- Association: students can make accurate associations with the word, although they may not understand its meaning
- Comprehension: they can understand the commonly accepted meaning of a word
- Generation: they can use the word in various contexts
Now, Watch the Griffith University video again starting from 2:42 to 3:15. The speaker advises students to record various features of new words and gives an example.
After that, read the following abstract from an academic journal article and record any new words using the speaker’s advice. An example is given below.
Learning L2 Vocabulary through Extensive Reading: A Measurement Study
Abstract
Many language courses now offer access to simplified materials graded at various levels of proficiency so that learners can read at length in their new language. An assumed benefit is the development of large and rapidly accessed second language (L2) lexicons. Studies of such extensive reading (ER) programs indicate general language gains, but few examine vocabulary growth; none identify the words available for learning in an entire ER program or measure the extent to which participants learn them. This article describes a way of tackling this measurement challenge using electronic scanning, lexical frequency profiling, and individualized checklist testing. The method was pilot tested in an ER program where 21 ESL learners freely chose books that interested them. The innovative methodology proved to be feasible to implement and effective in assessing word knowledge gains. Growth rates were higher than those found in earlier studies. Research applications of the flexible corpus-based approach are discussed.
Horst,Marlise
Canadian Modern Language Review(2005),61(3):355
http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.61.3.355
Example Entry:
Word: proficiency
Meaning: the fact of having the skill and experience for doing something
Part of speech: noun
Alternative forms: see proficient (adj)
Grammar
Collocation: achieve/gain proficiency in s/thing
Register: formal
Pronunciation: /prəˈfɪʃ.ən.si/
Spelling
Example sentence: they want proficiency in at least two languages, Photographs in the contest will be judged on technical proficiency.
Tip* If you are a visual learner, you may prefer to learn new vocab using a mind map, like the one below:
There are plenty of software choices on I0S and Android, and Free mindmapping software here: draw.io
“Remember, in order to get to stage 3, generation, you need to automatise these new words. That means you need to read and use the words regularly until they are stored in your long term memory. Then you will be able to understand and produce them automatically – that’s the goal!”
Here is a link to the Academic Word List mentioned in the YouTube video above. Use it to help you widen your vocabulary.
https://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist
Try to get 5-15 words a day from the list, and you’ll be well on your way to showing superior academic vocabulary. For the final task, move on to the next topic for a summary of Global Reading and Listening.
