skkn SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

DONG NAI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION & TRAINING

NGUYEN DINH CHIEU HIGH SCHOOL

Code No: .....

EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE
Theme:
SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING
THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS.

PRESENTED BY PHAN VAN HOA

RESEARCH AREA: ENGLISH-TEACHING METHOD

Academic Year: 2012- 2013

APPENDIX
1

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

1.Reason for choosing the theme.

Page 3

2.Ways to conduct the theme.

Page 3

2.1.Basis of reasoning

page 3

2.2 .Contents, solutions to complement the theme

Page 4

2.3.Introducing some techniques for guessing the meaning of new page 4
words
 Technique 1

Page 5

 Technique 2

Page 6

 Technique 3

Page 7

 Technique 4

Pages 7,8

3.Practice

page 11

4.Efficiency gaining

Page 15

5.Table of statistics

Page 15

6.Experience lesson

Page 16

7.Conclusion

Page 17

8.Summary

Page 18

9.Reference

Page 19

1. REASON FOR CHOOSING THE THEME:
Learning a foreign language,as we all know, is not easy at all. It is required

2

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

that language learners master enough four skills:Listening, speaking, reading and
writing .Additionally,We must have proper ways of learning. Of all skills, reading
plays an important role in getting information to help learners understand texts
written in English.
When we read, we often come across words that we do not know, so it is very
essential to develop techniques to guess the meaning of these unknown words. We
can use the following techniques to help us understand the text, to develop our
reading speed and to build our vocabulary. However, it is advised that we shouldn’t
use a dictionary to look up the meaning of unknown words in reading a text since it
takes time and breaks concentration. In addition, it doesn’t help us to understand
the overall meaning of the text. With these reasons, the theme: ”Some useful
techniques for guessing the meaning of new words” has been chosen and
presented in this report in the hope that they will help us, English teachers in
general and our dear students in particular increase the effectiveness of their
reading skill as well as reading speed.

2. WAYS TO CONDUCT THE THEME:
2.1.Basis Of Reasoning.
It is based on many basis like goals, contents and methods of teaching and
learning a foreign language, the ability to use it and its role. At the same time,
some techniques for guessing the meaning of new words are put forward. In order
to help students have no difficulty in their reading comprehension, it is required
that a teacher be aware of the significance of improving these techniques for

students as well as show them how to apply these techniques to reading the texts
written in English. Furthermore, through this theme, a teacher can have an overall
view and systematize the techniques for guessing the meaning of new words in an
effective way.
3

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

It is hoped that the techniques having been mentioned in this report will bring
about teachers along with students several benefits in teaching and learning
English in general and the reading skill in particular.

2.2.Contents,solutions to complement the theme.
Following are some basic techniques that assist students to develop their new
word-guessing skill effectively. I do believe that if teachers know how to apply
these techniques fully and flexibly,they certainly will help students promote
positiveness, initiative and creativity of students of all levels while teaching a
reading skill. In addition, the very techniques create an exciting atmosphere of
studying for the whole class, shorten the amount of time doing tasks and a
reading - teaching period really becomes more effective than ever.
2.3.Introducing Some Techniques For Guessing The Meaning Of New Words
• Use context
• Use grammar
• Use word structure
• Look for word explanation

Technique1:

4

→Use context

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

Context refers to the text that surrounds the word. We should look for clues in
the sentence or paragraph which contains the unknown word to help us guess its
meaning. In other words, we read the words before and after them to guess
what they mean.
Example 1: Let’s guess the meaning of the phrase “ with flying colors” in the
following sentence.
- In the text about People’s Background,you will read ”…..Marie Curie passed all
her exams with flying colors”. (adapted from the textbook,English 10-Unit 3).
- As can be seen, we can base on the key words: passed, all exams in the sentence
to help us guess the phrase meaning with excellent grades/results.
 Suggested answer:
With flying colors: (với điểm số xuất sắc)
Example 2: To provide another proof how effectively this technique works, we’ll
find out more in the following sentences.
- In the text about Future Jobs, you will read “…In addition, you may jot down
your qualifications and experience that can relate to the job and prepare for
questions that are often asked during the interview.” (adapted from the textbook,
English 12-Unit 6).
We can pay attention to such phrases as qualifications and experience, relate to
the job, prepare for questions, often asked during the interview in the sentence in

order to guess the phrasal verb ”jot down” meaning “note down”.

 Suggested answer:
Jot down: (ghi chú)
5

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

Technique 2:

→Use grammar

We should look at the grammatical structure of the sentence in which the
unknown word is located . For instance, is it a noun, a verb, an adjective or an
adverb?. To identify the kind of word helps us know if that word is a thing, an
action or a describing word.
Example 1: Take a look at the grammar of the word in the following sentence and
guess what it means.
- In the sentence “John went to a big city to purchase a new car last week”.
As we all know the word “purchase” is a verb as it is situated right after “to”.
Therefore, we can guess it means “buy” since there are not many other verbs which
will make sense in that sentence.
 Suggested answer:

purchase: mua

Example 2: Read the following sentence and guess the meaning of the

highlighted word.
In the sentence “Smoking is detrimental to your health; the negative aspects
have been proven”. The word ” detrimental” is an adjective because it is
located right after the verb ” to be”, so we can guess the word meaning
“harmful” as not many other words will make sense in that sentence.
 Suggested answer:

Technique 3:

6

detrimental: có hại

→Use word structure

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

Is part of the unknown word familiar with you ?. Does it have a base word, a
prefix or a suffix that helps us guess its meanings ?. If we are able to recognize
these key factors, we will certainly get the right meaning.
Example 1: The following example proves this technique.
-The word “mismanagement” consists of the base word “manage” with a negative
prefix (mis-) and a noun suffix (-ment). You can probably guess that the word is a
noun meaning bad or poor management.
 Suggested answer:
Mismanagement: (sự quản lý kém hay tồi)
Example 2: Let’s look for a part of the word you know in the following example.

- In the word “surrounded”, you can see the word “round” which is very
accustomed to you. If a village is surrounded by mountains, you can guess that
there are mountains all round it.
 Suggested answer:
Surrounded: (được bao quanh)
Technique 4:

→Look for word explanation

We should look for an explanation of the word in the text, which is actually
sometimes given to us. Thanks to the word explanation, we can guess the
meaning of the unknown word with ease.

Example 1: Let’s discover the following example to understand more about this
technique.
7

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

- In the text about Friendship, we will read “….The first quality is unselfishness. A
person who is concerned only with his own interests and feelings cannot be a true
friend” . (adapted from the textbook,English 11-Unit 1).
We can pay attention to the prefix un- and such phrases as concerned only, his
own interests and feelings in the next sentence so as to guess what it means.
 Suggested answer:
Unselfishness: (sự không ích kỉ)
Example 2: The second example wil help you understand more about how to use

the word explanation in guessing the meaning of unknown words.
- In the text about Shopping, we will read “….now meet shopaholics. These people
are addicted to shopping”.
By looking at the explanation”, These people are addicted to shopping”, you can
guess the word “shopaholics” means.
 Suggested answer:
Shopaholics: People who are addicted to shopping(Những người nghiện mua
sắm)
• Let me illustrate the suggested steps of teaching students on how to guess
the meaning of unknown words:

Unit 8:

CELEBRATIONS

A.READING

English Textbook 11

- Teacher may set the scene: You are going to read the text about Tet in Vietnam,
8

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

and do then do the tasks that follow.
Lunar New Year, or Tet, is Vietnam's main holiday. It is the grandest and most
important occasion in the year which falls sometime between 19th January and 20th

February on the Western calendar. Tet marks the beginning of spring and, for
agrarian people, the start of a new year.
Tet's preparations and celebrations used to be spread over months, but nowadays
the holiday is much shorter. A great deal of excitement still builds up well before
Tet, however. Streets are decorated with coloured lights and red banners. Shops are
full of goods. People are busy buying gifts, cleaning and decorating their houses
and cooking traditional foods.
Homes are often decorated with plants and flowers at this time. Peach blossom is
traditional at Tet in the North while apricot blossom is traditional in the South. The
kumquat tree with its ripe deep orange fruits is popular throughout the country. One
of Tet's most special foods is banh chung, which is made from sticky rice, green
beans and fatty pork. Mut, which is candied fruit such as sugared apples, plums or
tomatoes, is also popular.
On the days of Tet everyone tries to be nice and polite to each other. People believe
that what they do on the first day of the year will influence their luck during the
whole year. Thus, only positive comments should be made. People visit other
family members or friends, and they exchange New Year's wishes. Children receive
their "lucky money" inside red envelopes. Many people go to the pagoda to pray for
a happy year for themselves and their family. Both children and adults take part in

9

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

games and various forms of entertainment. Tet is really a time of fun and festivals
throughout the country.
Task 1: Find what the following words mean in the text.

-First, teacher writes these words on the board: Grand, banner, sugared
apples, pray, excitement.
- Then, teacher instructs students to read the passage quickly and stop at the
lines that contain these words to guess their meanings.
- Students guess the meaning of the words based on the contexts in the
sentences. For instance, to guess the meaning of the word” grand” in line 1 of
the first paragraph. Students may base their guessing on other words such as
main holiday, important .To guess the meaning of pray in line 6 of the last
paragraph, they pay attention to pagoda, happy year…Continue doing the
same with the rest.
- Finally, teacher should check if students understand the words correctly. A
teacher can do this by asking them to provide the Vietnamese equivalents to
the words. If students find it difficult to guess the meaning of any word,
a teacher should elicit and give suggestions.
 Suggested answers:
1.Grand: impressive and large(trọng đại,hoành tráng)

2.Banner: a long piece of cloth with a message on it which is carried between
10

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

two poles or hung in public place to show support for sth(biểu ngữ,băng rôn)
3.Sugared apples: táo dầm đường
4.Agrarian: connected with farming and the use of land for farming(thuộc về
nông nghiệp)
5.Pray: to speak to God,especially to give thanks or ask for help(cầu nguyện)

6.Excitement: the state of feeling excited(niềm vui thích,sự nô nức,nhộn nhịp)

3.PRACTICE
Exercise 1: Read the sentences a to e and use context, grammar, word
explanation or word structure to guess the meanings of the highlighted words.
a.Alison had triplets at the hospital last night. Her parents were overjoyed at
the thought of having three new grandchildren in the family.
Triplets means
b.The man wearing skates moved quickly across the ice.
Skates means
c.Modern men are increasingly willing to pitch in with the housework.
Pitch in means
d.Canoeing can be very dangerous after there has been heavy rainfall
because the river is flowing swiftly at that time.
Swiftly means
e.Australia is considered to be a multicultural country as a result of
immigration which have encouraged people to migrate.
Multicultural means
11

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

 Suggested answers:
a.Triplets means three children born to the same mother at one time.
b.Skates means either of a pair of boots with steel fixed to the bottom for
moving smoothly over ice.
c.Pitch in means to become involved in sth /to take part in doing sth.

d.Swiftly means quickly, fast, rapidly or promptly.
e.Multicultural means for or including people of several races, religions,
languages or national traditions.
Exercise 2: Read the passage about Future Jobs and use context, grammar, word
explanation or word structure to guess the meanings of the given words by
circling A, B or C.
Unit 6
A.Reading

FUTURE JOBS
English Textbook 12

Read the passage and do the tasks that follow
Preparing for a job interview can be stressful ,particularly when you are called
for the first interview. Below are some pieces of advice that can help you
reduce the feeling of pressure and create a good impression on your interview.
Before the interview
You should find out as much as possible about the job and the vacancy. Before
the interview, you have to send your letter of application and your résumé to
the company to express your interest in the job and to show that you might be
the most suitable candidate for the position.
When you come to the interview,remember to bring with you your school
certificates and letters of recommendation from your teachers or your previous
12

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

employers. In addition, you may jot down your qualifications and experience
that can relate to the job and prepare for the questions that are often asked
during the interview.
Make sure you know where the interview is and how to get there. Be on time or
a few minutes early, don’t forget to dress neatly and formally.
During the interview
You should concentrate on what the interviewer is saying and make a real
effort to answer all the questions the interviews asks. Be clear, polite and
honest. If you do not know something about the more technical aspects of the
job, admit it and stress that you are willing to learn. Show enthusiasm when the
job is explained to you. Always show your best side, your keenness to work
and your sense of responsibility.
Don’t forget to say goodbye to the interviewer before leaving the office.
After the interview
If you are offered the position, congratulations! If you do not get the job, try
not to be too disappointed. Think about the interviewer’s comments because
they may help you prepare better when you are called for the next job
interview. Good luck!
Task 1.Look back to the text and circle the best meanings A, B, or C (page 64)

1.vacancy
A. a part of a newspaper where jobs are advertised
13

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

B. a job that is available

C. a seat that is available

2.résumé
A. a photocopy of academic certificates

B. a letter of recommendation

C. a short written account of someone’s education and previous jobs
3.keenness
A. special interest

B. Very quickly understanding

C. sense of responsibility
4.jot down
A. mention

B. note down

C. type

 Suggested answers:
1. B

2. C

3. A

4.B

4.EFFICIENCY GAINING.
After a long period of applying these techniques to teaching, I've realised that
14

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

most of my students have made considerable progress in studying English,
especially the reading skill. The ratios of the students understanding the texts while
reading from average and weak levels up to fair and good ones have clearly
increased. More importantly, students themselves have felt more self-confident,
comfortable and active while reading English materials. Thanks to the techniques
mentioned previously, they have solved the reading tasks swiftly and effectively.
Moreover, language class atmosphere becomes more exciting and less stressful
than it used to be. Last but not least, a teacher has worked less and become a
bandmaster.
5. TABLE OF STATISTICS
The classes assigned between 2012 and 2013 are 12A1, 12A2, 12A3 and 10A1.
a.The folowing survey had been carried out before applying this theme.
Good level
Class

No Ss No

Fair level

A verage level

Ratio

Ss No

Ratio

Ss No

Ratio

Weak level
Ss No Ratio

12 A1

42

2

4,8%

5

11,9%

10

23,8%

25

59,5%

12A2

39

1

2,6%

4

10,3%

7

17,9%

27

69,2%

12A3

36

2

5,6%

3

8,3%

6

16,7%

25

69,4%

10A1

36

3

8,3%

4

11,1%

9

25%

20

55,6%

(This survey table was carried out in late August, 2012)
b.The folowing survey was carried out after applying this theme.

15

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

Good level
Class

No

Fair level

Ss No Ratio Ss No

Average level

Weak level

Ratio

Ss No

Ratio

Ss No

Ratio

12A1

42

4

9,5%

7

16,7%

12

28,6%

19

45,2%

12A2

39

3

7,7%

6

15,4%

10

25,6%

20

51,3%

12A3

36

3

8,3%

4

11,1 %

9

25%

20

55,6%

10A1

36

5

13,9%

7

19,40/0

10

27,8%

14

38,9%

(These statistical figures were conducted again in early April, 2013)

6. EXPERIENCE LESSON.

With some useful techniques for guessing the meaning of new words
mentioned earlier, a teacher can assist students promote their activeness and
initiative. Also, they have had confidence in taking part in their lesson, acquire
knowledge quickly and memorize it longer.Particularly, students have made much
progress in their studies. For example, they've increased their reading speed, got
information more exactly and especially shortened time solving tasks. The most
important thing is that they've done the tasks belonging to the reading skill in an
effective way. Last but not least,students no longer feel scared or worried when
having to read very longe passages with unknown words .

7. CONCLUSION.
I assume that everyone has their own thought and each teacher also has
their own methods of teaching. Nevertheless, no matter what approaches are
16

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

applied, they all aim at promoting students' positiveness, initiative and creativity
in the language class and helping them acquire knowledge and use it in concrete
situations with great effectiveness. Thus, it is required that a teacher make great
efforts to find out good and effective approaches in order to increse education and
training qualities in general and English learning in particular. To make this come
true, it is a must that a teacher should frequently self- study, further his education
and update new knowledge to improve his profession. The theme: "SOME
TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS" is
part of the above-mentioned issue.

Long Thanh,May 6th ,2013
Written by

Phan Văn Hòa

8.SUMMARY
Technique1:

17

→Use context

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

Context refers to the text that surrounds the word. We should look for clues in
the sentence or paragraph which contains the unknown word to help us guess its
meaning. In other words,we read the words before and after them to guess
what they mean.
Technique 2:

→Use grammar

We should look at the grammatical structure of the sentence in which the
unknown word is located . For instance, is it a noun, a verb, an adjective or an
adverb? . To identify the kind of word helps us know if that word is a thing, an
action or a describing word.

Technique 3:

→Use word structure

Is part of the unknown word familiar with you ?. Does it have a base word, a
prefix or a suffix that helps us guess its meanings ?. If we are able to recognize
these key factors, we will certainly get the right meaning.
Technique 4:

→Look for word explanation

We should look for an explanation of the word in the text, which is actually
sometimes given to us . Thanks to the word explanation, we can guess the
meaning of the unknown word with ease.

9. REFERENCES.
l. Teaching English ( A training course for teachers) - Adrian doff.
2. Teacher's Directory Reading Skills aids and materials.
18

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District


SOME TECHNIQUES FOR GUESSING THE MEANING OF NEW WORDS

3. Underwood, M., Teaching Listening, Longman, 1989.
4. Steil, L. et al, Effective Listening, Me. Graw Hill, Inc. 1983.
5. Baker,J & Heather, W ( 2000) The Enghish Language Teacher's
Handbook.VSO.
6. Gower, R & Walter, S ( 1983) Teaching Practice Handbook.Heinemann.

7. Tanner, R & Green, C ( 1988) Tasks for Teacher Education.Longman.
8. I.S.P.Nation," Language Teaching Techniques", 1996.ELI. Victoria University
of Wellington,NZ.
9. E LTTp," English Language Teaching Methodology", 2003.MOET Of W N.
10. Harmer, " How To Teach English", 1998,Longman

19

Presented by Phan Van Hoa from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School-Long Thanh District