Semantics
What is Semantics?
Semantics is the study of meaning that is used for understanding human expression through language.
How can I help my students?
* Help student use previous knowledge of words in their native language and make corrections in English
* Use pictures and realia (real objects) when teaching new vocabulary
* Preteach content vocabulary before introducing in context.
* Use sentence frames and word banks to support students
* Use word sorts to show relationships of words
* Give examples and non-examples of words
* Assign movements to words (act out words)
* Use webs to show multiple meaning of words
* Teach synonyms and antonyms as often as possible.
* Use lexical fields to help build vocabulary- group words and teach relationships of words.
WHY IS SEMANTICS IMPORTANT FOR ELL's?
* Using a variety of vocabulary building activities is key for ELL's to gain new vocabulary, as well as gaining a strong understanding of word meaning and related words.
* So much of the English spoken and written language is figurative. It is very important we explicitly teach idioms, similes, metaphors, and other figurative language to our EL students.
Interesting Facts:
Academic Language for ELLs can take 5-7 years to develop.
Social Language can take 1-3 years to develop.
Semantics Websites:
What is Semantics?
Create your own graphic organizers
Semantics is the study of meaning that is used for understanding human expression through language.
How can I help my students?
* Help student use previous knowledge of words in their native language and make corrections in English
* Use pictures and realia (real objects) when teaching new vocabulary
* Preteach content vocabulary before introducing in context.
* Use sentence frames and word banks to support students
* Use word sorts to show relationships of words
* Give examples and non-examples of words
* Assign movements to words (act out words)
* Use webs to show multiple meaning of words
* Teach synonyms and antonyms as often as possible.
* Use lexical fields to help build vocabulary- group words and teach relationships of words.
WHY IS SEMANTICS IMPORTANT FOR ELL's?
* Using a variety of vocabulary building activities is key for ELL's to gain new vocabulary, as well as gaining a strong understanding of word meaning and related words.
* So much of the English spoken and written language is figurative. It is very important we explicitly teach idioms, similes, metaphors, and other figurative language to our EL students.
Interesting Facts:
Academic Language for ELLs can take 5-7 years to develop.
Social Language can take 1-3 years to develop.
Semantics Websites:
What is Semantics?
Create your own graphic organizers
“When we isolate words from the contexts in which they occur, we lose part of their meaning.” (Curzan & Adams, 2102, 205)
“Meaning isn’t confined to lexical meaning: it develops from the relations of words.” (Curzan & Adams, 2012, 203)