AIDS TO VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

AIDS TO VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

A.   Using contextual aids

Contextual analysis is usefull because sometimes we can use context clues to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word they come across in their reading. Remind them that context clues are the words, phrases, and sentences surrounding an unfamiliar word that can give hints or clues to its meaning. Caution students that although these clues can prove to be helpful, they can sometimes be misleading

Examples :

TEST A : WORDS WITHOUT CONTEXT

Directions : For each item choose the word that is closest in meaning to the first word . Circle the letter of your answer .

1. Audacity
1. Patience
2. Boldness
3. Good sense
4. Courtesy
5. Understanding
2. Disparaging
1. Encouraging
2. Questioning
3. Sincere
4. Logical
5. Belittling

TEST B : WORDS IN CONTEXT

Directions : For each item choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word . Circle the letter of your answer .

1. The woman had the audacity to return the dress to the store after wearing it several time
1. Patience
2. Boldness
3. Good sense
4. Courtesy
5. Understanding
2. Despite her husband’s disparaging remarks , the woman persisted in her afforts to find a full-time job .
1. Encouraging
2. Questioning
3. Sincere
4. Logical
5. Belittling

Contextual analysis divided in :

1.     Definition clues

Many times a writer directly or indirectly defines a word immediately following its use . Usually , the writer does this when he / she suspects that some readers may be unfamiliar with the new term or concept . Sometimes a writer will include a formal definition of the type you might find in a dictionary . In these case , the meaning of the word will be stated directly . At other times , writer may informally restate the idea or offer the synonym , a word that means the same thing .

Examples :

Formal definition

1.      Hurology is the science of measuring time

2.      Induction refers to the proccess of reasoning from the known to the unknown

Indirect definition

1.      Hypochondria , excessive worry over one’s health , afflicts many Americans over forty

2.      There was a consensus , or agreement  among the faculty to require one term paper for each course

3.      Reffering to the ability to “see” without using the normal sensory organs , clairvoyance is under study at the phychic Research Center

4.      Middle age (thirty-five years to sixty-five years) is a time for strengthening and maintaining life goals .

2.     Example clues

A second way to determine the meaning of an unknown word is to look for example that explain or clarify it .

There are many transition signal of example clues :

       Such as

       Including

       For example

       For instance

      To illustrate

Examples :

1.      Toxie materials, such as arsenic , asbestos , pesticides , and lead , can cause permanent bodily damage .

2.      Unconditioned responses , including heartbeat , blinking , and breathing , occur naturally in all humans .

3.     Contrast clues

It is sometimes possible to determine the meaning of an unknown word from a word or phrase in the context that has an opposite meaning . Notice , in the following sentence , how a word opposite in meaning from the boldface word provides a clue to its meaning.There are many transition signals :

!   Even though

!  Although

!  On the other hand

!   However

!  Despite

!   Rather

!  While

!  Yet

!  Nevertheless

Examples :

1.      I loathe cats even though most of my friends love them

2.      Although the cottage appeared derelict , we discovered that a family lived there on weekends

3.      Pete , through long hours of study , successfully passed the exam ; on the other hand , Sam’s efforts were futile

4.     Inference clues

Many times you can determine the meaning of a word you do not know by guessing of figuring it out . This proccess is called “ drawing an inference” . From the information that is given in the context you can infer the meaning the meaning of a word you aren’t familiar with .

Examples :

1.      My father is a versatile man ; he is a successful businessman , sportsunan , author , and sports car mechanic

2.      At the age of seventy-seven , Mr.George was still playing a skillful game of tennis . He jogged four miles his daily swim . For a man of his age he was extremely robust .

B.   ANALYZING WORD CLUES

Many words in the english language are made up of word parts called prefix , root , and suffix . You might think of these as the beginning , middle , and ending of a word .These word parts have spesific meanings and when added together can provide strong clues to the meanings of a particular word .

Before you begin to use them , you must know that :

1.    Words don’t always have a prefix and a suffix

2.    Roots may vary in spelling when they are combined with certain prefixes

3.    Some roots are commonly found at the beginnings of words , other at the end , while still others can be found in either position .

4.    Words can have more than one prefix , root , or suffuxes .

Prefixes

Prefixes are added to the beginning of an existing word in order to create a new word with a different meaning.

For example:

word	prefix	new word
happy	un-	unhappy
cultural	multi-	multicultural
work	over-	overwork
space	cyber-	cyberspace
market	super-	supermarket

Suffixes

Suffixes are added to the end of an existing word. For example:

word	suffix	new word
child	-ish	childish
work	-er	worker
taste	-less	tasteless
idol	-ize/-ise	idolize/idolise
like	-able	likeable

Root

A root, as its name suggests, is a word or word part from which other words grow, usually through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. The root of the word vocabulary, for example, is voc, a Latin root meaning "word" or "name." This root also appears in the words advocacy, convocation, evocative, vocal, and vociferous.

ROOT	MEANING	EXAMPLES
-ast(er)-(G)	star	asteroid, astronomy
-audi- (L)	hear	audible, audience
-auto- (G)	self	automatic, autopsy
-bene- (L)	good	benefit, benign
-bio- (G)	life	biography, biology
-chrono- (G)	time	chronic, synchronize
-dict- (L)	say	dictate, diction
-duc- (L)	lead, make	deduce, produce
-gen- (L)	give birth	gene, generate
-geo- (G)	earth	geography, geology
-graph- (G)	write	autograph, graph
-jur-, -jus- (L)	law	jury, justice
-log-, -logue- (L)	thought	logic, obloquy
-luc- (L)	light	lucid, translucent
-man(u)- (L)	hand	manual, manure
-mand-, -mend- (L)	order	demand, recommend
-mis-, -mit- (L)	send	missile, transmission
-omni- (L)	all	Omnivorous
-path- (G)	feel	empathy, pathetic
-phil- (G)	love	philosophy, bibliophile
-phon- (G)	sound	phonics, telephone
-photo- (G)	light	photograph, photon
-port- (L)	carry	export, portable
-qui(t)- (L)	quiet, rest	acquit, tranquil
-scrib-, -script- (L)	write	ascribe, script
-sens-, -sent- (L)	feel	resent, sensitive
-tele- (G)	far off	telecast, telephone
-terr- (L)	earth	terrain, territory
-vac- (L)	empty	evacuate, vacate
-vid-, -vis- (L)	see	visible, video