Words of the Week Part One

April 28, 2008 by Myscha Theriault

Vocabulary building ideas are always a challenge. One simple way to make sure you are doing a bit extra is to consistently incorporate a word of the week. Read on to findstrategies for trying this out, and an extensive start up list for those raring to go.

First of all, if you want to make sure you stick with it, I recommend having a list ready in advance. Second, while you’ll be looking up the word in the dictionary with the students, have a simplified definition ready to post in class. This will make it a more user friendly activity for ESL students, and those needing light to moderate modification in the classroom.

Once you’ve looked up the word as a group and read the dictionary definition aloud together, paraphrase out loud and record the definition where all students can see it. Be sure to encourage the word’s use and re-use throughout the week. Some ideas:

•Student recording of the word and user-friendly definition in journals.
•Brainstorming various sentences as a group, all of which use the word correctly.
•Incorporate the word into your daily morning language activities.
•Require its use in a creative writing assignment.
•If you assign spelling word sentences as homework, tack the word of the week on to the end of the list.

Need some awesome word lists to get started with? I’ve got your back. Here are a few starting with letters A through C.

For the letter A:

Abdominous, abapical, abattoir, abecedarian, abnegation, abjure, abrogate, acaulescent, accretion, acrimony, acrasia, acumen, adjutant, allocution.

For the letter B:

Baculiform, balneology, balustrade, bantling, barcarole, basipetal, bastion, bauble, beatific, becalm, bedlamite, beleaguer, bemire.

And last but not least, for the letter C:

Caterwaul, caudal, catharsis, causerie, caustic, caveat, cavil, censorious, centenarian, centesis, charlatan, chimerical, choler, claque.

I’ll post more at a later date. These lists should get you rolling in style. I’m sure this goes without saying, but those of you out there with super fantastic ideas for incorporating words of the week? Share the love!

Flickr Photo Credit: Desi Italy

About the author…. I am a self confirmed life hacker who has used frugal living and personal finance strategies to focus on early retirement, pursue personal business goals, and achieve debt free living.