learning new words
I was teaching a TOEFL iBT class in computer room when I noticed a learner using dictionary. Usually I would not stop to make a fuss about using dictionary in class – actually I am very glad if my learners have a habit of using dictionary frequently, but in this case, with a quick glance, I saw that she was noting down on her note book:
assumption: giả định.
interpretation: giải thích, phiên dịch
What do you think is the problem in this situation? You may wanna talk about the use of English – a synonym or an English definition instead of Vietnamese meaning. It could be the case. But the what I wanna mention is, in my opinion, more important. This is what I talked to her:
- So you wanna learn this word?
- Yes, it’s a new word.
- Well I tell you what. If you learn this word, you know one word. But if you learn the root, you know many more words.
- The root?
- Yah, the root. In this case the root word takes a suffix '–tion', so it is a noun. The root is … let me see. Scroll your dictionary a bit higher. Yah, higher. More. Ok, stop, that the root. “Assume”.
- Ah, Ok!
- Right. That’s the root. If you know the root, you know many more words: assumed, assumer, assuming… You see that?
- …
- Just like this one. Ok, in your note book you write the word “interpretation”. But that’s not the root. The root is “interpret”. If you know the word interpret, then you also know interpretation, interpreter, interpretable…
- OK, I see. Thank you.
So that concluded the talk and I guessed she learned something: When you learn a new word, try to learn the root of that word.
