Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman, Ph.D.

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Academic Word Learning In Context

• Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman, Ph.D.
• California State University, Fullerton
• cbzimmerman_at_fullerton.edu
• Website
• http//hssfaculty.fullerton.edu/mll/cbzimmerman/

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Two 15-year olds from London were asked which
laws they think should continue and which ones
should not.

• I dunno, theres times when I think there are a
  few laws Id like to stop but. . .dont know any
  Id like to bring in.
• I dont think Id introduce many new ones but I
  would abolish quite a few.

• Corson, 1985, p. 77

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Different Perspectives of Academic Vocabulary

• English words of Greek and Latin origin (Corson,
  1985)
• Words needed in the classroom (Burke, 2003)
• Content area terms that build up students
  background knowledge. (Marzano Pickering,
  2005)

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• Academic vocabulary includes (a) words that refer
  to thinking and communicating, (b) words that are
  common across subjects but hold different
  meanings depending on the subject, and (c) words
  that have everyday meanings that are different
  from the discipline-specific meanings. Word
  Generation http//wordgeneration.org/index.html
• Words identified by word frequency counts in
  academic materials UWL Xue Nation (1984) and
  AWL - Coxhead, A. (2000).

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Reading and Academic VocabularyA Reciprocal
RelationshipKoda, 2005

• The Beginners Paradox
• You need words in order to read.
• You need to read in order
• to learn words. Laufer, 1991, Nation, 1990

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Effective Vocabulary Instruction

• Uses high interest materials the contexts are
  rich and the language is authentic.
• Equips learners to notice the details of word use
• Includes many opportunities to use words in
  learner-centered interaction.

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High Interest Materials

• The Interest Approach

• The List Approach

• reduce
• associate
• capture
• release
• exhale

• To reduce bad breath usually associated with
  garlic or onions, do not eat them at the same
  time with fatty foods. If you do, the fat will
  capture their smell and release it each time you
  exhale.

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1a. The Role of High Interest Materialsin
Inside Reading Articles

• Sample Topics
• Level 1
• Science Solving a Crime with Science A True
  Story
• Level 2
• Engineering Coober Pedy Really Down Under
• Level 3
• Psychology Child Prodigies
• Level 4
• Physiology Were Humans Born to Run?

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1b. The Role of High Interest Materialsin
Inside Reading Activities Level 3 , p. 124

• Complete the sentences about Albert Einstein
  using the target vocabulary in the box.
• concentrated considerably enormous factor
  intelligence pursued revealed normal
• The ___________ __________ of Albert Einstein is
  now
• very large mental ability
• well known, but it wasnt so obvious when he was
  young.

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• concentrated considerably enormous factor
  intelligence pursued revealed normal
• Though it is ________ for children to speak
  before the
• usual
• age of 3, Einstein didnt say his first
  words until he was nearly 4. . .
• One _______ that led to his interest in physics
  sprang thing
• from an incident that occurred when he was only
  five. His uncles showed him a compass. From
  then on, Einstein ________ physics with great
  passion.
• tried to understand

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B. The Details of Word Use What does it mean
to Know a Word?

• Meaning (s)
• Collocations
• Grammatical Features
• Register and Appropriateness

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B. The Details of Word Use What does it mean
to Know a Word?

• Meaning (s)
• Collocations
• Grammatical Features
• Register and Appropriateness

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1. Meaning

• Use authentic context to demonstrate a words
  range of meaning and multiple meanings
• Example objective
• Inside Reading, Level 1, p. 128
• During his 12th century travels through China,
  Marco Polo supposedly saw people using
  eyeglasses. . . . . .The objective of the
  earliest lenses was to help people see things
  that were close up so they could do tasks like
  carving or sewing. . . .

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Inside Reading Level 1, p. 130(continued)

• Target word objective
• Match each game with its objective. Then tell a
  partner how the two ideas are related.
• Soccer a. to hit a ball over a net
• Golf B. to throw a ball into a hoop
• Tennis c. to hit a ball into a hole
• Golf d. to kick a ball into a goal

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1b. Multiple Meanings Inside Reading Level 1,
p. 131

• Target word objective
• Read these sentences. Cross out subjective words
  so that the statements become objective reports
  of news events.
• 1. The beloved prime minister gave a brilliant
  30-minute speech yesterday.

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Continued

• Im angry that taxpayers will face yet another
  large, unwelcome tax increase.
• The audience applauded wildly after the best
  performance Ive ever seen.
• Im happy to report that the awful man got what
  he deserved and was arrested.

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Still more about MeaningBurgmeier, 2009 Level
1, p. 3

• Target word alteration (and its word family)
• Article The History of Bicycles
• Bicycles first appeared in Scotland in the
  early 1800s and were called velocipedes. . .
  Around 1870 (Americans) began building
  velocipedes. . .. But they made the frameworks
  from hollow tubes. . .This alteration made (them)
  much lighter.

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Meaning Burgmeier, 2009 Level 1, p. 3

• Work with a partner. Imagine that you have
  borrowed a friends bicycle for the weekend.
  Which things can you alter? Which things cannot
  be altered on a borrowed bicycle? Write A for
  each item that is alterable. Write U for each
  item is unalterable.

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Word Level Practice(cont)

• The speed of the bicycle
• The color of the framework
• The height of the seat
• The design of the bicycle
• The size of the wheels
• The direction the bicycle turns
• The speed that the wheels turn
• The mirrors on the handlebars

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Still more about MeaningBurgmeier, 2009 Level
1, p. 118

• An annual event is one that occurs once a year or
  is repeated every year. Which of these occur
  annually?
• Spring your birthday new classes
• New Years Day a wedding animal migration
• A full moon October family gatherings

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Still more about MeaningLevel 1

• Unit 4, p. 48 (contrast the meanings of
  military and civil).
• Unit 4, p. 49 (Use the term ambiguity)
• Unit 5, p. 67 (Multiple meanings for positive)
• Unit 5, p. 68 (Positive and negative meaning s
  for exploit.)

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2. Collocation Zwier, 2009 Level 2, p. 22

• Article Power of Branding
• Answer these questions. . .using the verb in
  parentheses. Be sure to use a preposition that
  collocates with it. Refer to Reading 1 for
  information. Compare answers with a partner.

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Presenting Words inContext Collocation
Sentence Level

• 1. Why are symbols like the rolls Royce badge or
  the Harley-Davidson logo so powerful? (register)
• 2. Why does a weak brand harm the sales of a
  product? (equate)
• 3. Why would a stronger brand help the shoe
  company mentioned in Paragraph 1 of the reading?
  (convert)

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Still more about CollocationLevel 1

• Unit 2, p. 21, (collocations used with priority)
  .
• Unit 2, p. 28 (collocations used with implement
  - exercises G and H)

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3. GrammarZwier, 2009 Level 2, p. 22

• Target word Despite (and its word family)
• Article The New Megalopolis
• Practice
• Write four sentences featuring information you
  have learned about cities. Use the words in
  parentheses in your sentences. (despite despite
  the fact that in spite of/in spite of the fact
  that.)

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Still more about GrammarLevel 1

• Unit 1, p. 13 (paraphrase practice using the word
  forms of individual)
• Unit 3, p. 35 (rewriting headlines using the word
  forms of export)
• Unit 3, p. 42 (interpreting a chart, using the
  word forms of administer)

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4. Register and AppropriatenessInside Reading,
Level 3, p. 125

• Many academic words are also considered formal
  words. Which of the target words in this unit
  are more formal synonyms of these informal words?
  Be sure to use the right forms of the target
  words.

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• challenge enormous factor normal
• reveal concentrate environment focus
• pursue technology considerable expert
• intelligent resource utilize
• Informal Formal
• Smart ___________
• To use ___________
• Huge ___________
• Uncover ___________
• Difficulty ___________

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Still more about Register and AppropriatenessLev
el 1

• 1. Unit 6, p. 81 (authentic practice with
  informal use of the forms of technical)

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Writing andDiscussion Topics
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Writing and Discussion Topics Zwier, 2009, Level
2, p. 28

• Topic The Power of Branding
• 1. Reading 2 mentions young people who express
  youthful rebellion by starting companies. Do you
  think Reading 2 really describes a new phenomenon
  or not? Explain your answer and use specific
  examples to support it.

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Level 1 Solving a Crime with Science A True
StoryWriting and Discussion Topics

• authority contrary instance panel tape
• conclude detect logic site technical
• Consult establish motive specific
• Find an article in a newspaper or news magazine
  that describes a crime. Describe what happened,
  using as many target words from this unit as
  possible.

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Level 1 Writing and Discussion Topics (continued)

• authority contrary instance panel tape
• conclude detect logic site technical
• Consult establish motive specific
• 2. In some countries, the media are given access
  to information about crimes as details become
  available. In other countries, the media may not
  publish or broadcast information about a crime
  investigation. Which do you think is the better
  way? Why?

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Level 3 Writing and Discussion Topics ( p. 128)

• challenge enormous factor normal
• reveal concentrate environment focus
• pursue technology considerable expert
• intelligence resource utilize
• 1. Interests and abilities seem to run in some
  families. Is this the result of environmental or
  hereditary factors? Comment on this using
  examples from your own experience and from the
  readings and exercises in this unit.

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References

• Burke, J. (2003). The English teachers
  companion. Portsmouth, NH Boynton/Cook
  Heinemann.
• Corson, D. (1985). The lexical bar. Oxford
  Pergamon Press.
• Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list.
  TESOL Quarterly 34, 213-238.

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• Koda, K. (2005). Insights into second language
  reading. Cambridge Cambridge University
  Press.
• Laufer, B. (1992). Reading in a foreign
  language How does L2 lexical knowledge interact
  with the readers general academic ability.
  Journal of Research in Reading. 152, 95-103.
• Marzano, R., Pickering, D. (2005). Building
  academic vocabulary Teacher's manual. 
  Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision
  Curriculum Development. 

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• Nation, ISP, (1990), Teaching and learning
  vocabulary. Boston Heinle Heinle.
• Word Generation http//wordgeneration.org/index.h
  tml
• Xue, Guoyi Nation, ISP (1984). A university
  word list. Language Learning and Communication,
  3, 215-219.