CHEIKH ANTA DIOP UNIVERSITY FASETEF EFL/ESL DEPARTMENT

FASTEF

Abdoulaye Ndiaye Saliou Sarr Ousmane Coly Papa Amadou Seck Mbagnick Diop 2O11-2O12

F1B2

Teaching Reading Vocabulary

OUTLINE 1. COMMENTARY 2. PRACTICAL APPLICATION 3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. COMMENTARY
In this article, the author, Khairi discusses the importance of vocabulary in the
process of reading comprehension. Citing some theoreticians such as Davies (1968) and Danman (1988) among others he shows that there is a direct causal link between vocabulary and success in reading. Additionally Danman (1988) goes further demonstrating that having a large amount of vocabulary is not sufficient to succeed in reading. The read should get the facility... to access the known word meaning represent in memory. In short, for Khairy good readers are also good decoders. Other researchers support Khairys above mentioned assumption. Cynthia and Drew Johnson assert that direct instruction in vocabulary can be helpful in arresting this cycle. Good readers often acquire much of their vocabulary through a wide independent reading also known as
5

incidental learning[1] Cynthia and Drew Johnson add that a combination of direct instruction of word
meanings, discussions about words and word parts and encouragement of wide reading is the best way to help students develop vocabulary. He uses the semantic network theory to show the link between background knowledge and a good understanding of a written text. This background knowledge is called scripts (Schank and Abelson (1977) or Schemata (Rumelhart (1980). Scripts help readers easily decode messages. However, Rapid and accurate decoding of language is important to any kind of reading and especially important to second-language reading. Good readers know the language. They can code ... for the most part, not by passing from the text or prior knowledge of the world, but by a kind of automatic identification that requires no conscious cognitive effort(Khairi,1993:2) The presentation of one word to the students activates their schemata related to that topic. Consequently, for Khairi these activated semantic networks help learners make predictions and anticipations. These pedagogical implications are illustrated by the author through samples of activities suggested in his work. In fact he has shed light on important aspects of reading comprehension processes that lead to automatic lexical access. This is achieved through reinforcing and recycling activities.
[1]

www.epsbooks.com

According to George Yule (2006), lexical relations are synonymy (conceal/hide), antonymy (shallow/ deep), hyponymy (rose/flower).

Figure 1 Lexical relation

Synonymy

Antonymy Hide
Shall ow Deep

Hyponymy
Rose Flowe r

Con ceal

Synonymy He defines synonyms as two or more words with very closely related meanings . This definition is substantiated by Hurford. R. James al (2007) who defines synonyms as the relationship between two predicates that have the same sense. Actually, perfect synonymies are very difficult to find. They are often interchangeable but this is not always the case. For instance we can say what was his answer? Or what was his reply? Yet answer and reply are not the same in the following sentence: Ousmane had only one answer correct on the test, the word reply would sound odd. They can even vary from one dialect to another and the identity of sense intervenes here.

Figure 2 Predicates

Synonymy

Stubb orn

Obstin ate

Antonymy

Two forms with opposite meanings are called antonyms. Some common examples are the pairs: alive/dead, big/small, fast/slow, happy/sad, hot/cold, long/short, male/female, married/single, old/new, rich/poor, true/false. For Yule, antonyms are usually divided into two main types, gradable (opposites along a scale) and non-gradable (direct opposites). Gradable antonyms, such as the pair big/small, can be used in comparative constructions like Im bigger than you and A pony is smaller than a horse. Also, the negative of one member of a gradable pair does not necessarily imply the other. For example, the sentence my car isnt old, doesnt necessarily mean my car is new With non-gradable antonyms (also called complementary pairs), comparative constructions are not normally used. We dont typically describe someone as deader as or more dead than another. Also, the

negative of one member of a non-gradable pair does imply the other member. That is, my
grandparents arent alive does indeed mean my grandparents are dead. Other non-gradable antonyms in the earlier list are the pairs: male/female, married/single and true/false.
9

According to Todd Loreto Hancock, Ian (1986) is the general term applied to the sense relation involving oppositeness of meaning. It is useful to distinguish three types of oppositeness, namely: 1. Implicitly graded antonyms

2. Complementarity
3. Converseness Implicitly graded antonyms are pairs of items like big, small, good, bad. Words like big and good can only be interpreted in terms of being bigger or better than something which is established as the norm

for the comparison. Thus when we say that a boy is big or that one boy is bigger than another, we imply
that big is to be understood in the context of boys. Complementarity refers to the existence of such pairs as male and female. It is Characteristic of such pairs that the denial of one implies the assertion of the other. Thus, if one is not

male, then one is female. Notice the difference between graded antonyms of the good/bad type and
complementary pairs. Where BUY and SELL are in a converse relationship. English has a number of conversely related verbs and so sentence Converseness is a common phenomenon: John lent the money to Peter. Peter borrowed the money from John.
10

Hyponymy When the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another, the relationship is described as

hyponymy. Examples are the pairs: animal/dog,

Dog /poodle, vegetable/carrot, ower /rose, tree/banyan. Yule (2006) asserts that the concept of inclusion involved in this relationship is the idea that if an object is a rose, then it is necessarily a ower , so the meaning of ower is included in the

meaning of rose. Or, rose is a hyponym of ower.

In effect hyponymous connections are related to the meaning of words in some type of hierarchical relationship. Yule adds that we can represent the relationships between a set of words such as animal, ant, asp, banyan, carrot, cockroach, creature, dog, ower, horse, insect, living thing,

pine, plant, poodle, rose, snake, tree and vegetable as a hierarchical diagram.

11

Living thing

Figure 3

Creature
Animal Insect

Plant

Dog Poo dle

Horse

Snake Asp .

An t

Coc kro ach

Vegetable Car rot

Flower

Tree
Ba nya n

Ros e

Pin e

12

Using these research findings Khairy suggests two guidelines for effective vocabulary teaching for

reading.
Firstly, Teachers should facilitate lexical access through activities that will enhance active encouragement of independent learning strategies. Those activities will help students draw on a variety of methods to learn the thousands of words they acquire each year.

This effective vocabulary development is a multifaceted process that includes direct instruction and
discussion. Secondly, teachers should develop vocabulary building through a various activities such as build up new networks or maintain, refine, and expand existing networks. Khairy cites Krashens

thematic approach, the Narrow Reading (1981). Cynthia and Drew Johnson suggest such specific
strategies as using prefixes, suffixes and roots and using graphic organizers. In their article they also put forward specific techniques like Knowledge Rating Checklist (see figure 4), Concept of Definition Maps (see figure 5) Word Part Web (see figure 6), Semantic Maps (see figure 7),

Semantic Feature Analysis (see figure 8), Venn Diagram (see figure 9).
13

Knowledge Rating Checklist

Can define
Claustrophobia

Figure 4

Have heard / seen

Dont know

Colleague Contingent Deluge Dispel Fledgling Inane

Mettle

Replica

14

Conception of Definition Map

Figure 5

What is this? eating animal

Flesh

Examples Dog, bear, cat

Non example Cow, sheep

Carnivore

What is it like? Has sharp teeth or fangs Consumes other animals. May eat foods other than meet

15

Figure 6 Word Part Web

Biology

Bioluminescence

Biochemical Biosphere

Biomechanics

Bio Life

Biodegradable

Biography

Biopic

16

Semantic Map

Figure 7

Ancestor Forerunner Descended from

Carnivore eater

FleshFerocious

Extinct No long existing Prehistoric

Dinausors

Huge

Gigantic Enormous

17

Semantic Feature Analysis

Figure 8

Has fur

Has Feather ?

Can fly

Can be pet

Runs on four legs

Dog Cat bear Buffalo Tiger Sparrow Horse

18

19

2-Practical application
Activity1 Word prediction:

20

2-Practical application Activity1: Word prediction: Teacher writes on the board the topic and asks:
Money

Which words can be associated to this topic? Students give words and try to justify their choice of certain words through examples and/or explanations. Teacher writes all the words on the board.
bank monetary dollar

Money
accountant

bank note

borrow

Coin

21

Activity2: Predicting a topic from given vocabulary Predict the topic from the following words

borrow

loan

commer ce

savings

?
credit

goods

buy/sell

salary

22

Money My name is Bob and I am an accountant in the Detroit area. Because of the economic troubles in the area, everyone I meet from outside of the state asks if I have gone broke yet. They can't imagine that an accountant in that city could be

loaded. The question is probably asked because I drive a nice Volvo and I live in a huge house on the water. I also
purchased some rental properties recently. To most it appears that I've lost my mind. Now, it is true that many in Detroit are strapped for cash. The local industry is dying. I am good at what I do, and I enjoy it, so I get a lot of business anyway. There are still companies that exist in the city and they do need accountants. People ask me why I bought an expensive house in a city like Detroit. Everyone assumes I threw money down the toilet. That's not the case. One day this city will be back on its feet. I am going to use those rental properties as cash cows. I'll rent them out at fair prices and make thousands a month. When I bought these units they were at record low prices. Like I tell my brother, there is always an opportunity to get filthy rich. Things may look bad, but change is always around the corner. Instead of saving my money for a rainy day, I will always spend it to invest in my future. It has always worked and it always will! Andrew Lawton

23

Activity3:
Teacher writes the title on the board, AIDS Go through the list below in pairs and predict whether each word would appear You are going to read a passage on AIDS before reading it, decide which of the following words you would expect to find in the passage. Compare you list with your partners giving reasons for your choice.

Sexual intercourse Hugging Disease To run White cells Blood

transfusion clothes HIV Red Virus Water

24

AIDS

In some parts of the world where AIDS pandemic has hit the hardest, three out of every ten pregnant women are HIV positive. In one country, half of all pregnant women tested were infected. According to Edith White, a specialist on breast-feeding and mother-to-child transmission of HIV, health workers are advising HIV positive in industrialised countries not to breast-feed their babies; since this nearly doubles the risk of the babys being infected. The use of infant formula seems a logical alternative. But in the developing world- where idealistic theories quickly give way to harsh realities- this simple solution is hard to carry out. One of the obstacles is a social one. In countries where breast-feeding is the norm, women who bottle-feed their babies may be advertising the fact that they have been infected with HIV. A woman may fear that she will be blamed, abandoned, or even beaten when her condition becomes known. Some women in this circumstance feel that they have no choice but to breast-feed their babies to keep their HIV condition a secret. There are other obstacles too. For example, consider Margaret. She, like at least 95 percent of Ugandas women has never been tested for HIV. But Margaret has no reason to be concerned. Her first child died, and her second is frail and sickly. Margaret is breast-feeding her child 10 times a day, despite the fact that she may have HIV. I would never be able to feed my baby with formula, she says. Why not? The cost of feeding one child infant formula, Margaret says is one and a half times the sum that a family in her village earns in an entire day. Even if formula were available, free of charge, there would still be the problem of finding clean water to make the formula into safe food. Some of these obstacles can be reduced if HIV infected mothers are provided proper sanitation, adequate amounts of breast milk substitutes, and access to safe water. Expensive? Perhaps. Yet, surprisingly, making such provisions seems to be a matter of setting priorities rather than finding funds. Indeed, the UN reports that some of the worlds poorest developing countries spend about twice as much on the military as they do on health and education.

25 Awake, January 8, 2000, pp 20-21.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Cynthia and Drew Johnson (www.epsbooks.com) Hurford, R. James al (2007:106): Semantics, A course book 2nd Ed CUP Todd. Loreto Hancock Ian (2005:55) International English Usage, Taylor Francis e- Library Yule.G (2006:105:106): The Study of Language, 3rd Ed CUP

26