Thursday, March 15, 2007

Homonyms/Homophones

From: http://www.basic-learning.com/wbwt/homophones-or-homonyms.htm
ale - ail
currant - current
knows - nose
scene - seen
all - awl
cymbal - symbol
lain - lane
sea - see
allowed - aloud
dear - deer
lead - led
seam - seem
altar - alter
degrees - degrease
lessen - lesson
seine -sane
ant - aunt
desert - dessert
lie - lye
sent - scent -cent
arc - ark
dew - due - do
load - lode
sew - sow - so
ascent - assent
die - dye
loan - lone
sheer - shear
assistance - assistants
done - dun
made - maid
shone - shown
ate - eight
dough - doe
mail - male
shoot - chute
aught - ought
duel - dual
main-mane- Maine
side - sighed
bail - bale
earn - urn
manner - manor
sight - site - cite
bait - bate
eye - I
mantel - mantle
slay - sleigh
ball - bawl
fair - fare
maze - maize
sleight - slight
band - banned
faint - feint
meat - meet
slew -slue -slough
bare - bear
feat - feet
medal - meddle
soar - sore
base - bass
fined - find
might - mite
sole - soul
be - bee
fir - fur
miner - minor
some - sum
beach - beech
flea - flee
mist - missed
son - sun
beat - beet
flew - flue - flu
moan - mown
stake - steak
beau - bow
flour - flower
morn - mourn
stair - stare
been - bin
fore - four - for
muscle - mussel
stationary - stationery
bell - belle
formal, former
nap - knap
staid - stayed
berry - bury
fourth - forth
night - knight
steal - steel
berth - birth
foul - fowl
none - nun
stile - style
bier - beer
freeze - frieze
not - knot
straight - strait
billed - build
gait - gate
one -won
suite - sweet
blew - blue
gamble - gambol
pail - pale - pal
tail - tale
boar - bore
great - grate
passed - past
team - teem
board - bored
groan - grown
pause - paws
their -there- they're
born - borne
guaranty - guarantee
pair - pear - pare
there's - theirs
bough - bow
guest - guessed
peace - piece
threw - through
boulder, bolder
guilt - gilt
peal - peel
throne - thrown
brake - break
hair - hare
peer - pier
tide - tied
bread - bred
hall - haul
plain - plane
to - too - two
bridal - bridle
hale - hail
pore - pour - poor
toe - tow
buy - by
hart - heart
praise -prays
vail - veil - vale
cannon - canon
heal - heel
pray - prey
vain - vane - vein
canvas - canvass
hear - here
pride - pried
vary - very
capital - capitol
heard - herd
principal - principle
vial - vile
carrot - carat - caret
heir - air
profit - prophet
vice - vise
cast - caste
hew - hue
rain - rein - reign
wade - weighed
caught - cot
high - hi
raise - raze - rays
wail - whale
cede - seed
higher - hire
rap -wrap
waist - waste
ceiling - sealing
him - hymn
read -reed
wait - weight
cell - sell
hoard, horde
read - red
ware - wear - where
cellar - seller
hoarse - horse
real - reel
wave - waive
cent - sent- scent
hoes - hose
respectively - respectfully
way - weigh
cereal - serial
hole - whole
rest -wrest
weather - whether
choir - quire
holy-wholly-holey
rhyme - rime
week - weak
chord - cord
hour - our
right-write-wright-rite
which - witch
clause - claws
I'll - owl
ring - wring
whine - wine
climb - clime
idol - idle
road-rode-rowed
whole - hole
clothes - close
in - inn
role - roll
who's - whose
coarse - course
incite - insight
root - route
wood - would
complement - compliment
jam - jamb
rose - rows
wrote - rote
cord - chord
kernel - colonel
rough - ruff
yoke - yolk
core - corps
knead - need
rye - wry
you'll - yule
council - counsel
knew - new
rhyme - rime
your - you're
creak - creek
know - no
sail - sale

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

How To Improve Your Vocabulary, Kenneth Beare

How To Improve Your Vocabulary
From Kenneth Beare,

There are many ways to improve your vocabulary. When working to improve your vocabulary it's important to know your goals in order to best choose the way in which you want to learn. Reading can be a great way to improve your vocabulary. However, it won't be much help on a vocabulary test next week. Here are a number of methods to help you improve, and expand, your English vocabulary.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: from 30 minutes to 3 or more hours
Here's How:

1. Vocabulary Trees

Vocabulary trees help provide context. Once you've mapped out a few vocabulary trees, you'll discover yourself thinking in vocabulary groups. When you see a cup your mind will quickly relate such words as knife, fork, late, dishes, etc. This overview to vocabulary trees provides will help you get started. Here is an example of a vocabulary tree.

2. Create Vocabulary Themes

Create a list of vocabulary themes, include the vocabulary, a definition and an example sentence for each new item. Here is an example of a household appliance vocabulary theme sheet.

3. Use Technology to Help You

Watching DVDs is a great way to help you understand native speakers of English. Using all the fancy options watching individual scenes can help make DVD use into a vocabulary learning exercise.
4. Specific Vocabulary Lists

Rather than studying a long list of unrelated vocabulary, use specific vocabulary lists to help you prepare for the type of vocabulary you need for work, school or hobbies. These business vocabulary word lists are great for industry specific vocabulary items.
5. Word Formation Charts

Word formation is one of the keys to success for advanced level ESL learners. Advanced level English exams such as the TOEFL, First Certificate CAE and Proficiency use word formation as one of the key testing elements. These word formation charts provide the concept noun, personal noun, adjective and verb forms of key vocabulary listed in alphabetical order.

6. Visual Dictionaries

A picture is worth a thousand words. It's also very helpful for learning precise vocabulary. There are a number of excellent English learner visual dictionaries for sale. Here is an online version of a visual dictionary dedicated to jobs.

7. Learn Collocations

Collocations refer to words that often or always go together. A good example of a collocation is to do your homework. These lists of important verb + noun collocations will help your learn some of the most important.

8. Use a Corpus

Corpora are huge collections of documents that can track the number of times a word is used. By using a corpora, you can find which words are often used together with target vocabulary words. Combining corpora use with vocabulary trees is a great way to learn key vocabulary for specific vocabulary target areas. You can get started by visiting the British National Corpus.

Tips:

1. Use vocabulary learning methods to focus quickly on the vocabulary YOU need to study.
2. Don't make random lists of new words. Try to group words in themes. This will help you memorize new words more quickly.
3. If you have the time, and even if you think you don't have the time, try to add context. Writing a few example sentences using new vocabulary will help you remember the words in context.
4. Keep a vocabulary notepad at hand whenever you are reading in English.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Calendar

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Syllabus

English IEP 5 Syllabus Lincoln University
Vocabulary
Dr. Sylvia Schoemaker

Phone: 510.628.8036
Semester: Spring 2007
Course Days: T Time: 1:00 – 5:30; Location: Room 302
Course sites: http://vocab072.blogspot.com/
Office: Room 305
Office Hours: T-T, 9:9:30, 12:15-1, and by arrangement
E-mail: docsyl072@gmail.com


Objectives
You will develop your vocabulary skills for functional communicative purposes, in context-centered study and expansions.

University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically in English: To develop the ability to communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals , especially 1,(1.1-1.4), 2.4


Description:
IEP 5 covers the aspects of vocabulary development in functional communicative contexts. The core of the course will emphasize meaningful practice aimed at vocabulary expansion through contexts, word families, word structures and combining parts.

Course Materials

Required Texts
McCArthy, Michael and Felicity O’Dell. Basic Vocabulary in Use. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Dictionary, thesaurus

Format
A cooperative learning model is employed. Small group and individual discovery exercises and presentations will augment lectures, discussion and applications.


Student Responsibilities:
Students are expected to attend class, to complete assignments, to participate in the course in a productive manner, and to take personal responsibility for meeting the objectives of the course.

Evaluation/Grading:
Students will be evaluated on the basis of in-class work, homework, and overall proficiency development.

Policies:
Attendance is mandatory. Missed classes will constitute 0 points for the day’s class participation points. Excused absences are limited to serious medical or other problems, and are to be explained to the instructor either before or immediately after the absence.

Assignments: see Assignment Schedule

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Assignment Schedule


WeeksDateUnitsItems
116-Jan-2007Learner training1-2
223-Jan-2007Everyday verbs3-14
330-Jan-2007""
46-Feb-2007Words and grammar15 -27
513-Feb-2007""
620-Feb-2007People28 -35
727-Feb-2007""
86-Mar-2007The world36 -42
913-Mar-2007""
--20-Mar-2007Spring Recess--
1027-Mar-2007At home43 -46
113-Apr-2007""
1210-Apr-2007School and workplace47 -49
1317-Apr-2007""
1424-Apr-2007Leisure50 -56
151-May-2007
Social issues
"; 57 -60
16 8-May-2007Post Testing

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

14 Words Key to 100,000 Words


PREFIXSPELLINGSMEANING#KEYWORDROOTSPELLINGSMEANING
de down, away1DETAINtamten, tinhave, hold
inter between2INTERMITTENTmittmiss, mie, mitsend
pre before3PRECEPTcipcept,cap, ceivtake
oboc,of,opto,toward4OFFERferlat, laybear
inil,im,irinto5INSISTsistetastand, endure
mono one,a.lone6MONOGRAPHgraph write
epi over,upon7EPILOGUElog,ology speech, science
ada,ac,ag,ato,towards8ASPECTspectspec,epiLook
un not9UNCOMPLICATEDplicplay,plex,fold,bend,
twist
comco,col, carwith
non not10NONEXTENDEDtens,tend stretch
exe,efout
re back,again11REPRODUCTIONductduc,duit,lead,make,
dukshape
pro forward,in favor
inil, im, irnot12INDISPOSEDpocpon,poatput,place
disdi,difapart from
over above13OVERSUFFICIENTficfac,factmake, do
subsuc,suf,under
sug,sup
mis wrong14MISTRANSCRIBEscribescrip,scrivwrite
transtra,tranacross

Saturday, January 20, 2007