Today’s Agenda:
1. How do words get learned and
stay learned?
2. What kinds of words are there and
how do I decide how much attention
to pay to them?
3. Explicit vocabulary
instruction
4. The Academic Word List: Implicit
vocabulary instruction
4. Classroom practices that grow
vocabulary
Academic Vocabulary
•
•
•
•
Rich
• Aggressive
Gradual
• Purposeful
Cumulative • Pervasive
Recursive
Goals:
1. Vocabulary growth in authentic situations
2. Improved ability to derive meaning of
unfamiliar words
3. Positive attitude about words and language
The visuals for today’s presentation are available for your classroom use.
Feel free to access them at www.amybenjamin.com
Comprehension and Vocabulary: Part I
The findings of our study also reveal that there is nothing especially
difficult about setting up a mental representation for a new lexical item as
presumably children would have to do for unknown words. For example,
for localist versions of connectionist viewpoints, it seems probable that one
would first have to create a new lexical node before orthographic,
phonological, and semantic information could become connected with it.
Presumably, if substantiating a mental representation for a new lexical
item was particularly difficult, we would expect to see that the development
of unknown words was slower than for partial knowledge words because
partial knowledge words already have an existing lexical node with
corresponding orthographic and phonological features but few semantic
features.
The Role of Context in Comprehension
A hair-raising century by Australian opener Graeme Wood on Friday set
England back on its heels in the third test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Unfortunately, living desperately cost the Australians the match. Wood was
caught out of his crease on the first over after lunch. Within ten more overs,
the Australians were dismissed. Four were dismissed by dangerous running
between creases. Two were dismissed when the English bowlers lifted
the bails from the batsmen’s wickets. The three remaining batsmen were
caught by English fieldsmen. One was caught as he tried for a six. When the
innings were complete, the Australians had fallen short of the runs scored
by the English.
The United States Declaration of
Independence:
Dissolve:
a. make a solution
b. dismiss
c. mix
d. appear gradually
Bands:
a. straps
b. obligations
c. parties
d. units
Assume:
a. infer
b. gather
c. usurp
d. lay claim to
When in the course of human
events it becomes necessary for
one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them
with another and to assume among
the powers of the earth, the
separate and equal station to which
the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s
God entitle them, a decent respect
to the opinions of mankind requires
that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
apprentice: (n)
one bound by legal agreement
to work for another for a
specified time in return for
his training in a trade, an art,
or a business
scheme: (n, v)
a systematic plan
of action
Definition contains unfamiliar language
Definition can be too simplistic and therefore misleading
Limited information
Usually, no context
Not all of the information about a word is captured in a definition
Learning Words Through Repeated, Varied Context
Rate the following contexts on a scale of 1-5,
with 5 making you absolutely certain of what
the word means; 1 giving you no way to make
an educated guess.
1. And he said, nonchalantly
zeriliously ,”I can waltz.”
2. The next morning I hung around the house for a while, and then nonchalantly
zeriliously
whistled my way out to the barn.
3. I just got very cool and nonchalant
.
zerilious.
3. She was being very
zerilious about picking the leaves off a bit of twig broken
nonchalant
from the bushes, careful not to look at Jack or me.
Language Acquisition:
Language Learning:
1.Unconscious growth through
1.Deliberate learning of definitions,
exposure and need to understand
examples, forms of specific,
messages
targeted words
8 Words a Day
2.Grows through “comprehensible
(3000 per year)
2. Deliberate practice in newly
input”
90% 10%learned words
3.Use, and response to feedback
3. Assessment on specific words
Dependent on the
learner being relaxed,
trusting, unselfconscious
Learning Words Through Repeated, Varied Context
1. And he said, nonchalantly
zeriliously ,”I can waltz.”
2. The next morning I hung around the house for a while, and then nonchalantly
zeriliously
whistled my way out to the barn.
3. I just got very cool and nonchalant
.
zerilious.
3. She was being very nonchalant
zerilious about picking the leaves off a bit of twig broken
from the bushes, careful not to look at Jack or me.
“Charlotte, are you thirsty?
Would you like some juice?
What kind of juice do you
want? Do you want apple
juice? That’s the yellow juice
that you liked at Nana’s. No?
Do you want the purple juice? The grape juice?
OK. Do you want your juice in the sippy cup or
the Big Girl juice box? OK, now hold it carefully.
Two hands. Don’t squeeze it! It’ll spill all over the
place. Very carefully.Sip it through the straw.
What if ad executives taught vocabulary?
repetition
association with emotion
association with an image
humor
story
novelty
Emergence:
10-18 months
(words heard per hour)
Anna
Public
assistance
Cumulative,
by age 3
(collection of
spoken
words)
…by
age
5:
School age:
Predictive capacity
(number of words
expected to be learned
per year)
616
5 affirmative
11 prohibitive
500
2,000
750 (2 per day)
Sophie
1,251
Office and
Hospital
Workers
(not mgmt)
James
Col. profs
700
3,000
1500 (4 per day)
12 affirmative
7 prohibitive
2,153
32 affirmative
5 prohibitive
1,100
5,000
3,000 (8 per day)
More Numbers:
6;30
Number of exposures to a new word during the initial lesson;
Number of exposures during the ensuing month
10-15%
2-3
Realistic number of words learned in a school day through explicit instruction
90-95%
20
Your chances of learning a word after a single exposure in context
Percentage of words that need to be known for the text to be
considered “instructional level” for that reader
Number of paragraphs of instructional level text that need to be read to
add one word to your vocabulary
8-3000
Number of words that schoolchildren need to learn every day
(3000 words per year)
25-1-1000
A fifth grader who spends 25 minutes a day reading will grow
her vocabulary by 1,000 words in a year.
1st exposure,
one context
2nd exposure,
another context
3rd exposure,
another context
4th exposure,
another context
5th t exposure,
another context
2-3: Explicit Instruction
2-3: Reading 50 paragraphs
2-4 More Words
8 words a day
Getting to Know the Words We Meet in Reading:
My guess:
Dictionary Definition:
Target Word:
Visual:
Draw or find a picture:
Definition in my own words:
Complete sentence of at least ____words:
Must contain an action verb and a visual image.
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 was
to me has been so far left unsaid.
Aside from those considerations touching Moby Dick, which could not
but occasionally waken in any man’s soul some alarm, there was another
thought, or rather vague, nameless horror concerning him, which at times,
by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical
and well nigh ineffable was it that I almost despair of putting it in a
comprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things
appalled 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, grand
old kinds of Pegu placing the title “Lord of White Elephants” above all their
other magniloquent ascriptions of dominion; and the modern kings of Siam
unfurling the same snow-white quadraped in the royal standard; and the
Hanoverian flag bearing the snow-white charger; and the great Austrian
Empire, Caesarian, heir to the overlording Rome, having for the imperial
color the same imperial hue; …
Of Limited Value…
Lists alone
Context alone
Definitions alone
Dictionaries and Glossaries alone
Of Durable Value…
Words in clusters
Leisure reading
Multiple exposures in various contexts
Chances to speak, hear, write
Manipulation of forms of words
Classify and categorize word lists
Word games, puzzles
Dimensions of Vocabulary Learning
For Discussion:
Roberto, Miri, and Li spend a half hour a day reading in
school. Roberto is interested in sports, and his teacher
allows him to spend his reading time reading only about his
main interest, soccer.
Li’s teacher believes in variety: She requires the students to
read about at least three different topics per week.
All other things being equal, which of these students will
be more likely to have the greater language gain? Why?
(Stephen Krashen)
Consistent, Persistent
Little bit of reading time set aside
every day, distributed
throughout the day (15 minutes)
At first, many students
will not read.
Later, more will read.
Monday: English
Tuesday: Math
Wednesday: Social Studies
Thursday: Science
Friday: Other
Eventually, most will
read.
How many word games can you think of?
“You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea,
land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God
can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never
surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.
That is our policy.”
“You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea,
land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God
can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never
surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.
That is our policy.”
You inquire, what is our policy? I can
rejoin: It is to engage in military
confrontation, by navigable bodies of
water, by terrestrial regions, and in
the ethereal environment, with all our
fortitude and with all the potency that
the ultimate object of religious observance can give us;
to militarily oppose the object of our animosity against
a very bad bully, the worst on in the obscure, sorry list
of human malfeasance. The aforementioned encapsulates
our means and mode of operation.
“It is impossible to dissociate language from science
or science from language, because every natural science
always involves three things: the sequence of phenomena
on which the science is based; the abstract concepts that
call these phenomena to mind; and the words in which the
concepts are expressed. To call forth a concept, a word is needed;
to portray a phenomenon, a concept is needed. All three mirror
the same reality.”
--Antoine Lavoisier (1743-94)
“All I know is what I have words for.”
Ludvig Wittgenstein
1896-1951
Teach implicitly mainly through immersion
(repeated exposure in context, with
comprehensible input and
opportunity for meaningful use;
games that foster knowledge of
Latin word roots (“Whirly Words”);
puzzles that promote consciousness
of the words; use the morphology chart to
experiment with various forms and to practice
spelling
Vocabulary Instruction Decisions::
Is the word on the Academic
Word List?
Is the word encountered in literature, but
once only, not essential for understanding
the literature or likely to be
encountered again? (Novelty word)
Teach explicitly but casually and briefly, if
at all. Etymology may add interest. Optional:
“Understanding the Words We Meet in Reading”
organizer.
ex: nepenthe, bodkin, aureate, awl, Victrola, succotash, anathematize
Is the word encountered in literature,
essential for understanding, and likely
to be encountered again in another
circumstance?
ex: revel, abhorrent, inure
Teach explicitly, giving examples, morphology,
synonyms, antonyms, illustrations, connotation,
etymology, if possible. Check the “Decent Exposure”
list and use it to offer multiple rich contexts..
Teach explicitly. Offer several examples.
Is the word a Tier III (technical) word
Embed recursive instruction as much as
that applies only to English Language Arts
possible as you teach literature, grammar,
such as a literary, grammatical, or rhetorical and rhetoric.
term? ex:irony, iambic pentameter; adverb, verbal; refrain, asyndeton
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-based
elevation, formation, protrude, expansive,
isolated, remote
Tier 1: Basic conversational words: Friends & family
1 or 2 syllables
Learned naturally, through exposure
hills, grass, rocks, land, sky, clouds, fly, climb,
green, high…
Two Types of Tier Two Words:
Generic Academic
Words:
acquire, benefit, clarify, develop,
evolve, grant, hierarchy, internal…
Literary Words:
allude, beneficient,
clamorous, deride,
effulgent, frugal,
guile, happenstance,
insipid
Vocabulary List: The Tell-Tale Heart
Foresight:
Dissimulation:
Thoughtful regard for the future
Hidden under a false appearance
Vexed:
Troubled, distressed, caused agitation
Sagacity:
Sound judgment
Hearkening:
Giving careful attention
Awe:
A mixed feeling of reverence, fear, and wonder
Distinctness:
Unmistakable, clearly defined
Over-acuteness:
Very keen
Concealment:
A means of hiding
Waned:
Grown gradually less
Scantlings:
Small quantities or amounts
Can you think of at least 4 words for each of these roots?
subtract
tract
to draw extract
or drag attract
distract
port
impel
repel
propel
compel
mit
pel
to drive
gress
progress
congress
to step regress
aggressive
to carry
to send
tain
to hold
support
report
export
import
rupt
to break
remit
submit
remit
emit
duce
attain
maintain
contain
retain
struct
to lead
to build
disrupt
erupt
rupture
interrupt
produce
introduce
reduce
induce
construct
structure
instruct
obstruct
Tier I to Tier II
Tier I :
fancy
near
shrink
bright
Tier II:
adorned, decorative, resplendent
adjacent to, proximal
diminish
luminous, illuminated
shy
demure, retiring, reticent
door
portal
new
novel, innovative, untried
Tier I to Tier III
Tier I :
a song sung by one person
in an opera
a style of painting using
little dots
having two “houses” within the
law-making body
a step-by-step procedure or
formula for solving a math problem
fox-like
A post-WWII movie style,
portraying grim realities
a line of poetry consisting of
10 syllables, with the accent
on every 2nd syllable
Tier III:
aria
pointilism
bicameral
algorithm
vulpine
film noir
iambic pentameter
These are words I will teach explicitly
and thoroughly:
indignant
usurp
tremulous
deride
polynomial
enzyme
hedge fund
higgs boson particle
These are words I will consciously
use repeatedly in the context of
teaching:
regulate
property
abundant
nevertheless
These words are collateral to the words
I will teach explicitly:
strident
commandeer
undulating
deride
These words are interesting, but not
particularly useful. I will mention their
meanings in passing as they come up
in reading.
defenestrate
quixotic
zebu
yclept
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?
Prior Knowledge:
How well do I know these words?
Strangers
Acquaintances
Friends
It’s easier to understand parts of speech than you think. Simply use the cues above. Not all words
follow the same morphology. It’s interesting to see how words morph into different forms.
Morphology Chart
NOUNS:
VERBS:
ADJECTIVES:
ADVERBS
The_____.
I_____; He______
Yesterday he_____
He is___________.
The ______truck
Do it___________.
principle, principles
-----
----implicit
implication, implications
imply, implies,
implying, implied
------implicitly
analytical
analytically
analysis, analyses
analyze, analyzes
analyzing, analyzed
relevant
relevantly
deductive
deductively
relevance
deduction, decductions
deduce, deduces,
deducing, deduced
It’s easier to understand parts of speech than you think. Simply use the cues above. Not all words
follow the same morphology. It’s interesting to see how words morph into different forms.
Morphology Chart
NOUNS:
VERBS:
ADJECTIVES:
ADVERBS
The_____.
I_____; He______
Yesterday he_____
He is___________.
The ______truck
Do it___________.
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 word
adjacent 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 learners
studying 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 adademic 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 1
analyze 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
Academic Word List: Subset 3
alternative circumstance comment compensate component consent considerable
constant constrain contribute convene coordinate core corporate correspond criteria
deduce demonstrate document dominate emphasis ensure exclulde fund framework
illustrate immigrate imply initial instance interact justify layer link maximize negate
outcome philosophy physical proportion publish react register rely scheme
sequence shift specify sufficient technical technique valid volume
Academic Word List: Subset 4
access adequacy annual apparent approximate attitude attribute civil code
commit concentrate confer contrast cycle
debate despite dimension domestic emerge ethnic grant hence hypothesis
implement implicate impose integrate internal investigate mechanism occupy
option output overall parallel parameter phrase prior principal professional
project promote regime resolve retain series statistic status stress
subsequent undertake
Academic Word List: Subset 5
academy adjust alter amend capacity clause compound consult decline discrete
enable energy enforce entity equivalent evolve expand expose external facilitate
fundamental generate liberal license logic margin modify monitor network notion
objective orient perspective precise prime psychology pursue ratio reject revenue
stable style substitute sustain symbol target transit trend version welfare whereas
Academic Word List: Subset 6
abstract acknowledge accuracy aggregate allocate assign bond capable cite
cooperate discriminate display diverse domain edit enhance estate exceed
explicit federal fee flexible furthermore gender incentive incorporate incidence
index inhibit initiate input interval mitigate minimum ministry motive neutral
nevertheless overseas precede presume rational recover reveal scope subsity
trace transform underlie utilize
Academic Word List: Subset 7
adapt advocate channel classic comprehensive comprise confirm contrary convert
decade deny differentiate dispose dynamic equip eliminate empirical extract finite
foundation gradient guarantee hierarchy identical ideology infer innovate insert
intervene isolate media mode paradigm phenomenon priority prohibit publication
quote release reverse simulate sole somewhat submit successor thesis transmit
ultimate unique voluntary
Academic Word List: Subset 8
abandon accompany accumulate ambiguous appendix appreciate arbitrary automate
bias chart clarify commodity complement conform contemporary contradict crucial
currency denote detect deviate displace eventual exhibit exploit fluctuate guideline implicit
induce inevitable infrastructure inspect intense manipulate minimize nuclear offset
predominant prospect radical reinforce restore revise tension terminate theme thereby
uniform vehicle via virtual widespread
Academic Word List: Subset 9
accommodate analogy anticipate assure attain behalf cease coherent coincide
commence compatible concurrent confine controversy converse device devote diminish
distort duration erode ethic found format inherent insight integral intermediate manual
mature mediate medium military minimal mutual norm overlap passive portion preliminary
protocol qualitative refine restrain revolution rigid route scenario sphere subordinate
supplement suspend trigger unify violate
Academic Word List: Subset 10
adjacent albeit assemble collapse colleague compile conceive convince depress
encounter forthcoming incline integrity intrinsic invoke levy likewise nonetheless
notwithstanding ongoing panel persist pose reluctance so-called straightforward undergo
whereby
1. Does
our instruction
generate conversation about
words?
2. Does
our instruction
connect the target word to
other words?
Vocabulary-Content-Sentence (VCS)
Daily Practice:
assume benefit concept data economy factor indicate
method proceed process policy role specific structure
Write a sentence about something we are learning this week, employing
one of these words. You may change the form of the words to fit your
sentence. Your sentence must be at least 8 words long.
Vocabulary-Content-Sentence (VCS)
Daily Practice:
analyze
approach
area assess
assume
authoritycomponent
available benefit
achieve
acquire
administrate
affect
appropriate
alternative
circumstance
comment
compensate
consent concept
consist
contextcategory
constitute
contract
data define
derive distribute economy
aspect assist
chapter
commission
community
considerable
constant constrain
contribute convene
coordinate core corporate
environment
establish
estimate
evident
factor finance
formula function income
complex
compute
conclude
conduct
consequent
construct
correspond criteria deduce demonstrate document dominate emphasis ensure
indicate
interpret
involve
issue
laborelement
legal legislate major method
consumeindividual
credit culture
design
distinct
equate
exclude
percent
period
principle
proceed
process
require
respond role
evaluate
feature
final focus
impact
injurepolicy
institute
investresearch
item justify
fund framework
illustrate
immigrate
imply
initial
instance
interact
layer
section
sector
significant
similar
source
specific
structure
theory
vary
journal
maintain
normal
obtain
participate
perceive
positive
link
locate
maximize
minor
negate
outcome
philosophy
physical proportion
potential
previous
primary
purchase
range
region
regulate
publish react register rely remove scheme sequence shift specify
regulate
resource
restrict secure
seek select
sufficient relevant
technicalreside
technique
technology
valid volume
site strategy survey tradition transfer
Write a sentence about something we are learning this week, employing
one of these words. You may change the form of the words to fit your
sentence. Your sentence must be at least 8 words long.
A Plan for School-wide Vocabulary Instruction
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION
“Focus 40” words from the Academic Word List
selected by grade level teachers: 1 word per week
2-3 words related to or associated with each of
the “Focus 40”; each subject area teacher
decides on related words
Subject-specific words, such as those found in a glossary
Students have more opportunities to read for a variety of purposes,
including self-selected material.
Open Field
Elevated language used in class by teachers; students given
motive and opportunity to use elevated vocabulary in speech and
Academic Word List
writing.
IMPLICIT INSTRUCTION
Word Features Matrix for the Academic Word List
Words with
3 of same
letter
Words
with no E
Words
ending in
E
Words
with x, y,
or z
Words that
can be made
plural
Words with
one syllable
Compound
words
Words with
double letters
Word Features Matrix for the Academic Word List
Words with
3 of same
letter
Words with
double letters
Words that
can be made
plural
Words
with x, y,
or z
Compound
words
Words
with two e’s
Words
ending in
E
Words with
one syllable
Word Meanings Matrix: The Academic Word List
Begins
with:
A-D
E-J
K-P
R-Z
Is directly
related to
time
Is directly
related to
size
Is directly
related to
placement
Is directly
related to
order
Subset 2
Consequence
It occurs later.
It happens as a result.
An event’s effect.
Subset 6
Incorporate
Bring into the mix—
Creating a new oneness—
Integrate the parts.
Subset 4
Implement
Employ and apply
Put to immediate use.
Get the plan to work.