Aims
The aim of this course is to help the students to improve their English vocabulary, especially that which will be usful in their future academic lives. In the course we will teach common academic vocabulary and also help students to develop strategies to improve their specific subject-related vocabulary.
Assessment
There is no explicit assessment for this course, but vocabulary will be indirectly assessed in every other course. There will, however, be explicit assessment of vocabulary in the end of semester exam.
Methods
In the course we will teach common academic vocabulary and useful everyday vocabulary. We will also help students to develop strategies to improve their specific subject-related vocabulary. A certain amount of time will be spent on working with new vocabulary in listening and reading texts. Students will also be expected to practise the vocabulary through speaking and writing.
Content
|
1. Introduction: what it means to learn a word |
|
|
1.1 pronunciation, 1.2 spelling, 1.3 grammatical patterns, 1.4 collocations, 1.5 frequency, 1.6 register, 1.7 meaning, 1.8 formation, 1.9 connotations. |
McCarthy & O'Dell (1994, chap. 1) McCarthy & O'Dell (2002, pp. 6-10) |
|
2. General EAP vocabulary |
|
| Academic Vocabulary | Porter (2001)
Coxhead (2000) |
|
3. General vocabulary in useful specific areas, e.g. |
|
|
3.1 education 3.2 work 3.3 business 3.4 science & technology 3.5 politics 3.6 industry 3.7 law. |
Wellman (1992)
Redman (1997, pp. 37- 100) Redman & Ellis (1989, chap. 2-18) Redman & Ellis (1990, chap. 3-24) Redman & Ellis (1991, chap: 1) McCarthy & O'Dell (1994, chap. 26-73) |
|
4. Vocabulary building: |
|
|
4.1 use of prefixes, suffixes and roots, 4.2 construction of compound nouns/adjectives, 4.3 changing word forms (nouns to verbs etc.), 4.4 families (synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms), |
Redman (1997, chap. 7-12)
Redman & Ellis (1990, chap. 2, 16) McCarthy & O'Dell (1994, chap. 8-19) McCarthy & O'Dell (2002, chap. 2-4) |
|
5. Vocabulary learning techniques: |
|
|
5.1 dictionary use, 5.2 ways of dealing with meaning, 5.3 recording of new words, 5.4 remembering new words, 5.5 working out meaning of unknown words. |
Redman (1997, chap.1-6)
Redman & Ellis (1989, chap. 1) Redman & Ellis (1990, chap. 1) Redman & Ellis (1991, chap.: 1) McCarthy & O'Dell (1994, chap. 1-7) |
Text Books
Main
McCarthy, M. & O'Dell, F. (1994). English vocabulary in use. Cambridge University Press
McCarthy, M. & O'Dell, F. (2002). English vocabulary in use: Advanced. Cambridge University Press
Porter, D. (2001). Check your vocabulary for academic English. London: Peter Collin.
Supplementary
Burgmeier, A., Eldred, G. & Zimmerman, C. B. (1991). Lexis: Academic vocabulary study. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:Phoenix
Coxhead, A. (2000). The academic word list. Available from http://www.vuw.ac.nz/lals/div1/awl/
Flower, J. & Berman, M. (1989). Build your vocabulary 1. Hove: LTP.
Flower, J. & Berman, M. (1989). Build your vocabulary 2. Hove: LTP.
Flower, J. & Berman, M. (1989). Build your vocabulary 3. Hove: LTP.
Mascull, B. (1995). Collins COBUILD keywords in the media. London: Collins COBUILD
Mascull, B. (1996). Collins COBUILD keywords in business. London: Collins COBUILD
Redman, S. & Ellis, R. (1989) A way with words 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Redman, S. & Ellis, R. (1990) A way with words 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Redman, S. & Ellis, R. (1991) A way with words 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Redman, S. (1997). English vocabulary in use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wellman, G. (1992). Wordbuilder. London: Heinemann.