Give adjectival collocations to the following
| Meaning | Collocations |
| 1. Garden with the uncontrolled growth of trees and bushes | |
| 2. Hospital with too many patients | |
| 3. Explanation made too simple | |
| 4. Diet with a good balance of nutrients | |
| 5. Job with a good pay | |
| 6. In financial arrears | |
| 7. Person of a high rank | |
| 8. Very straightforward and concrete | |
| 9. At once | |
| 10. Very much off the point | |
| 11. Very large (of a bed) | |
| 12. Confined to bed |
Exploratory task 1.11
Word combinations with the meaning of "part of something" can be tricky in use because each substance can require a certain word indicating a “piece” of this substance. Combine the substances and the words meaning “a piece of this substance”
| Substance | Piece of the substance |
| 1. Concrete | |
| 2. Pizza | |
| 3. Truth | |
| 4. Dirt | |
| 5. Cotton | |
| 6. Pottery | |
| 7. Fabric |
Exploratory task 1.12
Combine the goods and the activities with them to cook food. The beginning has been done for you
| Goods | Activities with the goods |
| 1. Peas | Shell the peas |
| 2. Potatoes | |
| 3. Lettuce | |
| 4. Carrot | |
| 5. Eggs | |
| 6. Cream | |
| 7. Salad | |
| 8. Lemon | |
| 9. Pasta | |
| 10. Cheese | |
| 11. Onions | |
| 12. Stew | |
| 13. Flour | |
| 14. Dough |
Metaphorical word use is a typical feature of the language. Metaphorsare figures of speech, in which the words that ordinarily designate an object, process or quality are used to designate dissimilar ideas suggesting comparison or analogy. Many comparisons in the language are based on the metaphorical meaning transfer. E.g. “As blind as a bat”. “As strong as an ox”. “As quiet as a mouse”. “As hard as iron”. “As deaf as a post”. “As quick as a flash”. “As sick as a dog”. In some cases a change of words can cause a shift in meaning. E.g. “As white as snow” has a meaning of “being beautiful” (compare “Snow White and Seven Dwarfs”) while “As white as a sheet” implies “fearing something”. (McCarthy, M. and F.Dell. 1994. English Vocabulary in Use. CUP. P. 152). Another typical feature is idiomatic word use. Idioms often serve as instruments of individual expressive power. E.g. Little brothers are often brats but mine is a real McCoy. He is getting on my nerves. Every moment I am under the weather he makes his special duty to get my goat. When I want to stay to myself, he tags along. He is a bit of a sweet tooth and is always chewing the cud. When something is against him, he throws a tantrum. I can certainly tattle on him and catch him red-handed at the buffet lifting the candies. But I am not as mean as that. We go shares instead.
Exploratory task 1.13
Complete the following sentences and say what made you change the word each time.
| Choice of words | Explanation |
| 1. “Get you hair cut”, he … | |
| 2. “Get out of my house!”, he … | |
| 3. “Ooh, that’s funny”, she … | |
| 4. “A ghost?! In my house???!!! Eeeek” he … | |
| 5. “Hmmph! The country’s going to the dogs”, she … | |
| 6. “Look! They are winning!!!”, he … | |
| 7. “B-b-b-u-t I d-d-d-on’t w-w-ant to”, he … | |
| 8. “Oh, a lovely present!”, she … | |
| 9. ”You are always like that and there’s nothing to teach you!”, she … |
(Adapted from Harmer, J and R. Rossner. 1991. More than Words. Book 1. Longman. P. 13)
Exploratory task 1.14
Combine elements of idiomatic phrases in the left and the right columns producing English idioms. What transfer of meaning can you find in the metaphorical use of the English words?
| 1. His manners were to the boss 2. The plans worked 3. He always drinks 4. The man eats 5. He sleeps 6. My head is 7. The guy is thin | A. like a sieve B. like a log C. like a horse D. like a fish E. like a dream F. like a red rag to a bull G. as a rake |
Word observation sheet
| Words | Ordinary meaning | Idiomatic meaning |
Word clustersplay an important role in mental lexicon. Mentally words are grouped as clusters in two models: "atomic globule" and "cobweb" (Aitchison,J. 1994. Words in Mind: An Introduction to the Mental Lexicon. Oxford: Blackwell). Atomic globulesare clusters with the meaning that related words have in common. Atomic globule can be represented by a matrix
Exploratory task 1.15.Combine the “near synonyms” of the verb “to cry” with their semantic features. Put a cross at the intersection of the verb and the semantic features.
| With tears | With emotions | With noise | Mournfully | Being upset | After withholding | |
| Cry | ||||||
| Weep | ||||||
| Sob | ||||||
| Wail | ||||||
| Burst into tears | ||||||
| Break down |
Exploratory task 1.16
Match the “near synonyms” of the verb “to cause surprise” with their implied semantic features (Jordan, R. 1997. English for Academic Purposes. CUP. P. 155).
| Synonyms | Implied meaning |
| A. Surprise | 1. Causing to think again |
| B. Astonish | 2. Making feel shy |
| C. Amaze | 3. Leaving helpless |
| D. Astound | 4. Unexpected |
| E. Flabbergast | 5. Unbelievable |
| F. Shock | 6. Running counter to the usual |
| G. Move | 7. Eliciting emotional response |
| H. Bewilder | 8. Stupefy |
| I. Embarrass | 9. Hard to bear |
Atomic globule can be represented as a "constellation".In the “constellation” there is one central word that expresses the “global meaning” of the words with the meaningful link to the “centre”. In the example below the general ideas of “suffering in the body” can be expressed with a number of words like “pain”, “ache, “agony”, “to sore”, “to sting”, etc. All these semantic features are stored in the mental lexicon and are typical of the native speaker’s word competence.
Exploratory task 1.17
Give the shades of meaning to the words in the “constellation” of “suffering in the body”
   Stiff (neck)
| Pain | Ache |
 
| Suffering in the body | |
| Sting | Sore | Agony |
Cobweb represents one's individual associations in mental lexicon in the form of a mind-map. E.g. given below is one’s individual association with the word “mail”.
     Fast
| Hope | Armour | Black | Vandals |
    Email
| Send | Knight | Security | |
       Snail mail
| Mailbox | Empty | ||
   Slow
| Receive | Subscription | Letters | |
| Reliable | Impatience | Expensive | Newspapers | Magazines |
Exploratory task 1.18
Make up your own “cobweb” association with the word
 |  | ||||
 | |||||
House
 |  |  |
When people are speaking or writing, their choice of words is influenced by the situation they are in. A variety of the language in a communicative situation is called a language style. It may be appropriate to use an informal stylewith close friends, a neutral stylewith business acquaintances, a formal stylewith an employer. Often in communication it is necessary to select specific vocabulary that helps convey the message in the best way. People switch the vocabulary use when they talk to different specialists or non-specialists, to adults or children, to indifferent or sensitive people. The selection of vocabulary for the purpose of achieving the best communicative result is called language register.
Exploratory task 1.19Find the way of saying the same things to small children
| Adult technical register | Child’s register |
| They are excavating the ruins now | |
| She is undergoing the appendectomy | |
| Dissolve the powder in the water and shake the solution | |
| Turn off all electronic appliances before boarding | |
| Season lightly and simmer for five minutes | |
| No sweat without sweat | |
| Click the mouse and drag the icon into the game area |
(Adapted from Harmer, J. and R. Rossner. 1991. More than Words. Book 1. Longman. P. 21-22)
Ample mental lexicon is an important condition for achieving lexical competence.Lexical competence is an essential part of the communicative competence as a whole. In order to be “the master of the word” one has to know how to express the denoted meaning. It is necessary to develop an individual system of verbal associations and to build a semantic fieldof the words related in a certain meaning (field of “food”, “health”, “job” etc.). It is necessary to know the social conventions (rules and limitations) of using the word and the stylistic colouring. Grammar usage of the word is essential as well as possible collocations. Finally, it necessary to comprehend the “referred connotative meaning” of the word, i.e. to understand what the word means “here and now” in the situation. Sometimes even the knowledge of metaphors and idioms is not enough for there is a lot of individual meaning that is put into words in the process of communication. The acquisition of these components is incremental, i.e. step-by-step. (After Schmitt, M. Tracking the incremental acquisition of second language vocabulary. A Longitudinal Study. Language Learning. Vol. 48. No. 2. June 1998).
SAQ 1.2
Match the use of words in bold type and the elements of “lexical competence” necessary to use the words
| Words | Competence |
| 1. Calibre of a man | A. Denoted meaning |
| 2.Give me some prunes | B. Verbal associations |
| 3. The sky, the birds, the dawn … | C. Semantic field |
| 4.He can live with his partner … | D. Social conventions |
| 5.Nothing can influenceher | E. Grammar |
| 6.The word is a real jaw-breaker | F. Collocations |
| 7.Only when the milk sets … | G. Connotation |
| 8.All you need is industry and zeal … | H. Metaphor |
| 9.Can’t make merry, make money … | I. Idiom |
| 10.All these young hopefuls … | J. Individual meaning |
Input reading 2
Vocabulary acquisition
The process of vocabulary acquisition has certain “laws” of its own. E.g. The first encounter with the word is sometimes more important than its frequency in exercises. That is why it is essential to “prime” the word, i.e. to prepare the learners for the encounter with the new word through activation of prior knowledge and creating the necessity of using the word. Development of vocabulary in mind depends on the complexity of the concepts that are expressed with the help of words. E.g. words with a concrete meaning are acquired easier and sooner than abstract meaning words. Learners acquire separate meanings of a word. First they acquire one component of meaning and then another. Basic terms (e.g. potato) are learned before superordinate words (vegetables). The storage of words in memory depends on the depth of meaning processing. The deeper learners get the meaning of the words in examples and associations, the stronger will memory traces be. Receptive skills come before productive skillsand the learners find it easier first to understand a word and then to use it. The knowledge of a vocabulary item comes before the knowledge of a vocabulary collocation i.e. first the learners acquire words and then learn how to combine them in collocations. Words are best remembered in their situational context(combination with other words) but situation context can limit the potential use of the words to particular situations only. In a motivating activity the word is remembered strongest. Motivating activities are more important than continuous repetitions. (After Cook V. 1991. Second Language Learning and Language Teaching. OUP)
Exploratory task 2.1
Rate the following activities according to the depth of processing lexical meaning. Prove your decision.
| Task 1. Choose the pictures that show how these people feel. Use on of the words given: , great, in heaven, so-so, not great, bad, awful, terrible, horrible. |
| Task 2. How can the following vegetables be cooked: beans, broccoli, aubergines, celery, onions, leeks, spinach, asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms? |
| Task 3. What professions will need the following qualities: determination, original ideas, great courage, a lot of luck, broad mind, imagination, excellent memory. |