Endureced
Hyponym: Hipónimo
I: Yo
Index: Indice
Intermediate: Intermedio
Internaut: Navegador en la web
Later: Más tarde
Learned: Aprendido
Lexical: Léxico
Meaning: Significado
Paragraph: Párrafo
Punctuation: Puntuación
Refer: Referirse
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Remind: Recordar
Resource: Recurso
Sculpt: Esculpir
Sculptor: Escultor
Sculpture: Escultura
Shareware: Programa compartido
Shark: Tiburón
Short: Bajo
Should: Debería
Son: Hijo
Sun: Sol
Spelling: Deletrear
Stomachache: Dolor de estómago
Store: Almacenar
Style: Estilo
Synonym: Sinónimo
Tall: Alto
Trainspotter: Información de movimiento del tren
Translation: Traducción
Trout: Trucha
Twigloo: Iglú en árbol
Wood: Madera