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SecondaryEnglish

Can your Text-Savvy Students Pass TVT – ‘The Vocab Test’?

The text generation can say it all in just three letters – but sometimes a little more word power is required, says Alison Davies…

Alison Davies
by Alison Davies
DOWNLOAD A FREE RESOURCE! Year 7 English worksheets – Jungle descriptive writing lesson plan and resources
SecondaryEnglish

They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, and it’s true – language is a powerful weapon. It crosses boundaries and eases conflicts, helps us communicate new ideas and reach out to each other so that we can bond on many levels. Language helps us make sense of the world and find our place within it.

It’s a potent tool, then, but do we use it to the greatest effect? Research has found that many of us tend to use the same, somewhat limited set of words in our everyday vocabulary. We fall into verbal patterns and can become stuck in rut.

If you want to bring your communications to life and help your students achieve success, think about shaking up the language you use when you speak and write. Step outside your comfort zone and encourage the class to join you by making them aware of the words they choose, and how this shapes not only their perceptions, but their ability to converse with others.

Guessing game

Words build pictures depending on what we choose and the way we put them together. Not only that but because we’re all unique, we have different backgrounds, cultures and experiences that colour the way we respond to the language we see and hear. This game illustrates this and helps students understand the potency of the vocab they wield.

Split the students into pairs. Each learner must think of an object and picture it in their mind. Give them a couple of minutes to write down five separate words that describe this object. For example, a purse might be ‘small,’ ‘leather,’ ‘heavy,’ ‘full’, and ‘safe’. When they’re ready they should swap lists and try and identify their partner’s object from the words.

They’re allowed three guesses before the object is revealed. Once they’ve done this ask them how easy they found it. Were the words obvious or ambiguous? Encourage them to try again, this time picking only three words to describe a different object. Instead of working in pairs open it up to the rest of the class.

This exercise is a great starter and can be used to introduce a topic and promote discussion. For example which words would you pick to identify a country or its capital? What would be the important things to consider? Size, climate, landscape, trade? The same might be said for a historical character or a chemical element. How would you describe these in a few words and still get the important points across?

By considering the kind of words that are necessary and meaningful when language is limited, we are able to deliver clear and succinct messages.

What am I?

A play on the previous exercise flips this idea on its head by asking the students to create riddles, rather than concise descriptions. First they must pick an object in the room. It must be something visible to everyone. They have to describe the item in three sentences, however they should not give the game away by stating what it does or is in simple terms. Instead, encourage them to think of unusual and creative ways to use language and make the object appear intriguing.

For example they might want to compare it to something completely different. A window might normally be described as something you look through or see out of, but with this game you might describe it as ‘the eyes of a building.’ A carpet is something you walk upon, but thinking creatively you could say ‘nature’s version of this is called grass.’

Split the class into teams and encourage them to work together on a riddle of three sentences. Each team gets the chance to share their riddle, and the other groups have an allotted amount of time to solve it. The team with the most right answers wins. Take this further and give the riddles a theme which ties in with a subject – for example, artefacts associated with a specific culture, religion or time period.

Looking at innovative ways to describe something you are already aware of will give you fresh insight and understanding, and can lead to new revelations.

Finally, get the students to consider how, with a little wordplay, mundane objects can suddenly become tantalising and memorable – the function of the window takes on new meaning when it becomes the ‘eyes of a building’, for example, and it’s also easy to picture this striking image. This is a skill they can apply when writing papers, essays and working on longer term projects to help them express themselves in an engaging way.

The best pieces of communication incorporate both approaches. They’re direct and deliver the essence of the message, but they also capture the imagination.

Tripling story circle

If you can see what you want to say it will help you find the right words and deliver your message effectively. This activity promotes creativity and helps to work on those important visual skills. It also illustrates how language fits, and ultimately works together.

To begin, get everyone seated in a circle. You’re going to tell a story and you can choose any theme or topic, but the idea is that the story must progress around the circle with each person adding something new, even if it’s just a sentence or two. In addition they must think about the language they’re using by ‘tripling’ – this means using three descriptive words in consecutive order. Each one must add something new to the picture.

For example, you might say ‘The ghostly, creeping, shadowy figure moved closer in the darkness….’ Go around the circle at least twice, so that everyone has more than one go and if you want to make it even more challenging introduce prompt cards which include a character or object. When a student picks a card, they must somehow work what it says into the narrative by cleverly choosing the right words to manipulate the plot.


Little and often

We use language constantly and often without thought, but there are lots of simple things we can do on a day to day basis to improve communication skills and get the most out of our vocab…

  • Pick a word a day
    Go for examples of unusual and interesting vocabulary and challenge the students to use ‘today’s word’ at least once in a sentence during lesson time. By the end of the week or month you’ll have a list, so set learners a new challenge like creating a poem, story or even a song that includes the entire selection.
  • Invent new words
    Language continually evolves with new words coming in and out of fashion. Give the students a list of everyday words and ask them to create new ones that mean the same thing. Encourage them to think about their choices ie why they have put certain sounds together, and how they relates to the original word.
  • Have fun with similes
    Dig out some commonly used phrases and descriptions, like ‘As brave as a lion’ or ‘Dry as the desert,’ and challenge the group to come up with new comparisons. Encourage them to play with language and have fun with their alternate suggestions.

Alison Davies is an author, columnist and professional storyteller. She works in schools, libraries and universities running storytelling sessions and workshops on the effective use of language to deliver new concepts, and how to use the narrative structure to enhance teaching and learning; for more information, visit alisonlrdavies.blogspot.co.uk.
For more helpful and practical advice for teaching vocab skills in KS3 and KS4 check out 8 Great Ways to Improve Vocabulary Skills in Secondary Schools.

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