Building a Better Vocabulary

291 Pages·2015·1.48 MB·English

by  Kevin Flanigan

Subtopic
Topic Communication
Professional Skills
Building a Better
Vocabulary
Course Guidebook
Professor Kevin Flanigan
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
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Kevin Flanigan, Ph.D.
Professor of Education
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
P
rofessor Kevin Flanigan is a Professor of
Education in the Literacy Department at
West Chester University of Pennsylvania,
where he has taught since 2003. He is a Phi Beta
Kappa graduate of Mary Washington College (now
the University of Mary Washington), where he
received a B.A. in History, summa cum laude. Later, he received an M.Ed.
from James Madison University and an M.Ed. in Reading Education from
the University of Virginia. After working as a middle grades classroom
teacher and reading specialist, he received his Ph.D. in Reading Education
from the University of Virginia, with a dissertation on emergent readers’
developing concept of word in text.
Professor Flanigan’s research, publications, and presentations focus on
developmental word knowledge, vocabulary development and instruction,
and interventions for students who struggle with literacy skills. He has
presented frequently at national and international conferences and works
with schools and teachers to implement effective literacy instruction.
In 2011, Professor Flanigan was nominated for the U.S. Professors of the
Year Award by West Chester University. In 2009, Professor Flanigan and
his colleagues received an Educator 500 award for innovative teaching in
the Kennett Experience, a university–public school partnership. Professor
Flanigan teaches graduate and undergraduate literacy education courses and
works in the West Chester University Reading Center, where he supervises
graduate-level teachers as they work with students in kindergarten through
12th grade who struggle with literacy skills.
(cid:51)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:41)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:78)(cid:3)Words Their
Way with Struggling Readers: Word Study for Reading, Vocabulary, and
Spelling Instruction, Grades 4–12. He is also coauthor of Vocabulary Their
i
Way: Word Study with Middle and Secondary Students (2nd edition) and
Developing Word Recognition. In addition, Professor Flanigan is a member
of the authorship team for Vocabulary Their Way: Words and Strategies for
Academic Success, a vocabulary program for middle school students. The
professor has authored or coauthored articles in a number of professional
journals, including The Reading Teacher, the Journal of Adolescent and
Adult Literacy, and the Journal of Literacy Research(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:374)
ii
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Professor Biography ............................................................................i
Course Scope .....................................................................................1
LECTURE GUIDES
LECTURE 1
Five Principles for Learning Vocabulary .............................................3
LECTURE 2
The Spelling-Meaning Connection ...................................................10
LECTURE 3
Words for Lying, Swindling, and Conniving ......................................17
LECTURE 4
Words That Express Annoyance and Disgust ..................................24
LECTURE 5
Fighting Words and Peaceful Words ................................................31
LECTURE 6
Going beyond Dictionary Meanings..................................................38
LECTURE 7
Wicked Words ..................................................................................46
LECTURE 8
Words for Beginnings and Endings ..................................................52
LECTURE 9
Words Expressing Fear, Love, and Hatred .......................................58
LECTURE 10
Words for the Everyday and the Elite ...............................................63
iii
Table of Contents
LECTURE 11
Words from Gods and Heroes ..........................................................69
LECTURE 12
Humble Words and Prideful Words ..................................................76
LECTURE 13
High-Frequency Greek and Latin Roots ...........................................83
LECTURE 14
Words Relating to Belief and Trust ...................................................90
LECTURE 15
Words for the Way We Talk ..............................................................97
LECTURE 16
Words for Praise, Criticism, and Nonsense ....................................104
LECTURE 17
Eponyms from Literature and History .............................................111
LECTURE 18
Thinking, Teaching, and Learning Words .......................................119
LECTURE 19
Words for the Diligent and the Lazy ...............................................126
LECTURE 20
Words That Break and Words That Join .........................................132
LECTURE 21
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LECTURE 22
Cranky Words and Cool Words ......................................................145
LECTURE 23
Words for Courage and Cowardice ................................................151
iv
Table of Contents
LECTURE 24
Reviewing Vocabulary through Literature .......................................158
LECTURE 25
Words for Killing and Cutting ..........................................................165
LECTURE 26
A Vocabulary Grab Bag ..................................................................171
LECTURE 27
Words for Words .............................................................................176
LECTURE 28
Specialty Words for Language .......................................................182
LECTURE 29
Nasty Words and Nice Words ........................................................192
LECTURE 30
Words for the Really Big and the Very Small ..................................198
LECTURE 31
Spelling as a Vocabulary Tool ........................................................205
LECTURE 32
A Medley of New Words .................................................................212
LECTURE 33
Building Vocabulary through Games ..............................................217
LECTURE 34
Words English Borrowed and Never Returned ...............................224
LECTURE 35
More Foreign Loan Words ..............................................................232
LECTURE 36
Forgotten Words and Neologisms .................................................237
v
Table of Contents
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Answers to Review Questions ........................................................245
Glossary of Target Words ...............................................................263
Bibliography ....................................................................................279
vi
Building a Better Vocabulary
Scope:
I
n one of the most insightful statements on vocabulary ever penned, Mark
Twain said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right
word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning
bug and the lightning.” As Mark Twain knew, a powerful vocabulary consists
of more than simply knowing a lot of words; it’s the ability to grasp the “just
right” word to communicate precisely what you want to say or write.
Acquiring the type of deep and nuanced vocabulary knowledge that Twain
was talking about doesn’t come from simply studying lists of vocabulary
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time” approach that many of us experienced in school often leads to surface-
level vocabulary knowledge that lasts only until the Friday quiz.
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toolbox that you can apply as we explore new target words throughout the
course. You will use these tools to learn word meanings deeply so that you’ll
remember and be able to use the words years from now.
As we move through the lectures, we’ll meet and explore a host of vocabulary
words that are, by turns, snappy, lively, powerful, and beautiful, such as
(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:192)(cid:92), Promethean, (cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:460)(cid:87)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:76)(cid:87), and hornswoggle. The lectures are
organized thematically; for example, in a lecture on liars and swindlers, we’ll
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and sophists, honoring the way our minds organize vocabulary by meaning.
We’ll also take the time to examine words in rich context to get a better feel
for how to actually use them in speaking and writing. In addition, you’ll
learn to make personal connections to word meanings so that these words
“stick” in your lexicon—the mental library of word meanings we all possess.
Along the way, we’ll see that there’s no such thing as an exact synonym
1
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in the end, you’ll know the difference between such words as specious and
spurious and when to use each.
Importantly, we will also delve into the etymology and morphology of
words—that is, their history and structure. This will enable you to harness
the power of the “meaning system” that is deeply embedded in the DNA of
the English language, applying your growing knowledge of high-utility Latin
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words. To guide your learning, you will also create a vocabulary notebook
that will serve as a place to collect your growing vocabulary.
By the end of this course, you’ll know many new, powerful, and beautiful
vocabulary words. Just as importantly, you’ll know how to learn vocabulary
for yourself. You’ll have your own toolbox of strategies and resources that
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