Название: Английский язык

Жанр: Филология

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Section iii. evaluate your word knowledge

How large is your English vocabulary? Do you need to have precise knowledge of every word in order to be able to understand a text? Is it sometimes enough to have only a vague idea about some of the words? Is it sometimes all right to ignore a difficult word, hoping you will be able to figure out what it means after further reading?

1. Evaluate your word knowledge (decontextualized). The following words come from Sublist 1 of A University Word List, prepared by Xue Guo-yi and Paul Nation, reprinted in Language and Communication, 3(2), 1984).

How well do you know each of them? (place the appropriate symbol before each word.)

i. 0 = no knowledge,

ii. ? = some knowledge,

iii. + = knowledge (discriminating knowledge, i.e. you can translate it, can give a definition, can understand it fully in reading and can use it productively in writing.)

alternative

arbitrary

assume

concept

constant

criterion

denote

dimension

element

equivalent

evident

guarantee

ignore

imply

interpret

method

negative

presume

publish

range

restrict

specify

suffice

tense

valid

 

analyse

assess

compensate

conclude

construct

data

derive

distinct

environment

establish

facilitate

hypothesis

illustrate

indicate

involve

minimum

obvious

prime

pursue

region

role

status

summary

ultimate

vary

 

approach

assign

complex

consist

context

define

devise

dominate

equate

evaluate

formula

identify

impact

initial

magnitude

modify

potential

proceed

random

require

similar

subsequent

technique

usage

vertical

 

 

 

2. Underline ten difficult words in one of the texts in this book as you read it, and before you reach for a dictionary.

A. How important is it for you to know each of these words in order to understand the text? (Evaluate the importance on a scale of 1-5: (O) = of no importance; (5) — crucial)

B. How important is it for you to know these words for your general/personal vocabulary? (Evaluate the importance on a score of 1-5: (О) — of no importance; (5) = crucial)

3. Strategies available for learning and remembering a new word:

1. Internal context (analysing word structure — prefixbase — suffix)

2. Association of the new word with words that look the same (i.e., have the same base, or stem)

3. External context (studying the words, phrase or sentence(s) just preceding or just following the unfamiliar word)

4. Aural and/or visual cues (associating the word with some sound or image)

5. Native language equivalents (associating the word with its equivalent in your native language)

6. Synonyms (associating the word with word(s) of similar meaning )

7. Antonyms (associating the word with word(s) of opposite or contrastive meaning)

8. Collocations (associating the word with words that go together with it, i.e. coffee or tea)

9. Placing the word within a semantic field — (groups of words used in relation to a given topic or scene)

 


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