Teach English in Bǎilin Zhen - Linyi Shi

Professor John Sinclair said, “Learners would do well to learn the common words of the English language very thoroughly , because they carry the main patterns of the English language”, his statement follows on from the fact that the top 200 words of the English language, makes up 50 % of all written and spoken words found in same. Vocabulary is the acquiring of the meaning and use of words , so that students to enhance there understanding and confidence in using words , (verbally and written) ,should be reading and listening to a variety of available reading and audio material, as well as being taught the meaning and use of specific words in the classroom. Words used well can leave a powerful message, compare this part of a speech from the Rev Martin Luther King, “ The ultimate measure of a man is not when he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but when he stands at times of challenge and controversy”, imagine the impression these words made on that huge crowd, on that day and particularly with the power in the voice of Rev King ! Yes words said well can make an impact. And although this example may be more for an adult class learning the English language, the exposure audibly of brilliant speeches and written work to a younger audience, (in as much at a level they can comprehend), will only enhance and make more enjoyable the acquiring of the magic that can be found in the English language. The first sentence states that common words make up 50 % of the English language, as well as the quote from Sinclair, that these words should be studied and understood very thoroughly, well this could be achieved with another of Rev Kings speeches, “ I have a dream” ! Now those are words that a younger class CAN comprehend, and the context in that it was said, I am sure a good teacher can construct a lesson around those ‘magical’ words and get the class involved and excited, to the conclusion of them comprehending the meaning of what Rev King said , (in that period of racial disharmony in the USA), the use of the ESA system of teaching, could be used, to this end ,to it’s fall affect. Interest in a particular topic is most important to get a class motivated and engaged ,when teaching vocabulary, as long as a topic chosen by a class is within the level of that class ,then by adopting that topic chosen as a lesson, can only enhance and help retain their long term memory retention , and so enable better spoken and written production by the class, because of their interest in that subject . Vocabulary can be taught in a myriad of ways, song lyrics, word association, definition, , mime, pronunciation , etc, some English words can be tricky though , for a student to fully comprehend, as identical words can have a different meaning, depending on the context of the word within a sentence, and also the stress of syllable of a particular word, e.g., the word refuse, look at this sentence “ I refuse to take that refuse to the tip”! Also to produce a sentence correctly , grammar and structure is also required to achieve this end, without these elements of vocabulary ,grammar and structure done correctly, the resulting outcome of a correct sentence will not be achieved. Words formed to imitate the natural or artificial sounds around are known as onomatopoeia, e.g., whimper, sizzle, click, murmur, alliteration used in a sentence ,or song ,repeats the initial sound or letters in a word, e.g., when Sinatra sang That Life, “I ve been a puppet a pauper a pirate a poet a pawn and a king,” this also is a hook to grab the interest of the listener. Prepositions are words often used to talk about places and times, e.g. He doesn't like driving at night, The meeting started at 2.30, I found him in the pub, or I found him on the Bowling Green, words like at, in , on, up, but care needs to be taken with prepositions, e.g. in Mike climbed up, and then Mike climbed up the ladder, in the first example up is an adverb, the second up is a preposition as it has an object ( ladder ), another way to describe a preposition is a word telling you where something is in relationship to something else. When did the meeting start ? 2.30, where did you find him ? In the pub. Idioms are phrases or expressions in which the entire meaning , is different from the usual meaning of the words,( within the phrase or expression), and I believe this is an excellent way to teach a class, as the funny side of an idiom can grab the interest of a class and thus effect a better and quicker understanding of particular words in the idiom, e.g. raining cats and dogs, hold your horses, etc, Also words can be more easily retained when associated with the original Latin meaning, take a word like FACTOTUM, a noun, ( an employee that does all kinds of work) , FAC means ,to do, and TOTUM means, all ( in the Latin origin of the word), factotum then could describe, a jack of all trades, a PA, an odd job man or even Michael Cain acting as Batemans assistant , so knowing the Latin meaning of FAC and TOTUM, is a method to teach a class of remembering the meaning and spelling of a particular word. Summing up there are many ways to teach the magic vocabulary, of the English language and in this essay I have attempted to outline some of these .