Vocabulary building
N. V. ADJ. ADV.
What is vocabulary
 A sum or stock of words employed by a language, group, individual, or work or in
a field of knowledge.
 A set of familiar words within a person's language.
 Vocabulary refers to all the words of a language, or to the words used by a
particular person or group. Also called word-stock, lexicon, and lexis.
 Linguistic theories generally regard human languages as consisting of two parts: lexicon,
essentially a catalogue of a language's words (its word-stock), Noun, verb, adjective and
adverb;
 and grammar,( functional words as preposition, determiner, conjunction, pronoun,
interjection and particles a system of rules which allow for the combination of those
words into meaningful sentences.
Making only lexicons vocabulary
Need of a vast vocabulary
Want to say something but couldn’t!
Need the specific word!
Not having an adequate vocabulary can be devastating
Good vocabulary can have great benefits like:
•Faster processing speed
•Expanded abstract thinking
•More success at work
•Improved citizenship
Four types of vocabulary
 Reading
 All the words that a reader can recognize while reading.
 Listening
 All the words that a listener can understand while listening to any
speech.
 Writing
 All the words that a writer uses in his or her writing, is familiar with
and understand them.
 Speaking
 All the words that one can use in his or her speech.
“
”
All human beings carry about a set of words which they employ
to justify their actions, their beliefs, and their lives. These are
the words in which we formulate praise of our friends and
contempt for our enemies, our long-term projects, our deepest
self-doubts and our highest hopes… I shall call these words a
person's “final vocabulary”. Those words are as far as he can go
with language; beyond them is only helpless passivity or a
resort to force.
AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER RICHARD RORTY
Final vocabulary
Four types of lexicons
 Noun
 A noun is a word that functions as the name of some specific thing or set of things.
 Verb
 A verb is a word that in syntax conveys an action, an occurrence, or a state of
being.
 Adjective
 An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a noun or noun
phrase.
 Adverb
 An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, determiner, clause, preposition,
or sentence. Adverbs typically express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, level
of certainty, etc.
Second language vocabulary
acquisition
There are many techniques that help one acquire new vocabulary.
 Word lists/ Personal Lexicon
 Make a list of words by using dictionaries and making deriving morphemic connections
 Memorization
 Memorizing every word you see and understand
 Mnemonics/ Word associations
 They create new, unusual connections that can increase retention. uses Paivio's dual
coding theory because it uses both verbal and image memory systems. This method is
best for words that represent concrete and imageable things.
 Through extensive reading
 Developing a strong vocabulary by reading junk of literature extensively. But be sure to
read quality literature
 Word puzzles
 Play puzzles about words like “word find” in newspaper mobile or laptop.
 Learn about synonyms.
 Synonyms are a great help in increasing vocabulary. By mirroring the word in many
other forms
 Keep a journal
 Keep a diary in your bag and note every word you hear or read
 Learn Morphology
 Morphology explains how words are formed. Its knowledge helps how to learn them
easily.
 Use It or Lose It
 Keep on repeating every word you learn
Derivations( to make new words from known vocabulary)
 Words are derivate from other words(morpheme) in morphology( Also taught
in course ENG-206). Morphological derivation, in linguistics, is the process of
forming a new word from an existing word, often by adding a prefix or suffix,
such as un- or -ness. For example, unhappy and happiness derive from the
root word happy.
 adjective-to-noun: -ness (slow → slowness)
 adjective-to-verb: -ise (modern → modernise) or -ize (final → finalize)
 adjective-to-adjective: -ish (red → reddish)
 adjective-to-adverb: -ly (personal → personally)
 noun-to-adjective: -al (recreation → recreational)
 noun-to-verb: -fy (glory → glorify)
 verb-to-adjective: -able (drink → drinkable)
 verb-to-noun (abstract): -ance (deliver → deliverance)
 verb-to-noun (agent): -er (write → writer)
Summary
 Derive words
 Make a list
 Get familiar with the words
 Use them
 Practice their use
 Memorize them
 Keep it up
Fare thee well

Vocabulary building

  • 1.
  • 2.
    What is vocabulary A sum or stock of words employed by a language, group, individual, or work or in a field of knowledge.  A set of familiar words within a person's language.  Vocabulary refers to all the words of a language, or to the words used by a particular person or group. Also called word-stock, lexicon, and lexis.  Linguistic theories generally regard human languages as consisting of two parts: lexicon, essentially a catalogue of a language's words (its word-stock), Noun, verb, adjective and adverb;  and grammar,( functional words as preposition, determiner, conjunction, pronoun, interjection and particles a system of rules which allow for the combination of those words into meaningful sentences. Making only lexicons vocabulary
  • 3.
    Need of avast vocabulary Want to say something but couldn’t! Need the specific word! Not having an adequate vocabulary can be devastating Good vocabulary can have great benefits like: •Faster processing speed •Expanded abstract thinking •More success at work •Improved citizenship
  • 4.
    Four types ofvocabulary  Reading  All the words that a reader can recognize while reading.  Listening  All the words that a listener can understand while listening to any speech.  Writing  All the words that a writer uses in his or her writing, is familiar with and understand them.  Speaking  All the words that one can use in his or her speech.
  • 5.
    “ ” All human beingscarry about a set of words which they employ to justify their actions, their beliefs, and their lives. These are the words in which we formulate praise of our friends and contempt for our enemies, our long-term projects, our deepest self-doubts and our highest hopes… I shall call these words a person's “final vocabulary”. Those words are as far as he can go with language; beyond them is only helpless passivity or a resort to force. AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER RICHARD RORTY Final vocabulary
  • 6.
    Four types oflexicons  Noun  A noun is a word that functions as the name of some specific thing or set of things.  Verb  A verb is a word that in syntax conveys an action, an occurrence, or a state of being.  Adjective  An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a noun or noun phrase.  Adverb  An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, determiner, clause, preposition, or sentence. Adverbs typically express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, level of certainty, etc.
  • 7.
    Second language vocabulary acquisition Thereare many techniques that help one acquire new vocabulary.  Word lists/ Personal Lexicon  Make a list of words by using dictionaries and making deriving morphemic connections  Memorization  Memorizing every word you see and understand  Mnemonics/ Word associations  They create new, unusual connections that can increase retention. uses Paivio's dual coding theory because it uses both verbal and image memory systems. This method is best for words that represent concrete and imageable things.  Through extensive reading  Developing a strong vocabulary by reading junk of literature extensively. But be sure to read quality literature
  • 8.
     Word puzzles Play puzzles about words like “word find” in newspaper mobile or laptop.  Learn about synonyms.  Synonyms are a great help in increasing vocabulary. By mirroring the word in many other forms  Keep a journal  Keep a diary in your bag and note every word you hear or read  Learn Morphology  Morphology explains how words are formed. Its knowledge helps how to learn them easily.  Use It or Lose It  Keep on repeating every word you learn
  • 9.
    Derivations( to makenew words from known vocabulary)  Words are derivate from other words(morpheme) in morphology( Also taught in course ENG-206). Morphological derivation, in linguistics, is the process of forming a new word from an existing word, often by adding a prefix or suffix, such as un- or -ness. For example, unhappy and happiness derive from the root word happy.  adjective-to-noun: -ness (slow → slowness)  adjective-to-verb: -ise (modern → modernise) or -ize (final → finalize)  adjective-to-adjective: -ish (red → reddish)  adjective-to-adverb: -ly (personal → personally)  noun-to-adjective: -al (recreation → recreational)  noun-to-verb: -fy (glory → glorify)  verb-to-adjective: -able (drink → drinkable)  verb-to-noun (abstract): -ance (deliver → deliverance)  verb-to-noun (agent): -er (write → writer)
  • 10.
    Summary  Derive words Make a list  Get familiar with the words  Use them  Practice their use  Memorize them  Keep it up
  • 11.