Vocabulary in Use
Instructor: Caroline Crolley
Telephone: 425-453-8633
Email: ccrolley@bcc.ctc.edu (This is the best way to reach me)
Text Book: Longman Advanced American Dictionary
Class Time: Friday, 9:30-11:20am
Class Dates: April 4-June 6
The goal of this class is to improve your vocabulary in English. As much as possible, you will choose the words that you want to learn. A special focus will be phrasal verbs, one of the most difficult areas of English vocabulary. Some class activities will be:
· Vocabulary Journal, a record of your new words
· Dictionary skills, learning to use the dictionary effectively
· New Word Presentations, sharing with your classmates
· Various vocabulary games and practice activities
Please plan on buying the Longman Advanced American Dictionary (any edition) for this class. You will need to have this dictionary or a similar one to participate in class. It is available in the BCC bookstore or from some bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and UW Bookstore. It is also available from online booksellers such as www.amazon.com. If you want to buy your dictionary online, please place the order as soon as possible because it will take some time to arrive.
You will also need paper or a notebook for your Vocabulary Journal and class notes.
There are no grades, tests or required homework in this class, but I will give you optional homework. You will learn more if you do the homework, so I encourage you to do it if possible.
Students who attend 75% or more of the class will receive a certificate on the last day. This class meets 10 times, so students who are absent for 3 or more classes will not receive certificates.
To be successful in this class:
· Come to class! If you miss a class, be sure to come to the next one.
· Ask questions and tell me if you do not understand.
· Have fun and participate in all the activities.
· Be friendly and respectful to the other students.
What is a vocabulary journal?
A vocabulary journal is a personal record of new words. The purpose is to help you think about new words often and pay attention to how you learn. It is one of the best ways to help you to use new words in your speaking and writing.
You may design your journal any way that you want. However, a Vocabulary Journal usually has three columns for the date, the word, and the definition. You may also want to include an example sentence, where you learned the word, the part of speech (noun, verb, etc.), or a small drawing for some words. Some students include the antonym or other forms of the word as well.
You won’t want to include all of that information for every word. Select the information that will help you to remember and use the new word.
What words should I put in my journal?
You are probably learning new words every day and you can put any of them in your journal. It is best to choose words that you want to learn, have heard again and again, and want to start using.
You can include words from your classes, talking with others, watching TV or movies, reading or any activities where you are learning new words. Pay attention to how you learn new words and try to learn words from a variety of sources.
Don’t put too many words in your journal or you won’t be able to learn them all. Remember that the goal is to learn the new words and start to use them.
When will I work on my journal?
We will have a little time to work on it in class the first few weeks of the quarter. After that, you will need to work on your journal outside of class. Of course, the more time that you give to your journal, the more you will learn from it.
Each week, you may give me your completed work and I will review it for you and return it to you the next week.
Vocabulary Journal
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Date |
Word (and Part of Speech) |
Definition (and Example Sentence) |
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