Interactive Vocabulary - Amy E. Olsen 2017

Preface

Because students benefit greatly from increased word power, the study of vocabulary should be enjoyable. Unfortunately, vocabulary workbooks often lose sight of this goal. To help make the study of vocabulary an exciting and enjoyable part of college study, I wrote Interactive Vocabulary The fifth edition of this book keeps the elements that make learning vocabulary enjoyable and adds new features in response to comments offered by instructors across the country who teach vocabulary and reading courses.

The goal of this book—the first level in a three-book interactive series—is to make the study of vocabulary fun through a variety of thematic readings, self-tests, and interactive exercises. As a casual glimpse through the book will indicate, these activities involve writing, personal experi­ence, art, and many other formats. The goal of these activities is simple: to utilize individual learn­ing styles to help students learn new words in a large number of contexts.

Underlying the text's strong visual appeal is the philosophy that an essential part of learn­ing vocabulary is repeated exposure to a word. Interactive Vocabulary provides nine exposures to each vocabulary word in the text plus more opportunities for exposure through the Collaborative Activities and games in the Instructor's Manual.

Content Overview

Interactive Vocabulary is an ideal text for both classroom work and self-study. The fifteen main chapters follow a specific and consistent format.

✵ Thematic Reading: Because most vocabulary is acquired through reading, each chapter, with the exception of the Word Parts and Review chapters, begins with a thematic reading that introduces ten vocabulary words in context. These readings come in a variety of formats, including newspaper articles, journal entries, and letters. The goal is to show that new words may be encountered anywhere. Rather than simply presenting a word list with definitions, the readings give students the opportunity to discover the meanings of these new words via context clues.

The themes for Interactive Vocabulary were chosen from areas most interesting to students of all ages. In choosing the words, I was guided by six factors: (1) relation to the chapter theme, (2) use in popular magazines such as Newsweek, (3) listings in fre­quency guides such as the Academic Word List, (4) occurrence in standardized tests such as the SAT, (5) containing word parts introduced in the text, and (6) my own experiences teaching developmental reading and writing.

✵ Predicting: A Predicting activity that gives students the chance to figure out the meaning of each vocabulary word before looking at the definition follows the thematic reading. The Predicting section helps students learn the value of context clues in determining the meaning of a word. While the text does offer information on dictionary use, I strongly advocate the use of context clues as one of the most active methods of vocabulary development.

✵ Self-Tests: Following the Predicting activity are four Self-Tests in various formats. With these tests, students can monitor their comprehension. The tests include text and sentence completion, true/false situations, matching, and analogies. Some tests employ context-clue strategies such as synonyms, antonyms, and general meaning. Critical thinking skills are an important part of each test. (Answers to the Self-Tests appear in the Instructor's Manual.)

✵ Word Visions: The Word Visions activities are new to this edition. They give students the opportunity to connect the vocabulary words to visuals. The Word Visions are either located within the Self-Tests section or as an Interactive Exercise. The activities ask students to iden­tify a vocabulary word represented in a drawing or photo or to use a photograph as inspira­tion to write a short paragraph using the vocabulary words.

✵ Interactive Exercise: Following the Self-Tests is an Interactive Exercise that asks students to begin actively using the vocabulary words. The activity may include writing, answer­ing questions, or making lists. The Interactive Exercises give students the chance to really think about the meanings of the words, and more importantly, they encourage students to begin using the words actively. Some instructors like to have their students do the Interactive Exercise in small groups (or pairs), and then have the groups share their responses with the whole class. (See the Instructor's Manual for more ideas on collaborative activities.)

✵ Hint, Word Part Reminder, Conversation Starters, or Context Clue Mini-Lesson: Each chapter includes one of these features after the Interactive Exercise. The Hints cover tips for developing vocabulary, reading, or study skills. They are brief and practical, and students will be able to make use of them in all of their college courses. The Word Part Reminders are short exercises that give students a chance to practice using a few of the word parts they have recently learned. The Conversation Starters are questions that ask the students to use the words while talking with each other. The goal of the Conversation Starters is to get students to use the words in daily life. The Context Clue Mini-Lessons allow students to practice finding synonym, antonym, general meaning, and example clues in short paragraphs. The activity is explained in the Getting Started section.

✵ Word List: The final page in each main chapter contains a list of the vocabulary words with a pronunciation guide, the part of speech, and a brief definition. I wrote these definitions with the idea of keeping them simple and nontechnical. Some vocabulary texts provide com­plicated dictionary definitions that include words students do not know; I've tried to make the definitions as friendly and as useful as possible.

✵ Words to Watch: This last activity asks students to pick 3-5 words they may be having trouble with and write their own sentences using the words. This section is an additional chance for students to grasp the meaning of a few words that may be difficult for them.

Additional Features

In addition to the features described above, the text includes several sections that will aid students in vocabulary acquisition. The other elements of the text include the following:

✵ Getting Started: The text begins with a Getting Started chapter, which helps familiarize students with some of the tools of vocabulary acquisition. The "Parts of Speech" section gives sample words and sentences for the eight parts of speech. "Using the Dictionary" dis­sects a sample dictionary entry and provides an exercise on using guide words. "Completing Analogies" explains how analogies work, provides sample analogies, and gives students analogy exercises to complete. This section will prepare students for the analogy Self-Tests contained in several chapters of the text. The "Benefits of Flash Cards and Word Maps" section explains the advantages of using these learning strategies and encourages students to make flash cards and word maps beginning with Chapter 1. The "Context Clue Mini­Lessons" section explains the different types of context clues and prepares students for the lessons that are spread throughout the text.

✵ Word Parts: The three Word Parts chapters introduce prefixes, roots, and suffixes used throughout the book. Students learn the meanings of these forms, and sample words illus­trate the forms. Self-Tests in each Word Parts chapter give students the opportunity to prac­tice using the word parts. Each Word Parts chapter also features an Interesting Etymology section that gives the history of two of the vocabulary words in the text.

✵ Review Chapters: Five Review chapters focus on the preceding three or four chapters. They divide the words into different activity groups and test students' cumulative knowledge. The words appear in test, written, visual, puzzle, and collaborative formats. These repeated and varied exposures increase the likelihood that students will remember the words, not for one chapter or a test, but for life.

✵ Glossary: The Glossary lists all the vocabulary words along with the part of speech and the definitions given in each chapter. Students may find it handy to refer to the Glossary when reviewing words from several chapters.

✵ Create Your Own Flash Cards: The Create Your Own Flash Cards section teaches students how to make and use flash cards. Students can use the cards for self-study. Additionally, in­structors can use them for the supplemental activities and games provided in the Instructor's Manual. Flash card templates are included in the back of the text. Students can photocopy the blank pages if they want to use this format, or they can use index cards as described in the Flash Card directions.

✵ Make Your Own Word Maps: The Make Your Own Word Maps section is new to this edi­tion. This feature teaches students how to make word maps that focus on learning the defini­tion, synonyms, and antonyms for a word. Students can use the maps as another strategy for self-study.

✵ Word List: The inside back cover features a list of all the vocabulary words and the page numbers on which the definitions are given. A list of the word parts from the Word Parts chapters is also included on the inside back cover with page references.

✵ Pronunciation Key: On the inside front cover is a pronunciation key to help students un­derstand the pronunciation symbols used in this text. The inside front cover also offers some additional guidelines on pronunciation issues.

Features New to This Edition

This edition of the text has several new features in response to instructor comments. The new ma­terials have been employed to make the text more appealing to students and easier for instructors to use.

✵ New Word Visions Activity: The Word Visions activities call on students to use visuals to help them interact with the vocabulary words. Students today are familiar with using various visual environments from the Internet to video games. The Word Visions activities expand on students' fluency with visuals. The activities come in different formats, including having students identify vocabulary words in drawings or photographs, draw pictures or find photos of the vocabulary words, or write sentences or a paragraph using a photograph for inspira­tion. These activities use students' critical- and creative-thinking skills in fun ways that relate to the words they are learning.

✵ Expanded Content in the Review Chapters: The review chapters contain three new Self­Tests that give students more practice with the words. Students are asked to identify syn­onyms and antonyms, work with word endings, and review the word parts introduced in earlier chapters. There is also a Word Visions activity in each Review chapter.

✵ Added Content: Learning Objectives have been included to help students understand the goals of the text and to allow them to better see the benefits of studying vocabulary. Context Clue Mini-Lessons have been added to assist students in developing their context-clue hunting skills. Sentence starters are new to some chapters as an Interactive Exercise. The sentence start­ers either supply the vocabulary word in the starter and students need to finish the sentence so that the use of the vocabulary word makes sense, or students need to incorporate a vocabulary word into the completion of a sentence. Three new word parts have been added to the Word Parts chapters to provide a greater focus on root forms. A new Make Your Own Word Maps section gives directions on how to make and use word maps for studying vocabulary.

✵ New or Updated Readings: A new Careers section contains three readings that explore different professional fields. Additionally, the readings in six other chapters include updated content. Seventeen new words are incorporated into this edition.

✵ Updated Design: The Word Visions activity has provided additional photographs and draw­ings that further enhance the visually-friendly nature of the text.

✵ New Price: In response to the current economic climate, the price of the text has been low­ered from past editions. The new price is intended to allow more students access to a book that provides a comprehensive and creative approach to vocabulary instruction.

The Teaching and Learning Package

Each component of the teaching and learning package for Interactive Vocabulary has been care­fully crafted to maximize the main text's value.

✵ Instructor's Manual and Test Bank: The Instructor's Manual and Test Bank includes op­tions for additional Collaborative Activities and games. The collaborative section explains ways students can share their work on the Interactive Exercises in pairs, in small groups, or with the whole class. Ideas for other collaborative activities using different learning styles are also offered. The games section presents games that can be used with individual chapters or for review of several chapters. Some of the games are individual; others are full-class ac­tivities. Some games have winners, and some are just for fun. The games may involve acting, drawing, or writing. The Collaborative Activities and games give students the opportunity to use the words in conversational settings and a chance to work with others.

The Test Bank, formatted for easy copying, includes two tests for each chapter as well as combined tests of two chapters. There are also Mastery Tests to accompany the Review chapters and full-book Mastery Tests that can be used as final exams. ISBN: 0-321-39329-5.

✵ Interactive Vocabulary Web Site: Available with this text is access to the Interractive Vocabulary Web site, which features additional exercises and quizzes (including new exercises using visuals) that provide for even more interaction between the students and the words. The Web site also has an audio component that allows students to hear the pronunciation of each word as often as they choose. Students are often reluctant to use the new words they learn because they aren't sure how to pronounce them. The pronunciation guides in each chapter help to address this fear, but hear­ing the words spoken will give students greater confidence in using the words. To access the Web site, visit www.pearsonhighered.com/olsen.

For Additional Reading and Reference

The Longman Basic Skills Package

In addition to the book-specific supplements discussed above, many other skills-based supple­ments are available for both instructors and students. All of these supplements are available either free or at greatly reduced prices.

✵ The Dictionary Deal: Two dictionaries can be shrink-wrapped with Interactive Vocabulary at a nominal fee. The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary is a paperback refer­ence text with more than 100,000 entries. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, elev­enth edition, is a hardback reference with a citation file of more than 14.5 million examples of English words drawn from actual use. For more information on how to shrink-wrap a dictionary with your text, please contact your Pearson publishing representative.

✵ Longman Vocabulary Web Site: For additional vocabulary-related resources, visit our free vocabulary Web site at http://www.ablongman.com/vocabulary.