Listening Strategies
  • Vocabulary in Context

    • Vocabulary in Context

    Listening Strategy
    What do you do when you hear an unfamiliar word? Do you stop everything to try to understand it? Do you ignore it? Do you have strategies in mind for these situations? When you first started learning English, this was a frequent experience for you and your reaction was hopefully different than it is now. In this lesson, we will talk about strategies you can use when you hear new vocabulary.

    Objectives

    1. Use context to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words
    2. Ask clarifying questions

    Using Context

    Context means the everything surrounding the thing you are focused on. Think back on when we talked about background. We talked about how the background is all of the details that add to the story. This is the same as context. So why is context important for understanding vocabulary?

    Recognizing Important Words

    The first thing you learn by paying attention to context is whether or not a word is important. By listening to the information around the word, you will know if it is a word that is necessary for you to know in order to understand the main idea and major details of the speaker.

    Is the word frequently used?

    If you hear the word multiple times when listening, it is likely a word that is important to your overall understanding of what the speaker says. 

    Does the topic seem to be topic specific

    If it is unfamiliar, it is possible that it is used more frequently when you talk about certain ideas. Think about the main idea and try to notice if it is used with main ideas or major details. For example, the words domestication and breed are used frequently with main ideas and major details in this video. These are words used in very specific contexts, like talking about animals.

    Does the speaker provide a definition in the context?

    Depending on the speaking situation, the speaker may provide a definition of uncommon or frequently used vocabulary. However, it depends on the audience the speaker has in mind when preparing to speak and whether or not you are listening in-person or to a recording. Notice how the speaker in this video clip gives a definition of temp music and an example of what it sounds like to make sure the audience fully understands this term (you will only watch about 2 minutes of the video). 

    If the word is frequent, important, and a definition is not provided, this is the time to stop and find the meaning of the word. If you are listening to a recording, pause it and look up the meaning. Think about the context of the word when you look at the possible. Look at this example of the word stem. Notice how the meaning would change based on context and the grammar of the sentence:

    Clarifying Questions

    In some situations, you have the opportunity to pause the conversation if you need to ask for a definition. Below are some examples of ways to ask clarifying questions to help you understand new vocabulary without stopping the conversation completely.

    In later chapter, we will talk about a strategy called circumlocution that can also help in these situations.

    Exercise 1: Listen for Vocabulary

    Here is a video about the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition. Watch the video thinking about these vocabulary strategies. 

    1. What words are frequently repeated or important for the the topic?
    2. Did she provide any definitions for vocabulary words during the explanation?
    3. Write a few example clarifying questions you could use if this was an in-person conversation and she used a word you had never heard before.

    Exercise 2: Listen for vocabulary 2

    1. Choose a video from TED-Ed. on a topic that is unfamiliar to you.
    2. As you listen, use the vocabulary strategies to identify three types of vocabulary words for the video:
      • Frequently used
      • Important to understand content
      • Defined in the video
    3. Be prepared to give a short (30 second) summary of the video and explain the strategy you used to identify one of the new vocabulary words for this video.

    Exercise 3: Can you explain that?

    1. Your teacher will assign you a partner and give you each a list of vocabulary words.
    2. Take some time to learn the definitions of the words if you are unfamiliar with them. Ask your teacher questions if you are unsure how to use the word.
    3. After preparing, you will have a conversation with your partner. Use the vocabulary words from the list in your conversation.
    4. If your partner uses a word that is new for you, ask a clarifying question.

    Exercise 4: Find it

    For this game, you will include an unfamiliar vocabulary word as you talk about a topic or tell a story. You will include the definition of the unfamiliar word naturally in your speaking and your group will show that they understood what the word means. There are two ways to play. The first is for conversational English practice and the second for topic specific language practice.

    Conversational

    1. Bring a common object to class or think of a verb common to homes that you don't think you group knows the names of, like spatula, plunger, mince etc.
    2. Place all of the items in the center of the room along.
    3. Start your turn by telling a story to your partners. Use the vocabulary word in your story. After you use the word, give a definition of the word.
    4. Your group should be listening carefully. When they hear the definition, they should hurry to find the object in the room or to act out the action. The first person to find the object wins.

    Topic Specific

    1. Choose an object or verb common to a topic you are interested in that you don't think your group knows, like overdraft, mortgage, vault etc
    2. Find a picture to represent that vocabulary word and 4 additional pictures of topic related vocabulary. Add the pictures to a slide. Put a number next to each picture.
    3. Share the slide with your teacher.
    4. When it is your turn, talk about your topic. Use your vocabulary word. After you use it, provide a definition of the word.
    5. Your group should be listening carefully. When they hear the definition, they should hurry to find the the picture that represents the vocabulary word. The first person to say the correct picture wins.

    This content is provided to you freely by EdTech Books.

    Access it online or download it at https://edtechbooks.org/advanced_low_listening__speaking/vocabulary_in_context.