Vocabulary in Practice 3

Synopsis

A series of handy vocabulary books aimed at busy learners who want to fit in some extra practice outside the classroom. Offering plenty of practice for vocabulary learners, these small and easy-to-carry books are ideal for busy people to use outside the classroom. All the words have been chosen using the Cambridge International Corpus to ensure that students learn the most widely used vocabulary. Includes regular tests and helpful word lists. This is Level 3/Pre-intermediate.

Summary

Chapter 1: Expanding Your Vocabulary

* Defines vocabulary and its importance for effective communication.
* Introduces strategies for vocabulary building, such as reading, using dictionaries and thesauruses, and connecting new words to existing knowledge.
* Real example: Reading a newspaper article about a political debate, encountering the word "demagogue," and looking it up in a dictionary to learn its meaning and synonyms.

Chapter 2: Contexts and Meanings

* Explores the importance of context in understanding vocabulary.
* Explains the different types of context (situational, linguistic, cultural) and how they can provide clues to a word's meaning.
* Real example: Hearing the word "chill" used in a conversation and recognizing that its meaning depends on the context (temperature, emotional state, or warning).

Chapter 3: Word Relationships

* Examines the various types of word relationships, including synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cognates.
* Demonstrates how understanding these relationships can enhance vocabulary and improve word choice.
* Real example: Identifying "beautiful" and "pretty" as synonyms, expanding the vocabulary for describing aesthetics.

Chapter 4: Recognizing Word Parts

* Introduces the concept of morphology, the study of word parts.
* Explains how breaking down words into prefixes, suffixes, and roots can help infer their meanings.
* Real example: Analyzing the word "unforgettable," recognizing its prefix "un-" and root "forget," and concluding that it means "not able to be forgotten."

Chapter 5: Usage and Style

* Discusses the appropriate use of vocabulary in different contexts and styles.
* Explores the factors that influence word choice, such as audience, purpose, and tone.
* Real example: Using formal language when writing a cover letter for a job application, while using informal language when texting a friend.

Chapter 6: Vocabulary in Action

* Provides exercises and activities to practice and improve vocabulary skills.
* Includes crossword puzzles, analogies, fill-in-the-blanks, and essay writing tasks.
* Real example: Completing a crossword puzzle that requires using a variety of vocabulary words to fit the clues.

Chapter 7: Enhancing Vocabulary through Reading

* Emphasizes the role of reading in vocabulary development.
* Shares strategies for extracting and understanding new words from texts.
* Real example: Reading a science fiction novel and encountering the word "transcendental," which is defined in context as "surpassing ordinary limits."

Chapter 8: Vocabulary for Academic and Career Success

* Explores the importance of a strong vocabulary for academic and professional settings.
* Provides tips for studying and using vocabulary in these contexts.
* Real example: Using GRE (Graduate Record Examination) vocabulary lists to prepare for standardized graduate school entrance tests.