2. What is Word Mix? A word puzzle A didactic activity (individual, pair work, group work) A tool for learning/revising vocabulary A “lexical awareness stimulator”
3. What’s the theory behind Word Mix? The Lexical Approach(Michael Lewis, 1993) “A central element of language teaching is raising students’ awareness of, and developing their ability to ‘chunk’ language successfully.” Task Based Learning: “exposure, consciousness raising activities to identify and process specific language features, bringing other useful words, phrases and patterns to students' attention, practice words, phrases and patterns from the analysis activities, enter useful language items in their language notebooks” (Jane Willis, 1996)
4. How do you play Word Mix? 9 / 12 / 16 cards (grid of 3x3 / 3x4 / 4x4) Word(s) on each of the four sides of each card Each word matches another word or words on another card Re-construct the grid so that there is a lexical connection between the sides that touch Easier: use the cards as dominoes in a line or path
5. What are these ‘lexical connections’? Collocations native speaker Fixed expressions Trick or treat! Idioms it’s a piece of cake Phrasal/multi-word verbs to make up with s.o. Synonyms buy / purchase Translations difficult / moeilijk Chunks or “word strings” Alternate expressions Play Word Mix set 1: New Interface Blue Label 1, lesson 26
6. Difficulty level of Word Mix sets General familiarity have the words been in a text, recording, recent event? Pre-play activities brainstorming, mind map/spider diagram, odd one out Distractors or second/third possibilities “get a fresh nose” strong point, strong smell, strong language, strong tea Let’s try a different kind of set: Phrasal verbs “T”
7. How to make a Word Mix set Choose a theme, unit, language or grammar focus Select words, phrases, chunks, synonyms, translations etc. Begin with the connecting card sides Then fill in the outside edges Watch out for confusing pairs! Avoid them (easy level) Use them deliberately (harder)
8. Collocations tip: unless your goal is to review a word list, use just one kind of collocation per set Adverb + Adjective: completely satisfied (NOT downright satisfied) Adjective + Noun: excruciating pain (NOT excruciating joy) Noun + Noun: a surge of anger (NOT a rush of anger) Noun + Verb: lions roar (NOT lions shout) Verb + Noun: commit suicide (NOT undertake suicide) Verb + Expression with Preposition: burst into tears (NOT blow up in tears) Verb + Adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave feverishly) http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/collocations.htm
9. Making a Word Mix card set: aim make pupils aware of patterns review chunks in a text prepare for speaking/writing exercises practice content-related expressions (CLIL) study vocabulary lists (synonyms, translations) have fun with words! Now work in groups to make your own Word Mix set: use the empty grid in the handout.
10. Word Mix: follow-up activities Write the possibilities on the board Give a worksheet with sentences or gaps Use the words in a productive exercise Your ideas:
11. Additional resources: Teaching Chunks of Language: from noticing to remembering (Seth Lindstromberg & Frank Boers, 2008) Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach (Michael Lewis, 2000) Vocabulary Matrix: Understanding, Learning, Teaching (Michael McCarthy, Anne O’Keeffe, Steve Walsh, 2010) Natural English Collocations (Jon Marks & Alison Wooder, 2007) LTP Dictionary of Selected Collocations (Jimmie Hill & Michael Lewis, eds., 1997) Oxford Collocations Dictionary (2nd ed. 2009) English Collocations in Use (Michael McCarthy & Felicity O’Dell, 2005) also the Advanced book from the same series http://www.eslflow.com/collocationsandphrasalvebs.html http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/index.htm http://www.collins.co.uk/Corpus/CorpusSearch.aspx http://www.hltmag.co.uk/mar03/mart2.htm http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/activities/collocation-pelmanism http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19FOB-OnLanguage-Zimmer.html?_r=1
