How to Teach

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How to Teach Lexically. Dave Willis, IATEFL
Harrogate, April 2006
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700 frequency band ? 70 of text. 1500 frequency
band ? 80 2500 frequency band ? 86
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Why does social rate in the top 500
words? social problems social security social
change social conditions social policy Is
social an important word for your students?
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Fish
Chips
Bacon
Eggs
Armchair
Chair
Twenty-five
Twenty-two
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Why are frequent words so frequent?
1 Because they figure in so many common
phrases ...
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the, and, to, a, of, I, it, in, you,
was, is, he, for, with, that, on, but,
they, be , have, we, at .
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the beginning of the end of the middle of
the front of the back of the end of
a few of a lot of a couple of a kilo of
a glass of
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Phrases of

• time
• place
• quantity
• vague language
• discourse organisers

and in spoken language

• personal point of view
• interactive markers

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Why is point among the most frequent nouns in
English?
The Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary lists
the following phrases with point The point is
to miss the point (thats) a good point
thats not the point I can see your point
beside the point make a point of up to a point
whats the point? freezing point melting point.
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Why are frequent words so frequent?
1 Because they figure in so many common
phrases and patterns
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FOR a How long time and distance b Reason. What
for? for example. c Who wants or needs? Can
you do it for me? After good/bad,
easy/difficult, right/wrong.
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Patterns with for a How long Time live, last,
survive, Distance extend stretch b Reason
ask look hunt look, shop wait plan arrange
prepare train compensate apologise pay
answer. volunteer sign on show up.
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c Who wants/needs work act fight
speak. deputise substitute stand in argue
speak pray speak up. care feel grieve.
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Why are frequent words so frequent?
2 Because they have so many delexical or
metaphorical uses.
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Why is take among the most frequent verbs in
English? a rest a break a holiday a shower
a bath a long time a few minutes a
photograph an interest in
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Why is hand among the most frequent nouns in
English?
on the one hand on the other hand near at
hand on hand to hand in hand lend a
hand have a hand in
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Why are frequent words so frequent?
3. Because they collocate with so many
frequent words.
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Why is good among the most frequent adjectives
in English? a good thing a good idea a
good chance good morning a good time
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LANGUAGE FOCUS EXERCISES. Look for 1 a word 2
. or part of a word. 3 words and phrases
relating to a concept.
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Phrases of

• time
• place
• quantity
• vague language
• discourse organisers

and in spoken language

• personal point of view
• interactive markers

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• LANGUAGE FOCUS EXERCISES
• How many phrases can you find with the word with?
• Pick out all the phrases with ing.
• Pick out all the phrases to do with cold.
• How many time expressions can you find?

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The boy who came out from the cold. A schoolboy
who spent the night trapped in a butcher's cold
store after being locked in accidentally, ran on
the spot for ten hours to stay alive. Peter
Emerson, aged 15, was locked in the store in a
Stratford-upon-Avon butcher's shop for 14 hours
with the temperature around freezing point. Staff
arriving for work at the Wood Street shop found
him yesterday morning with his teeth chattering
and his face purple with cold. Still freezing,
Peter immediately telephoned his parents, who had
reported him missing to the police.
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• LANGUAGE FOCUS EXERCISES
• How many phrases can you find with the word with?
• Pick out all the phrases with ing.
• Pick out all the phrases to do with cold.
• How many time expressions can you find?

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The boy who came out from the cold. A schoolboy
who spent the night trapped in a butcher's cold
store after being locked in accidentally, ran on
the spot for ten hours to stay alive. Peter
Emerson, aged 15, was locked in the store in a
Stratford-upon-Avon butcher's shop for 14 hours
with the temperature around freezing point. Staff
arriving for work at the Wood Street shop found
him yesterday morning with his teeth chattering
and his face purple with cold. Still freezing,
Peter immediately telephoned his parents, who had
reported him missing to the police.
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Peter, who lives in Banbury Road, Stratford,
said "I help out at the shop after school and I
had gone into the cold store just before closing
time. I was behind a big food shelf when the door
locked behind me. "At first I thought it was
someone playing a joke but when I realised it
wasn't and began shouting all the staff had gone
home. I tried to kick the door open and to pick
the lock but it was no good.
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• LANGUAGE FOCUS EXERCISES
• How many phrases can you find with the word with?
• Pick out all the phrases with ing.
• Pick out all the phrases to do with cold.
• How many time expressions can you find?

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The boy who came out from the cold. A schoolboy
who spent the night trapped in a butcher's cold
store after being locked in accidentally, ran on
the spot for ten hours to stay alive. Peter
Emerson, aged 15, was locked in the store in a
Stratford-upon-Avon butcher's shop for 14 hours
with the temperature around freezing point. Staff
arriving for work at the Wood Street shop found
him yesterday morning with his teeth chattering
and his face purple with cold. Still freezing,
Peter immediately telephoned his parents, who had
reported him missing to the police.
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Peter, who lives in Banbury Road, Stratford,
said "I help out at the shop after school and I
had gone into the cold store just before closing
time. I was behind a big food shelf when the door
locked behind me. "At first I thought it was
someone playing a joke but when I realised it
wasn't and began shouting all the staff had gone
home. I tried to kick the door open and to pick
the lock but it was no good.
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• LANGUAGE FOCUS EXERCISES
• How many phrases can you find with the word with?
• Pick out all the phrases with ing.
• Pick out all the phrases to do with cold.
• How many time expressions can you find?

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The boy who came out from the cold. A schoolboy
who spent the night trapped in a butcher's cold
store after being locked in accidentally, ran on
the spot for ten hours to stay alive. Peter
Emerson, aged 15, was locked in the store in a
Stratford-upon-Avon butcher's shop for around 14
hours with the temperature around freezing
point. Staff arriving for work at the Wood Street
shop found him yesterday morning with his teeth
chattering and his face purple with cold. Still
freezing, Peter immediately telephoned his
parents, who had reported him missing to the
police.
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Peter, who lives in Banbury Road, Stratford,
said "I help out at the shop after school and I
had gone into the cold store just before closing
time. I was behind a big food shelf when the door
locked behind me. "At first I thought it was
someone playing a joke but when I realised it
wasn't and began shouting all the staff had gone
home. I tried to kick the door open and to pick
the lock but it was no good.
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The boy who came out from the cold. A schoolboy
1 2 the night trapped in a butcher's cold store
after 3 locked in accidentally, ran on the spot 4
5 6 to stay alive. Peter Emerson, aged 15, was
locked in the store in a Stratford-upon Avon
butcher's shop 7 8 9 10 with the temperature
around 11 12. Staff 13 for work at the Wood
Street shop found him yesterday morning 14 his
teeth 15 and his face purple 16 cold. 17
freezing, Peter immediately telephoned his
parents, 18 had reported him 19 to the police.
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The boy who came out from the cold. A schoolboy
who spent the night in a store after being locked
in, ran on the spot for ten hours to stay alive.
(4) Peter Emerson was locked in the store in a
Stratford-upon Avon shop for 14 hours with the
temperature freezing point. (3) Staff arriving
for work found him with his teeth chattering and
his face purple with cold.(7) Still freezing,
Peter telephoned his parents, who reported him
missing to the police. (2)
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Staff arriving for work at the Wood Street shop
found him yesterday morning with his teeth
chattering and his face purple with cold. Staff
arrive work Wood Street shop find -
yesterday morning teeth chatter face purple -
cold.
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A schoolboy who spent the night in a butchers
cold store after being locked in, ran on the spot
for ten hours to stay alive.
A schoolboy xxx spent xxx night in a
xxxxxxxx xxxx store after being xxxxxx in, ran
on the xxxx for ten xxxxx to stay alive.
A xxxxxxxxx xxx spent xxx xxxxx in a
xxxxxxxx xxxx store after being xxxxxx in, ran
on the xxxx for ten xxxxx to stay xxxxx.
X xxxxxxxxx xxx spent xxx xxxxx in a
xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx being xxxxxx in, xxx
on the xxxx xxx ten xxxxx to stay xxxxx.
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X xxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxx xxxxx xx x
xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xx, xxx
xx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxxx xx xxxx xxxxx.
A schoolboy who spent the night in a cold store
after being locked in, ran on the spot for ten
hours to stay alive.
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