is broader better? in awe of awl by jill donaldson ... · malaysian students after 12 years of...

In Awe of AWL

Is Broader Better?

A Presentation at the Pathways and Promises: English for Academic Purposes and Student Success Conference, University of Manitoba

June 7, 2013

by Jill Donaldson & Janice McAlpine

I. Introduction

Jill and the 150 Level Oral Presentations

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:30 – 9:50

Core

Karen St. Amand

Kingston Hall,

Room 310

Core

Karen St. Amand

Watson Hall,

Room 207

Core

Karen St. Amand

Kingston Hall,

Room 210

Core

Karen St. Amand

Kingston Hall,

Room 210

Core

Karen St. Amand

Ontario Hall,

Room 207

10:00-11:20

Core

Karen St. Amand

Kingston Hall,

Room 310

Core

Karen St. Amand

Watson Hall,

Room 207

Core

Karen St. Amand

Kingston Hall,

Room 210

Core

Karen St. Amand

Kingston Hall,

Room 108

Core

Karen St. Amand

Ontario Hall,

Room 207

Lunch

1:00-2:20

Lab

Kelly Goode

Kingston Hall,

Lab 100A

Spoken

Karen Burkett

Ontario Hall,

Room 209

ECCO

Gordon Linney

Kingston Hall

Computer Room 313

Spoken

Karen Burkett

Mackintosh-Corry

Hall,

Room D209

2:30-3:50

Lab

Kelly Goode

Kingston Hall,

Lab 100A

• we have integrated skills Core class plus Spoken and Lab • Jill: story of trying to mark oral presentations in Spoken based on academic essays prepared

for Core class and not understanding a word • not plagiarism • not totally incoherent essays • no major pronunciation problems

• Did students really know what they were saying? Could they explain in other terms? Were they sensitive to their non-specialist audience?

Reflections of a college teacher of “freshman” English

We need nonacademic discourse even for the sake of helping students produce good academic discourse--academic language that reflects sound understanding of what they are studying in disciplinary courses. That is, many students can repeat and explain a principle . . . in the academic discourse of the textbook but cannot simply tell a story of what is going on in the room or country around them on account of that principle . . . .

• Peter Elbow in the journal College Teaching on writing skills taught to all undergrads in “freshman” English courses.

• We need to teach them to more than academic discourse • Render their experiences • Write for different audiences

The use of academic discourse often masks a lack of genuine understanding. When students write about something only in the language of the textbook or the discipline, they often distance or insulate themselves from experiencing or really internalizing the concepts they are allegedly learning. Often the best test of whether a student understands something is if she can translate it out of the discourse of the textbook and the discipline into everyday, experiential, anecdotal terms.

Peter Elbow, “Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues,” College English 53, no. 2 (1991): 137.

• ability to paraphrase (a theme we’ll return to) • key communication skill • indicates “deep processing” of vocabulary (grammar, collocations, register,

pragmatics—usual social uses)

Certainly, the development of academic language is necessary for academic success:

• is fundamental to success in all domains

• is the primary source of ELLs difficulties with academic content

• can remain a challenge even after students achieve proficiency on language proficiency tests

adapted from David J. Francis, Centre on Instruction, University of Houston, “Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners” (presentation at Limited English Proficiency Partnership Meeting, Washington DC, Oct. 28, 2006)

• good oral fluency and social integration mask poor long-form reading ability and low vocabulary

• some international students who have done well in high school in Canada overwhelmed by reading demands at university

But an exclusive focus on academic language is not enough, even in the university context

• fluency in everyday, oral English communication for higher self-esteem and better mental health

• persistence in learning English vocabulary to avoid falling further behind native speaking peers in college years

• willingness to initiate communication to do peer group work well and in order to apprise professors of personal and academic problems affecting performance

• our students are in awe of AWL • think it will propel them to academic success • not the be all and end all • “own” English words, own your world in English

Jill’s ideal EAP learning outcome--the ability to compete in a Three-Minute Thesis Competition

University of Hong KongPhD candidate in EducationTAM Zoe Wing Yee

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=6U9_yfjSsNU>

Our goal is the good all-round communicator.

a broad, personalized lexicon

an ability to shift or “translate” between registers

EAP vocabulary goals:

Translating between registers may involve reworking concepts, extending them metaphorically, thinking of parallels and novel applications. Thus, our vocabulary goal is actually linked to another important EAP curriculum goal--the fostering of critical thinking skills.

II. Getting Students There

A. Background Information on Vocabulary

B. Classroom Strategies

C. A Self-Study Tool


• Words in the English language: 470,000 headwords in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary

• Words in unwritten languages: approximately10,000

• Word families known by educated native speakers of English: 13,000-20,000

Thomas Cobb, Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, “Technology and Learning Vocabulary”

I.S.P. Nation, Learning Vocabulary in Another Language

Writing is a reservoir of words. In oral cultures, the people in each generation must collectively carry in their minds and pass on to the next generation all the words or some will be lost. Ten thousand seems to be about the limit. Writing allows a vast number of relatively rare words to remain in the language.

Background Information on Vocabulary

How many words does an average learner of English as a foreign language know after five or six years of four 50 minute English classes per week?

A 1,000

B 3,000

C 5,000

D 10,000


How many words does an average learner of English as a foreign language know after five or six years of

four 50 minute English classes per week?

A 1,000

B 3,000

C 5,000

D 10,000

Paul Nation’s Test of Applied Linguistic Knowledge

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/vocrefs/vocab-testa

Malaysian students after 12 years of formal study of English knew fewer than 2,000 words. “Vocabulary Knowledge of Adult ESL Learners” Ahmad Azman Mokhtar, Rafizah Mohd Rawian, Mohamad Fadhili Yahaya, Azaharee Abdullah, Mahani Mansor, Mohd Izwan Osman, Zahrullaili Ahmad Zakaria, Aminarashid Murat, Surina Nayan, Abdul Rashid Mohamed English Language Teaching. Vol. 3. No. 1. 2010


In order to have a good chance of guessing the meaning of an unknown word from context clues, what percentage of the running words in the text does the learner need to know?

A 78%

B 80%

C 90%

D 98%


In order to have a good chance of guessing the meaning of an unknown word from context clues, what percentage of the running words in the text does the learner need to know?

A 78%

B 80%

C 90%

D 98%

Paul Nation’s Test of Applied Linguistic Knowledge

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/vocrefs/vocab-testa

Telling students to pick up vocabulary from their reading—don’t stop to look up the words—is ineffective. It’s a native speaker strategy.


Native speakers of English learn on average approximately 1,000 words per year from from age 2 through 22.

To narrow the gap, we need to challenge EAP students to try to learn at the same pace—20 words a week.

• educated native speakers—20,000 word families of vocabulary • 50 weeks a year @ 20 words a week=1000 words • AWL (570 word families) is a useful step on the ladder of vocabulary learning for students

with academic ambitions, but not a place to rest.

B. Getting Students There: Classroom Strategies

The classroom is the place to engage students deeply with the common words of the language.

• According to Nation, “high frequency words are so important that anything teachers and learners can do to make sure they are learned is worth doing’ (2001, 16)

• Popular EAP reading textbook series focus on the first 1000 words of English (offering coverage of 75% of the words in running text) and the Academic Word List.

• Reading Power series: along with reading skills development, an explicit, structured vocab focus—students learn word formation (prefixes, suffixes), parts of speech

Beginner & Elementary Levels

Graded readers allow “meaningful input” and vocabulary reinforcement with a very limited vocabulary.


Students at every proficiency level know different vocabulary, so it’s productive to have them share knowledge about words in advance of a reading. Explaining words to a classmate is a great reinforcement and oral practice strategy. Peer “charge”--more likely to be remembered.


• Jill: “What’s in your fridge?” Own your world in English • The Oxford and other picture dictionaries allow basic and survival vocabulary to be learned in

thematic sets. • Themes and topics much better way to teach vocab than the lexical sets • Examples of lexical sets:

• Take on, take off, take over, take up, take down, take in—near identity of form, confusables

• Skinny, slim, slender, svelte, thin—synonyms • For native speakers thinking about word sets is an amusing consciousness-raising exercise.

They know the meanings already. • It’s very confusing if all the words are new--let topics and frequency guide vocabulary

selection

Exam Tips

When the day comes give yourself plenty of time (0) ... do everything: have breakfast but don't

drink (1) ... much; go to the toilet; arrive on time, but not too early or you will find yourself

getting more and more nervous while you wait to start. Try not to talk (2) ... the exam before you

go in.

In the exam, calm (3) ... down by breathing deeply and thinking positively. Read (4) ... exam

questions carefully and underline all of the key instruction words (5) ... indicate how the questions

should (6) ... answered. If possible start with the ones (7) ... can do easily to give you confidence.

Remember what you've learnt from practising questions and doing mock exams previously and

plan your use of time. Don't panic (8) ... everyone around you seems to start writing furiously

straight away and don't be tempted to follow their example.

Finally, after the exam, don't join in a discussion about (9) ... everyone else did, (10) ... you want

to frighten yourself, and drain your self-confidence for the next exam. Above (11) ..., remember

that exams are not designed to catch you out, (12) ... to find out what you know, what you

understand and what you can do.

FCE Use of English /Sample Test Questions http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/2_oclts3.htm

Part Two: Open Cloze

Read the following extract from a brochure giving advice on taking an examination. For

questions 1-12, type the word which best fits in each space. Use only one word in each

space.

(0) to

Intermediate Level

• High interest reading exercise forces contextualized retrieval of simple functional vocabulary • Consciousness-raising wrt function words necessary for productive accuracy

Food Production

In the not-too-distant past farm animals were able tolive (0) ... lives in what we would now term NATURE

'free-range' conditions. Such farming methods however,

were not able to supply the rapidly growing (1) ... POPULATE

of the world and the increasing demands on food

(2) ... In order to cope with this rising demand, factory CONSUME

farming methods were introduced along with the (3) ... DEVELOP

of genetically engineered (4) ... hormones, which GROW

resulted in a massive increase in food (5) ... PRODUCE

However, these developments in the use of factory

farming and drug (6) ... have led to a widespread TREAT

feeling that animals are being caused a lot of distress

and that the quality of the food itself suffers as a

consequence. Certainly, many people (7) ... with the idea AGREE

of keeping animals in one building for their entire (8) ... EXIST

and argue that more emphasis should be given to (9) ... ALTERNATE

farming methods. A growing number of people are

choosing to eat organic food, supporting farmers who use

free-range methods, a system which has proved to be

both (10) ... and more humane. ECONOMY

Part Three: Word Formation

Read the text and then write the correct form of the word in CAPITALS to complete

the gaps. There is an example at the beginning.

Example: 0 natural

Intermediate Level

• Raises awareness of word formation/parts of speech/parts of sentence—all using high-frequency vocabulary.

1. I want to go to university this year. INTERESTED I ........................................ to university this year.

2. "Have you been on holiday recently, Jane?" asked Tony.

BEEN Tony asked Jane ........................................ on holiday recently. 3. I was too tired to go to the party. THAT I was ........................................ I couldn't go to the party.

4. There's no point asking Lynda to help as she's really busy.

WASTE It's ........................................ asking Lynda to help as she's really busy.

5. The union claims its members will only return to work if the company agrees to a meeting. NOT The union claims its members will ....................................... the company agrees to a meeting.

6. I'm sure it was Ana I saw in town as I recognised her coat.

MUST It ........................................ Ana I saw in town as I recognised her coat.

7. We demanded to see the hotel manager to make our complaint.

SEEING We ........................................ the hotel manager to make our complaint.

8. The boss wouldn't object to you going early today.

OBJECTION The boss would not ........................................ you going early today.

Part Four: 'Key' Word Transformation

For questions 1-8, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning

to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You

must use between two and five words, including the word given.

Paraphrasing exercise—learn the glue • No boundary between vocabulary and grammar • Colligation

• interested in • insist on

• Function multi-words constructions • so ADJ that • only if=unless … not

• Pre-fabs • it’s a waste • there’s no point • have any objection to

Intermediate & Upper Intermediate Level

• Student choice of topic with newspaper journal—personalized lexicon • Automonous learning exercise • Reading is meaningful input • Point form and summary (Q. 6 & 7) necessitate paraphrasing • Critical thinking and application/extensions (Q. 8 & 9) • Share vocabulary—oral practice & peer “charge” • Jill does this six times

• models first time • has an in-class assignment with vetted article second time • then has students do it on their own

VOCABULARY STUDY: FACTOR

TASK ONE: Study the concordance lines. Which preposition often follows factor? List the adjectives that are used with factor.

1. Several factors

are responsible for this disturbing development.

2. Appearance is only one of many factors

that influence body image.

3. Many external factors

can influence suicidal people.

4. Wind is always an important factor in soil erosion.

5. I think this is a factor we should consider

6. The weight of portables is a key factor in attracting customers.

7. Your reputation is the biggest factor in business.

8. Television viewing is an important

factor in childhood obesity.

9. Television advertising is the prime

factor in determining what you buy.

10.

A major factor in these attacks is racism.

A factor is one of the things that affects an event, decision or situation.

Concordance data selected from http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk and adapted.

Upper Intermediate Level

• Teaching students how to use online dictionaries and language samples • Teaching students what they need to know regarding how and when to use a word • Meaning, typical uses, collocation, colligation • Cobuild now by subscription only?

TASK TWO: Practise

Choose three questions from the list below and write a sentence to answer them. 1. What was the most important factor for you in deciding to come to

Queen’s to study? 2. What are three key factors that influence a country’s development? 3. What are a couple of important factors in maintaining good health? 4. What are two major factors in the development of anti-nuclear

feelings in some countries? 5. What is the prime factor in being a successful student?

Modified from: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/alzsh3/acvocab/exercises.htm

Upper Intermediate Level

• Make it personal--relate vocabulary to each student’s own experience and thinking • Teacher makes these sheets at first • Students make these sheets for small groups • Groups may then share their sheets

To: <english_dept_ [email protected]>

I won’t have my car on Tuesday. Can anyone pick up our guest speaker, Nancy Wright, at the station?

She’ll be coming in on the 11:25 am train. Please let me know ASAP. I can ask her to get a cab, but it

would be nice to have someone from the department on hand to meet her.

Many thanks, Marilyn To: <[email protected]> Dear Ms. Wright, Professor Leslie Hughes will meet your train on Tuesday, March 23 at 11:25 a.m. Would you mind replying to this email or telephoning the departmental office (613-533-2167) to confirm your arrival time? (Of course, we do not expect you to make VIA Rail run on time!) We are very much looking forward to your talk and hope that you might consider joining a few members of the English Department later the same day for dinner. Warm regards, Marilyn Staunton Professor and Head, English Department King’s University Queenston, Ontario

Advanced Level: Register Analysis

• Analysis of register for advanced students • Email to colleagues:

No salutation Shorter length Phrasal verbs: pick up, come in Abbreviations: ASAP Modals, few and present tense: can Very common, oral, Anglo-Saxon vocabulary: on hand, nice, get

• Email to honoured guest: More formal salutation: Dear More formal complimentary close: Warm regards More formal = more words, more longwinded Names with titles Precise, full information Latinate vocabulary: arrival, confirm, reply Past modal forms in polite request, offers: would you mind, hope you might consider Weak, little academic joke

• Follow-up exercise:

• Have students write to colleagues about the best restaurant to choose • Have students write to the honoured guest to inquire about restaurant preference

• Peter Elbow’s college writing task—write one assignment in three versions for three different audiences: your teacher, your peer/friend, a child

Getting Students There: Classroom Strategies

The classroom is the place to engage students deeply with the common words of the language—and to teach them what they need to know about words.

meaning, spelling, sound, part of speech, related words, collocations, colligations, typical uses, level of formality, geographic restrictions (washroom, lorry), pragmatic restrictions (pushing up daisies)

Encourage EAP students to

• Own their world in English words

• Never stop learning words

• Learn the glue with every word

• Have a personal encounter with each new word

• Practise the skill of paraphrasing words and ideas

II. Getting Students There


B. Classroom Strategies

C. A Self-Study Tool

C. Getting Students There: A Projected Self-Study Tool

• The plan: develop a rich Excel template for a 20-word weekly vocabulary notebook and put it in our Moodles or on the school website so that students can add to their vocabulary independently

Challenges:

1) Helping students locate authentic sentence examples for words they choose in contexts they can comprehend

2) Helping students choose useful words to learn from the ocean of English lexis

Comprehensible, authentic online sources for sentence examples for vocabulary notebooks

Elementary 1K Graded Reader Corpus, hosted by Tom Cobb, UQAM<http://www.lextutor.ca/concordancers/concord_e.html>

Intermediate Free VOA English website with Google site search<http://www.freevoa.com>

Advanced Google News Advanced Search Feature, allowing a general topic to be chosen and then a specific word searched Canadian Newsstand , a database available through university libraries, allows the same type of topic word/vocabulary word search

• 1K graded: A corpus of graded readers containing only the first 1000 words of English, accessible to near beginners

• VOA site: world news, information, cultural and educational programs sponsored by US gov’t, prepared for an international audience

• Google News: allows students to start with a news sector (health, business, technology, sports, culture, world) or news topic of interest to them and then search for a specific word

health

withstand

Unlike concordances, news databases offer some contextual clues, such as a picture or headline.

For answers to these questions, stay tuned to 2015 . . .

• Can students be motivated to use Excel vocabulary notebooks on their own?

• Will students manage to do independent word study using these authentic corpora?

• How can we guide students to use the word frequency research to make their learning more efficient?

Key References

Cobb, Thomas. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. s.v. “Technology and Learning Vocabulary.” Wiley Online Library, 2012. Also available on Thomas Cobb’s

website, The Compleat Lexical Tutor <http://lextutor.ca/cv/tech_and_learning_vocab_10.pdf>.

Elbow, Peter. “Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues,” College English 53, no. 2 (1991): 135-155.

Folse, Keith S. Vocabulary Myths: Applying Second Language Research to Classroom Teaching. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2004.

Nation, I.S.P. Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

You are invited to an EAP conference hosted by Queen’s University in June 2015.

Hope to see you there!

is broader better? in awe of awl by jill donaldson ... · malaysian students after 12 years of...

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