®

69th ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBIT SHOW

Amy Benjaminwww.amybenjamin.com

®

69th ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBIT SHOW

Amy Benjaminwww.amybenjamin.com

Today: 1. Effective and Ineffective Vocabulary Instruction2. Knowing a word: Not an “all or nothing” thing3. 4E’s of effective vocabulary instruction4. Selecting words for explicit vocabulary instruction5. The Academic Word List (AWL) (Averil Coxhead)6. Classroom Resources:

1. Amy’s word games: Based on Latin word roots (generic academic vocabulary)2. Amy’s “Decent Exposure”: Teaching literary words3. Vocabulary.com

Let’s think about how words get learnedand stay learned.

Authentic communicationwith new words used in

rich context

Polling Q: Vocabulary is strongly correlated with: a. reading comprehension of unfamiliar text b. standardized tests in all subject areas c. formal and informal measurements of intelligence d. understanding and retaining concepts e. all of these

What thoughts come to mind when you hear the words “vocabulary lesson”?

Picture a typical vocabulary list. How are the words organized? How were the words chosen?

When was the last time you looked up a word in the dictionary? What were the circumstances?

Knowing a word is not an “all or nothing” thing.Strangers? Acquaintances? Friends?

Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Chapter 42 “The Whiteness of the Whale”

What the whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at times, he wasto me has been so far left unsaid.

Aside from those considerations touching Moby Dick, which could notbut occasionally waken in any man’s soul some alarm, there was anotherthought, or rather vague, nameless horror concerning him, which at times,by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mysticaland well nigh ineffable was it that I almost despair of putting it in acomprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all thingsappalled me…

Though in many natural objects, whiteness refiningly enhances beauty,as if imparting some kind of special virtue of its own, as in marbles,japonicas, and pearls; and though various nations have in some way recognized a certain royal preeminence in this hue; even the barbaric, grandold kinds of Pegu placing the title “Lord of White Elephants” above all theirother magniloquent ascriptions of dominion; and the modern kings of Siamunfurling the same snow-white quadraped in the royal standard; and theHanoverian flag bearing the snow-white charger; and the great AustrianEmpire, Caesarian, heir to the overlording Rome, having for the imperialcolor the same imperial hue; …

Should I spend time teaching this word explicitly?

Three Questions:

1. How useful is this word? Will students be likely to encounter it again soon? Is it necessary for comprehension?

2. Will teaching this word explicitly equip the students with word-learning skills that can be applied to other words?

3. Am I enthusiastic about this word? Can I make it interesting?

Tier 3: glossary word:Multisyllabic

Specific to a subject area Latin or Greek-based

topography, photosynthesis, isoceles triangle, sedimentary, oxygenated, cartographer

Tier 2: Words of education, business, government, religion:

Components: Prefix, root, suffix Latin-basedelevation, formation, protrude, expansive, isolated, remote

Tier 1: Basic conversational words: Friends & family1 or 2 syllables

Learned naturally, through exposure

hills, grass, rocks, land, sky, clouds, fly, climb,green, high…

Different kinds of vocabulary.

The Academic Word List (AWL):

Background: The Academic Word List consists of 570 word families that are not in the most frequent 2,000 words of English but which occur frequently over a very wide range of academic texts.These 570 word families are grouped into ten subsets that reflect word frequency. A word like analyze falls into Subset 1, which contains the most frequent words, while the wordadjacent falls into Subset 10 which includes the least frequent (among this list of high incidence words).

The AWL is not restricted to a specific field of study. That means that the words are useful for learnersstudying in disciplines as varied as literature, science, health, business, and law. This high-utility academic word list does not contain technical words likely to appear in one,specific field of study such as amortization, petroglyph, onomatopoeia, or cartilage. Two-thirds of all academic English derive from Latin or Greek.

Understandably, knowledge of the most high-incidence academic words in English can significantly boost a student’s comprehension level of school-based reading material. Students who are taught these high-utility academic words and routinely placed in contexts requiring their usage are likely to be able to master academic material with more confidence and efficiency, wasting less time and energy in guessing words or consulting dictionaries than those who are only equipped with the most basic 2000-3000 words that characterize ordinary conversation.

The following link gives you a two-page version of the list: http://www.doe.in.gov/TitleI/pdf/Word_List_Feldman.pdf

Source: Coxhead, Averil. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 213-238.

Academic Word List: Subset 1analyze approach area assess assume authority available benefit concept consist context constitute contract data define derive distribute economy environment establish estimate evident factor finance formula function income indicate individual interpret involve issue labor legal legislate major method percent period principle proceed process policy require research respond role section sector significant similar source specific structure theory vary

Academic Word List: Subset 2 achieve acquire administrate affect appropriate aspect assist category chapter commission community complex compute conclude conduct consequent construct consume credit culture design distinct equate element evaluate feature final focus impact injure institute invest item journal maintain normal obtain participate perceive positive potential previous primary purchase range region regulate regulate relevant reside resource restrict secure seek select site strategy survey tradition transfer

Can you think of at least 4 words for each of these roots?

tract

pel;pul

gress/grad

to step

port

to carry

rupt

to break

duce/duct

to lead

mit/miss

to send

struct

to build

subtractextractattractdistract

supportreportexportimport

disrupteruptruptureinterrupt

impelrepelpropelcompel

remitsubmitremitemit

produceintroducereduceinduce

progresscongressregressaggressive

attainmaintaincontainretain

constructstructureinstructobstruct

to drawor drag

to drive

tain/ten

to hold

Effective Vocabulary Instruction Depends on the 4 E’s, anagrammed below:

Eesurpxo

Ennoilaatxp

Enthusiasm Demonstrate your own excitement and interest in words; model yourself as a learner

Esshmaiunt

Exposure: Elevate your language when you speak in class

Explanation: Provide ample information about a word; Exceed brief definitions

Emslxpea Examples Give several examples and non-examples, especially ones that evoke a visual image

Polling Q:Which one of the following would be the MOST effective way to teach a word and make it stay learned?

a) Give a vocabulary test every Friday, based on 20-25 words presented on the previous Monday.

b) Teach a single word in depth, providing a cluster of words that are related in meaning and structure.

c) Use flashcards to drill words and definitions.

d) Give students matching columns with words and definitions

How do we make vocabulary learning engaging and fun?

How to Play: Try to put together the designated number of words for each board. To reorganize the word parts, click. There are three versions for each

board.

Why Play: 1. Reinforce the concept of word components (prefixes and roots) 2. Elevate awareness of key supportive academic words, so that they will be used

3. Reinforce spelling

PORT

RE

GRESS

PRE

VERT

SCRIBE

TRANS

A

DE

VERSE

CON

13 Words

PORTRE

GRESS

PREVERT

SCRIBE

TRANS

A

DE VERSE

CON

13 Words

PORT

RE

GRESS

PRE

VERT

SCRIBE

TRANS

A

DE VERSE

CON

13 Words

Answers:

prescribeascribedescribetranscribereportdeportaverttransportrevertregresstransgresscongressavertconvertconverse

AWL Puzzle Page: Subset 1

Anagrams Cryptograms

Word Find Clueless Mini X-Word

megcjby: __ __ __ __ __ ___ ___

fgadoafbp: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

qpmadp: __ __ __ __ __ ___

oedhahi: __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ydybrlp: __ __ __ __ __ __ __

1. cnifaen: : ___________________

2. ttrruusce:____________________

3. deothm:_____________________

4. otnneemnriv:__________________

5. ssilbeath:_____________

DE

I

TE

Y

RC E S

R

N

AII

N

CSAH

P

E NVE

ONTE

Y

X

Y

A

C

I

E

E

E

L

D

B

CF F

G

HU

E

V

R

OP

IR

ER

S S

S

W

H

RE

T I

T

TF

F

D

T

YT

P

R

V U

RL

N D

A cryptogram is a code. Solve the puzzle by breaking the code,letter by letter. Hint: Y stands for A (Replace all Y’s in thecryptogram with A’s)

A

E

S

OU

C

(find 6 hidden words)

N

E R

H

port

re

cede

con

re

con

re

ception tain

duct

tract

tractcon

cept

verse

re

ject

tain

con

re re

re

re

cession tract con

ceive

con

Word ComponentsMatch-Up

(Colors Must Match!)