Keeping this vocabulary journal has been one of my favorite parts of class this semester. Completing a vocabulary blog forced me to notice (and look up definitions for) words that I might previously have only noticed briefly and then forgotten about. While completing this blog, I realized that most of my words were taken from conversations that I have had or books that I have read. These two forms of communication seem to impact me the most. Only a few of my vocabulary words were taken from television shows or commercials. I also tend to focus on words that I encounter rarely, but that are also complex with numerous syllables. The most interesting and enjoyable entries for me to complete were those involving a word that is completely new to me. While completing these types of entries, I was learning the word as I completed my blog entry, which for some reason is extremely thrilling to me.
I benefited in many ways as a word learner as a result of keeping a vocabulary journal this semester. First, the journal helped me to pay closer attention to the types of words that I encountered on a daily basis. Knowing that I needed to find words for my vocabulary journal forced me to continuously be on the lookout for any unusual or unfamiliar words. In addition, because I needed to know the words' definitions for my journal, I took the time to actually look up the meanings of those words that had attracted my attention. If I had not been responsible for knowing the definitions of these words, I would most likely not have remembered to look up the word later (after reading it or hearing it). As a result, while I may have paid more attention to the types of words I was encountering, I would not have actually learned any new words and their meanings. Having access to other students' vocabulary journals also aided my word learning, as I was able to see the types of words others were using for their journals and, as a result, learn new words simply by reading others' vocabulary journals.
Taking the vocabulary tests helped me to focus on committing the words and their definitions to memory. These tests also brought to my attention the words that my peers felt were important to know. Also, since we had to be able to use these words in a sentence that reflects the context of the word as it was originally used, I found myself reading others' posts more carefully and studying words whose meanings I was already relatively familiar with. The vocabulary tests definitely helped me to learn a more diverse set of words and to expand my overall vocabulary knowledge. In addition, these tests helped me to notice what aspects of vocabulary learning might be challenging for my students. As a result, I will be more aware of these challenges and better able to deal with any potential issues when they arise.
I think that keeping a vocabulary journal has helped me to notice when I come across words that I am unfamiliar with or whose meanings I am unsure of. As a result of this increased awareness, I am sure I will continue to look up the definitions of any unfamiliar words. While I don't think I will be able to keep up with posting 2-3 entries per week on my blog, it would be nice if I could keep posting from time to time, especially whenever I find a particularly unusual word. Whenever I read, I remain aware of new words, and I plan to continue to build on this awareness by looking up the definitions of the new words that I encounter. Hopefully determining these definitions (along with the occasional blog post) will be enough to help me commit these words to memory, as is usually the case. However, I may need additional exposure to these words in order to remember their meanings. The vocabulary blog has been extremely useful in helping me to commit the meanings of words to memory, as I keep returning to my blog in order to check my total number of entries, revise my entries, and nominate words for the VSS tests. Completing this blog has really brought my attention to word learning and how to make the processes of word learning and vocabulary study more interesting and beneficial for my future students.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
14:1 Malapropism
When and Where I Found It: I was reading an article on dictionary.com that was discussing made-up words or phrases by those in government or in the media. They referenced the term "malapropism" and challenged the reader to determine whether the words used were malapropisms.
What It Means: According to dictionary.com, "malapropism" is "an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound." The website provides an example of this confusion of words: "Lead the way and we'll precede." The article that I read was debating whether Sarah Palin's use of the "word" "refudiate" is a malapropism.
Malapropism (n.) In dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/malapropism
Level of Familiarity: I think I have heard this word used once or twice in the past, but I never knew exactly what it meant until now.
Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes, I want to know this word well, because, as an English major, I may have the opportunity to use this word at some point in my career. I could even teach my future students this word, especially if public figures continue to misuse words the way they have been in the recent past. This word seems to be a useful word to know.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...If So, Who and Why? Yes, I think others should know this word well. Since there are those who debate the credibility of public figures who misspeak and who "misuse words ridiculously," it would be beneficial for these people to know the correct terminology to explain this misuse. Also, knowing that I have seen this word at least once before, I am aware of the fact that I (and others) may encounter it again in the future. We should all be ready to know what this word means if it is used to explain the misuse of words by our public figures.
What It Means: According to dictionary.com, "malapropism" is "an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound." The website provides an example of this confusion of words: "Lead the way and we'll precede." The article that I read was debating whether Sarah Palin's use of the "word" "refudiate" is a malapropism.
Malapropism (n.) In dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/malapropism
Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes, I want to know this word well, because, as an English major, I may have the opportunity to use this word at some point in my career. I could even teach my future students this word, especially if public figures continue to misuse words the way they have been in the recent past. This word seems to be a useful word to know.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...If So, Who and Why? Yes, I think others should know this word well. Since there are those who debate the credibility of public figures who misspeak and who "misuse words ridiculously," it would be beneficial for these people to know the correct terminology to explain this misuse. Also, knowing that I have seen this word at least once before, I am aware of the fact that I (and others) may encounter it again in the future. We should all be ready to know what this word means if it is used to explain the misuse of words by our public figures.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
13:2 Namaste
When and Where I Found It: This word was the dictionary.com Word of the Day for Sunday, November 28th. Also, when I used to take yoga classes, my instructor would say this word at the end of each session. What It Means: According to dictionary.com, this word is "a conventional Hindu expression on meeting or parting, used by the speaker usually while holding the palms together vertically in front of the bosom." In addition, this definition also mentions that the word is "frequently a part of yoga practice." Given this definition, it makes sense that my yoga teacher used this word at the end of our yoga sessions.
Namaste (n.) In dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2010/11/28.html
Level of Familiarity: Previously, I have only heard this word used in my yoga classes. Aside from that experience, I have not heard this word used in other situations.
Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes, I want to know this word well. If I ever take yoga classes again, it would be helpful to know this word. Also, many aspects of the Hindu culture fascinate me, so I would love to add this to the list of things that I know about Hindus.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...If So, Who and Why? Yes, I think others should know this word well, especially if they take yoga classes. Also, those who know people who are Hindu would benefit greatly from knowing the meaning of this word. I liken it to knowing that "aloha" means "hello" and "goodbye" in Hawaiian. It could be useful to know the meaning of "namaste," even if you never end up meeting any Hindus.
13:1 Ennui
When and Where I Found It: This word was an answer to a crossword puzzle that I was working on a few days ago. The clue was "boredom."
What It Means: According to dictionary.com, this word means "a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom."
Ennui (n.) In dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ennui
Level of Familiarity: Previously, I had only seen the word once or twice before. I think the word "ennui" was one of the selections for "current mood" on livejournal, back when I used to have an account. I'm sure I looked up the meaning of this word when I first saw it, but it has been so long that I forgot its exact meaning. When I was completing the crossword puzzle, I had a few letters already and the word "ennui" came to mind, but I wasn't completely sure this answer was correct.
Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes, I want to know this word well because this is not the first time I have encountered this word. I have a feeling that I will encounter this word again in the future, and I would like to remember the definition so that I will know the meaning of the word from now on. Also, if "boredom" is used as a crossword puzzle clue again, I will now know the correct answer.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...If So, Who and Why? While this word is not used incredibly often, I think that others would benefit from knowing this word. If nothing else, this word is another way to convey that a person is bored or "discontent." It is an interesting word to know.
What It Means: According to dictionary.com, this word means "a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom."
Ennui (n.) In dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ennui
Level of Familiarity: Previously, I had only seen the word once or twice before. I think the word "ennui" was one of the selections for "current mood" on livejournal, back when I used to have an account. I'm sure I looked up the meaning of this word when I first saw it, but it has been so long that I forgot its exact meaning. When I was completing the crossword puzzle, I had a few letters already and the word "ennui" came to mind, but I wasn't completely sure this answer was correct.
Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes, I want to know this word well because this is not the first time I have encountered this word. I have a feeling that I will encounter this word again in the future, and I would like to remember the definition so that I will know the meaning of the word from now on. Also, if "boredom" is used as a crossword puzzle clue again, I will now know the correct answer.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...If So, Who and Why? While this word is not used incredibly often, I think that others would benefit from knowing this word. If nothing else, this word is another way to convey that a person is bored or "discontent." It is an interesting word to know.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)