Study Session 9

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

In this study, you will be exposed to the history of vocabulary and its meaning in European
languages especially the English language. You will learn the strategies for learning
vocabulary. We shall also examine types of meaning and word formation strategies that
could assist in this regard especially the idea of Neologism and how it factors in to
Vocabulary acquisition.

Learning Outcomes for Study Session 9 :

After successful completion of this module, you should be should be able to:
 Define vocabulary and give examples
 Provide a brief history of Vocabulary in the English Language
 Identify and explain types of meaning
 Discuss available word formation strategies
 Discuss the idea of Neologism

9.1 Introduction:
The vocabulary of a language is the total stock of words available in the language.
Lexicographers (word experts) have estimated the total number of words in English to be one
million but hardly has any learner known 10,000 words (Gerber et al 1978:234). Scholars are
of the opinion that only William Shakespeare had successfully used 21,000 words in all his
works. You can imagine why he wrote many compelling works with amazing language!
Authors with powerful and compelling vocabulary are usually very inviting because of their
appropriate choice of words. Poor vocabulary will always make a language user substitute the
right word for an almost-right word, or simply avoid speaking his/her mind when a need for
expressing oneself arises.The English language has vast vocabulary which can be traced to
the influence of other languages especially Anglo-Saxons, Latin, French, and Greek. The
basic form of English vocabulary and the bulk of words known as Native English are derived
from Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxons are three Germanic tribes comprising the Angles, the
Saxons, and the Jutes. These are Scandinavian tribes that invaded the islands of Britannia
(Britain) in 450AD and settled there. After the invasion, a part of Britain in which the Angles
settled themselves was called land of the Angles (Angle-land), from which the name England
was derived. A few centuries later, two other Scandinavian tribes, the Norse and the Vikings
also invaded a part of Britain. The aftermath was a cultural mix that contributed enormously
to the evolution of English.
Resources from Latin came into English through the Roman language which was the
language of European Christianity. The Romans invaded Britain long before the Anglo-
Saxons but did not interfere with Gaelic, Celtic, and Welsh – the native languages of Britain
– as did the Anglo-Saxons. Through Christianity, however, many words with Latin roots
entered English. Another influence from Latin came into English through the Renaissance
period of England, which encouraged the rebirth of learning Greek and Roman classics. The
French also contributed to the growth of English vocabulary through their invasion of
England in 1066AD. This invasion is known as the Norman Conquest. Many words that
describe ideas related to the kitchen, cooking, government, administration and persons are
derived from French. Apart from the direct entry of French into English through colonialism,
there had been indirect entry of French through Latin because French is 80% Latin (Levine
1982).Words from Greek came into English through the Renaissance as a result of
scholarship interest in Greek arts. Till date, scientists find words in Greek to name some
modern inventions and discoveries of natural phenomena. The following are a few words
that entered into the English vocabulary through some of the already identified languages.
9.1.1 Anglo-Saxon:
Nouns: father, son, mother, child, daughter, man, woman, husband, wife, sister, king, queen,
prince, princess, hunter, trap, map, house, rock, pig, board, home, sea, blood, speed, sheep,
cow, bull, horse, cat, head, wolf, arm, fish, boat, ox, meat, fire, heath, dog, theft, sheath, bed,
numbers [one, two, three…]
Verbs: tell, begin hire, bestow, bring, break, drink, lie, free, sneak, say, do, swim, go, come,
run, walk, buy, sell, eat, turn, follow, speak, stop
Adjectives: dim, wise, harsh, lofty, good lovely, dull little, calm, brave wild, strong, merry,
drowsy, afoul.
Preposition: in, with, before, both, to, by, at, for, about, of, around, out, on, up, above, under,
against, from, between, below, within, during.
Adverbs: aboard, anon, almost, aloof, early, seldom, often, adrift, sometimes, withal.
Conjunction: and, or, but, nor, while, either, neither, until, because, unless.
9.1.2 Latin:
Estate, clergy, pastor, janitor, temple, catechist, firmament, altar, choir, disciple, candle, ruler,
priest, century, nun, communion, martyr, cross, rite, shrine, font, fountain, locust, monk,
mass, sock, lily, robe, beet, cap, pear, virgin.
9.1.3 French:
Vis-à-vis, souvenir, ambience, façade, milieu, parasol, premiere, elite, coterie, fiancée,
mirage, genre, cravat, bouffant, entrée, filet, cuisine, vogue, toupee, vignette, éclat, a la carte,
faux pas, attaché, protégé, naïve, brochure, haunt, return, corner, cliché, liaison, war, poultry,
foyer, saboteur, jacket, impasse, envoy, entrepreneur, confrere, painter, finesse, debut, gauge,
silhouette, courtesy, martinet, depot, detent, laissez-faire, baton, rapprochement, connoisseur,
sobriquet, chemise, émigré, charge d‟affairs, nouveau, riches, camouflage, jargon, rapport,
apropos, billet-doux, riposte, précis, resume, entre nous, canard, chic, repertoire.
9.1.4 Greek:
Alphabet, grammar, syllable, analysis, mystery, angel, anathema, myth, hymn, anecdote,
rhetoric, pathetic, logic, muse, school, economics, apostle, anthology, allotropy, chronicle,
symbiosis, hyperopic, sympathy, pseudonym, epitaph, democracy, acrobat, geometry.
The dynamism of the English language allows words from other languages to become
English. For example, before the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the word
“vuvuzela” was only Zulu. But after the tournament, it was not only Zulu but also English!
9.2 There are two kinds of vocabulary. One of these is known as activevocabulary and the
other is dormantorrecognitionvocabulary. The active vocabulary consists of the words that a
speaker uses frequently in his spoken and written English. Dormant or recognition
vocabulary consists of those words a language user can recognize when s/he sees them in
writing or hears them spoken but cannot clearly recall their meaning. Studying vocabulary is
an interesting exercise. Hence, you shall learn a few tips in this chapter on how to grow your
vocabulary.
9.3 Strategies for Learning Vocabulary:
Now you know that you have two kinds of vocabulary. It is very possible to grow both. First,
start by growing your active vocabulary by turning your recognition vocabulary into active
vocabulary. You can do this by using the dictionary to look them up if the words keep
coming up in your reading. Follow this by using the words always until you gain mastery of
every word that you enter into your active vocabulary. When your vocabulary is enlarged, be
sure that in your spoken and written English you always maintain a level of simplicity. For
your recognition vocabulary, make a conscious attempt at building it by drawing new words
you come across in books you read and speeches you hear. The wider the ranges of your
reading the larger your recognition vocabulary become.

Activity :Write out the following sentences; then for each of the italicized words
identify your active (A), recognition (R), and unknown (U) vocabularies. Write A or R or U
to the number to indicate the kind of vocabulary the word is to you.

1. She was tipsy and fell asleep.

2. I want my suit in a tip-top condition.
3. Melina slowly unfurled the curtain to let in some air.
4. The suave governor worked without being foiled.
5. The whole scene was like the stultifying effects of work that never varies.
6. Wait a minute; I‟ll speak with you surreptitiously.
7. My employer is looking for a rough diamond.
8. „I can‟t pirouette in such a manner,‟ said the athlete.
9. That seems like a hulking figure crouching in the darkness.
10. If you get yourself into a punch-up let nobody hear it.
11. It is unthinkable to hear that from you.
12. Weren‟t you just a weeny bit scared?
13. Some of Kelly Rowland‟s songs are pretty crummy.
14. The social division in the city is stark.
15. I‟m afraid, she‟s in a strop. I can‟t help.

9.4 Dictionary And Vocabulary Acquisition: If you have completed the exercise in 9.3
above , you may use your dictionary to assess yourself. The kind of dictionary you use when
learning vocabulary matters a lot. There are two types of dictionaries. One of these is general
or non-specialized and the other is specialized or technical. The general or non-specialized
dictionary has wider coverage and usage. There are two types of it. These are unabridged
dictionaries and abridged dictionaries. The unabridged dictionaries contain most of the
words used in the English language and provide details about the word. Some unabridged
dictionaries contain the etymology or origins of certain words. Since they contain the best
source of information, it is advised that you get an unabridged dictionary to help you learn
the vocabulary of English. These are some examples of unabridged dictionaries: The Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary ; Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English; BBC
English Dictionary ; Cambridge Dictionary of English.Each of these dictionaries is a good
source for learning English. Usage of current English is entered based on classroom research,
collections from British National Corpus and other corpuses. When you are buying a
dictionary, be sure that you go for the newest edition because of update of entries.
Any of the above dictionaries enables learners of English vocabulary to know the
following things about words: definitions; spelling ; usage; capitalization ; synonyms and
antonyms; syllabication ; word class ; pronunciation . Abridged dictionaries are shorter
versions of the unabridged. These contain many words you will always come across and
which can guide youin spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and vocabulary development.
These are examples of abridged dictionaries: The Oxford Pocket Dictionary; Roget Pocket
Dictionary; American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; The Short Oxford
English Dictionary. If you like to walk around with a dictionary without feeling the weight of
the book you are carrying, an abridged dictionary will answer your need.
 Activity:Read the questions below and find out the dictionary that will give you
information about the italicized word.

o In what field is morpheme used?

o When is Remembrance Sunday?
o What is the origin of the word January?
o Which dictionary will tell you Rube Goldberg?
o How many pronunciations are given for spinach?
o The word sangfroid has its etymology from which language?
o What comparative form does your dictionary give for stupid – „more
stupid‟or„stupider‟?
o Which is the preferred spelling, gobbledegook or gobbledygook?

Specialized dictionaries give more thorough coverage of a subject than general dictionaries
will do. The lexicon of a specialized dictionary is compiled for a special purpose. The
following are examples of specialized dictionaries:
9.4.1 Dictionary of synonyms: These dictionaries provide lists of words of similar
meanings. The thesaurus is designed for this purpose. Some well-known thesauruses you can
use for vocabulary development are:
Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus
Roget International Thesaurus
Modern Guide to Synonyms and Related Words
9.4.2 Scholarly dictionaries: These dictionaries are specialized in certain areas of learning.
They are intended for scholarly purposes. Among them are:
The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
The Oxford Dictionary of Psychology
The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology
A Dictionary of Medical Terms
Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend
Modern Science Dictionary
Medical Dictionary
9.4.3 Usage dictionaries: A dictionary of usage provides information on how words are to
be used in spoken/written English. These dictionaries can help a user of English to build a
vocabulary of appropriate word choice. Some general dictionaries contain keys to this effect.
For example, the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary has the following entry for the word
thing:
VOCABULARY BUILDING
other words for ‘thing’
Instead of using the word thing, try to use more precise and interesting
words, especially in written and formal English.
aspectThat was the most puzzling aspect of the situation. (…the most
puzzling thing about…)
attributeCuriosity is an essential attribute for a journalist. (…an
essential thing for a journalist to have.)
characteristicsThis bird has several interesting characteristics. (There
are several interesting things about this bird.)
detailI want to know every detail of what happened. (… everything
about…)
featureNoise is a familiar feature of city life. (…a familiar thing in city
life…)
issueShe has campaigned on many controversial issues. (…many
controversial things.)
matterWe have several important matters to deal with at this meeting.
(…several important things…)
pointThat’s a very interesting point you made. (…a very interesting thing
you said.)
subjectThe book covers a number of subjects. (…a number of things.)
topicWe discussed a range of topics. (…a wide range of things.)
traitHer generosity is one of her most attractive traits. (…one of the most
attractive things about her)
Don‟t use thing after an adjective when the adjective can be used on its
own: Having your own computer is very useful. ◊Having your own
computer is a very useful thing
It is often more natural to use words like something, anything, etc.
instead of thing: I have something important to tell you. ◊I have an
 important thing to tell you. Do you want anything else? ◊Do you
want any other thing?
It is more natural to say a lot, a great deal, much, etc. rather than many
things: I have so much to tell you. ◊I have so many things to tell you.
She knows a lot about basketball. ◊She knows many things about
basketball.

After a careful reading of the excerpt above you will observe that usage dictionaries will help
users of English with the appropriate use of collocation and synonyms. They will also help
you in dealing with common errors in the English language.

Activity: Write the following words on your paper. Enter the type of dictionary that
could give detailed information after each word.

Example: Freudian theories: Dictionary of Psychology

audacious: General dictionary
lobotomy haemorrhage identity Ontology
aspersion deviance id vituperation
society existentialism super-ego Cartesian theory
predomination relativity theory angst telepathy
phlegmatic temper consciousness social change hysteria
materialism ego neurology body mass index
dreams Hegelian theory pernicious diversity
oedipal complex talkative arthritis multiculturalism
metaphysics
scurvy game theory
breathe taking

9.5 Types of Meaning:

There are two types of meaning a vocabulary item may have. One is denotative meaning and
the other is connotative meaning. However, context can also provide meaning for a word.
9.5.1 Denotative Meaning :The denotative meaning of a word is the literal meaning of that
word. It is the meaning lexicographers give to a word and enter into a dictionary. The finest
way to know denotation is to use the dictionary and refer to things in a simple way. For
example, the word dark hasthe denotation of lightlessness, i.e., no visibility. Night also has
the denotation of hours outside day time when visibility is impossible. If Kelly says: ‘It’s
already night; give me some supper.’ Or, ‘It’s dark already, I can’t go out again.’ The
listener or reader will simply take night/dark in the literal sense.
9.5.2 Connotative meaning :Connotative meaning, on the other hand, is meaning associated
with a word based on feelings, emotions, and experiences. This type of meaning provides
underlying meaning other than literal meaning. In other words, connotative meaning is
figurative. The words dark and night are not going to mean the same thing as defined earlier
if Kelly says: ‘I’m afraid, he’s dark.’ The listener or reader will simply understand that dark
as used by Kelly here means evil or malicious. Again, it might imply that the referent is
Negroid and she a white racist.Once more, if Kelly had said: ‘In my darkmoments, I will want
you by my side.’ Here, the word dark would mean neither of the two descriptions above, but
something difficult, terrible, harsh, and sorrowful.

Write out the following word pairs, and then underline the ones with positive connotation.
i. persistent / stubborn vi. smart / intelligent
ii. notorious / famous vii. light / fair
iii. secret / covert viii. mountainous / huge
vi. protégé / faithful ix. hotness / heat
i. brilliant / clever

i. persistent / stubborn vi. smart / intelligent

ii. notorious / famous vii. light / fair
iii. secret/ covert viii. mountainous / huge
vi. protégé / faithful ix. hotness / heat
v. brilliant / clever

9.5.3 Verbal Context :Sometimes you come across unfamiliar words. The first thing you
might have done was to figure out the meaning of the word through the verbal context in the
sentence. When verbal context provides a useful clue for determining the meaning of an
unknown word, we say the meaning given to the word through this method is contextual.
Usefulclues for contextual meaning may come through paired words or parallelism. Paired
words are either complementary or contrasting. When paired words are parallel or
complementary, then the words are similar in meaning. And if they are contrasting, they are
opposite in meaning. Read the following sentences:
o Since he isn‟t wasteful, he is frugal.
o He lost his job because he was unscrupulous and dishonest.
o A reasonable or prudent person is often loyal to his country.
o Her pulchritude and beauty charmed the audience.
o I don‟t play hide and seek; so keep your Jekyll and Hyde game.
If the word frugal was your unknown vocabulary, the negation of wasteful provides the clue
for the meaning of frugal. You know the meaning of beauty. If you have never come across
pulchritude, but read it in the sentence above, it will make sense to say it is a synonym of
beauty.

In each sentence below, use context clues to pick out from the words in brackets the correct
synonym for the italicized word:
1. He‟s a little slow on the job because he‟s a tyro. (beginner, boss)
2. The manager‟s vitriolic remarks were caused by her staff‟s laziness and
irresponsibility. (passionate, angry)
3. The defence counsel prayed the judge to overrule the prosecuting counsel‟s
objection. (pleaded, demanded, instructed)
4. She was released for her remorseful attitude. (repenting, respectful, reneging)
5. That was an unspeakable feat. (terrifying, amazing, remarkable)
6. I have a sneaking suspicion that she was telling the truth. (niggling, terrible,
convincing)

1. Beginner
2. Angry
3. Pleaded
4. Repenting
5. terrifying
6. niggling
9.6 Word Formation Strategies:
 Words have entered the English language through various formation processes. Apart from
classical resources, there are numerous invented words that now have their place in the
vocabulary of English. The processes of inventing words include coining, blending,
compounding, clipping, and reduplicating. Words are also formed by affixation, neologism
and acronyms.
9.6.1 Coining: Words are coined for specific uses. People who coin words are aware that the
word or phrase being coined does not exist in the available lexicon. Hence, they use specific
situations to give meaning to the coined word. Nearly a decade ago, no one may have heard
the expression „wardrobe malfunction!‟ But Janet Jackson coined this compound word in
defence of her indecent dressing during an interview in a popular chat show. The word
became the subject of press discussion and was acclaimed as a new word which means poor
clothing as a result of the unavailability of formal clothes in the wardrobe. The following
words are also coinages:
o rag-head (turbaned extremist)
o the coloured (negroes)
o skyjacker (aircraft commandeer)
o furgling (fumbling in your pocket keys)
o skydiver (a person that parachutes)
o credibility gap (lack of trust)
o Clintonomics (One-time American President, Bill Clinton‟s economic policy)
o talibanization (applying the Taliban doctrine)
o normalcy (normality)
o Oliver Twist (a person who‟s not contented)
o Thatcher (a woman with hard-line principle)
o Casanova (a flirtatious man)

Activity:Use each of the coined words above to make two correct sentences.
Example: talibanize: Governor Yerima was talibanizingZamfara State.
9.6.2 Blending: Blend words are formed by combining part of one word with part of another
word. The blend word shares the meaning of both words connected to it.
o sit-com (situation + comedy)galumph (gallop + triumph)
o splatter (splash + spatter)chortle (chuckle + snort)
o chillax (chill + relax)telex (teleprinter + exchange)
o summester (summer + semester)netiquette (internet + etiquette)
o flunk (flinch + funk)camcorder (camera + recorder)
o mimsy (miserable + flimsy)smog (smoke + fog)
 Activity :Use your dictionary to find the meaning of any of the words that make up
part of the blends above that you are not familiar with. Then, use the blends to make
two sentences for each.Example: mimsy (flimsy = untenable; mimsy = untenable
misery, miserably untenable)=He‟s got so much wealth; his suffering is mimsy.

9.6.3 Compounding: Compounding is the easiest method of creating a word. This process of
word formation is achieved by combining two or more existing words to form a new word.
The words formed may be written as one-word compounds, or two-word compounds, or
hyphenated compounds. Endless possibilities for adding new words to the English language
are opened through the ability of using compounds.
litterbug floppy disk fail-safe boardroom chat show
parrot-fashion lineman rummage sale on-screen sweatshop
line management one-upmanship linesman surrogate mother
north-countryflipside folk hero link-up

Activity: Use each word below to make three correct sentences:

fail-safe rummage sale sweatshop surrogate mother
link-up one-upmanship lineman linesman

9.6.4 Clipping: Formation of words by clipping is shortening long words that are awkward
to use in everyday speech. Part of the original word is clipped off leaving the frequently used
part as clipped word:
Clipped word Original wordClipped word Original word
gov governorphone telephone
bike bicycleexam examination
yob yobbolit literature
civvy civilianlunch luncheon

9.6.5 Reduplicating: Words are formed by doubling all or part of another word with a single
vowel or consonant change.
hanky-panky jiggery-pokery humdrumboogie-woogie helter-skelter
tutti-fruttiwa-wawalkie-talkie haw-haw yum-yum ta-ta wee-weetopsy-
turvy nitty-gritty dilly-dally
 titbit
9.6.6 Acronym: An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initials or two letters of
each word that makes a term. The abbreviation becomes a word when it is added to the
lexicon of English. Most acronyms are formed from names of organizations, new inventions
and discoveries.
WAN → wide area network
VAT → value added tax
NASA → National Aeronautic Space Administration
FIFA → Federation of International Football Association
NATO → North Atlantic Treaty Organization
OPEC → Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
GOP → Grand Old Party
POTUS → President of the United States
scuba → self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
WYSIWYG→ what you see is what you get

9.6.7 Affixation: Affixation is the morphological process of using prefixes and suffixes to
form words. Affixes are bound morphemes that must be added to a free morpheme or root
word to form a word. The words formed through this morphological process might change
the meaning and the word class of the root word, or the meaning might be retained while the
word class is changed. For free morphemes, the word class and meaning are usually retained
while tense and number is changed. However, a few free morphemes can have their word
class changed with little or no change of meaning. The ability to use affixation can provide an
endless opening for vocabulary enrichment through word formation.
A suffix is a bound morpheme added at the end of a word. There are noun- and adjective-
forming suffixes. Noun-forming suffixes that can be added to verbs include -al, -ance, -ion, -
ment, -ure.
arrive + al → arrivaldominate + ion → domination
sever + ance → severancedevelop + ment → development
govern + ance → governancefail + ure → failure
Noun-forming suffixes that can be added to adjectives include -dom, -ism, -cy,
-ity, -ty, -ness, -th.
free + dom → freedom loyal + ty → loyalty
social + ism → socialism good + ness → goodness
normal + ity → normality warm +th → warmth
normal + cy → normalcy
Noun-forming suffixes that can be added to other nouns include -age, -er, -hood, -ful, -dom,
-ry, -ule.
harbour + age → harborage duke + dom → dukedom
work + er → workerforest + ry → forestry
boy + hood → boyhoodglobe + ule → globule
hand + ful → handful
Adjective-forming suffixes added to nouns to form adjectives are: -ful, -less, -ish.
faith + ful → faithful
faith + less → faithless
girl + ish → girlish
A verb-forming suffix added to adjectives to form verbs is -ize.
social + ize → socialize
idol + ize → idolize
Tense-forming suffixes added to regular verbs are -ed, -d.
want + ed → wanted
change + d → changed
Plural-forming suffixes include -s, -es, -i, -ies, -ia, -ae.
boy + s → boys criterion + ia → criteria
class + es → classes persona + ae → personae
focus + i → foci
Prefixes are bound morphemes added at the beginning of a free morpheme or root word.
Some prefixes only change the meaning of the root word without changing the word class.
But verb-forming prefix can change a noun to a verb. Disgrace, imperil, are examples. A
prefix is negative when it yields the opposite meaning of the root word. However, a word
with a negative meaning can be used with a negative prefix to reposition the meaning as a
word with positive meaning. Fetter and unfetter are examples. Positive prefixes may
indicate intensity, degree, emphasis or position of something. They do not form the antonyms
of their root words.
Positiveprefix:
extra- post- re- sub- semi- co- com-ultra-
hyper- trans- pro- pre- cor- be- intra- per-
ex- inter- ad- ante- mega- self- psycho- a-
circum- bi- bio- eu-homo- hetro- macro- micro-
mono- epi- meta-pseudo-
Negativeprefix:
a- de- dis- contra- mis- im- in- retro- un-

Activity:Read the words below and separate those with retained meaning from those
with changed meaning. Use your dictionary to assess yourself.

adrift astray amoral asleep atypical avenge

amiss apolitical apathy across amend asymmetry
1. With your dictionary, find three words for each prefix below:
ultra- hyper- psycho- un- trans- pro- pre- contra-
de- dis- intra- per- ex- inter- ad- ante-
pseudo- in- mega- mis- im- retro-

9.6.8 Neologism: This process of word formation is when old words are given new
meanings. Many dated or old-fashioned words have assumed new meanings. The word
malevolence has always been used to mean wickedness, evil, malice and anything less
ofgoodness. T. S. Eliot wrote the word as malevolence (take note of the emphasis) in his
playMurder in the Cathedral. By this, Eliot implies a change in meaning and through the
context his audience has received the word as „violence by men.‟ Eliot‟s meaning of the word
removes feminine attachment. Note that not all the old words have entirely new meanings.
Some of them still retain the old meaning in addition to their new meanings.
Word Old meaning New meaning
nice pretending to be good beautiful, kind, smart
lady wife of a noble spinster, single mother
dull slow to learn not flashy, boring
fool ignorant, clown dull, daring, deceive,
first lady queen wife of a president/governor
promised land Canaan land place of happiness, safety
Waterloo place in Poland defeat
bad unjust, wicked dangerous, amazing, surprising,

Summary of Study Session 9

In Study Session 9, you have learnt :
 1. The meaning of vocabulary
2. the history of Vocabulary in European languages especially English
3. the strategies for learning vocabulary.
4. About types of meaning
5. word formation strategies and how it factors in to Vocabulary acquisition

Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for study Session 9

Now that you have completed this study session, you should assess how much you have
learnt by attempting the following questions. You can write your answers in your notebook
so as to be able to discuss extensively on it with your tutor at the next interactive session.
You can also cross check your answers with the notes on the self-assessment questions at the
end of this module.

1.1. Define and explain Vocabulary

1.2. Briefly explain the origin of Vocabulary in the English Language
1.3. Mention and explain two strategies for learning Vocabulary
1.4. Mention two types of dictionaries and explain how they facilitate vocabulary
acquisition
1.5.What is Neologism

References/ Suggestions for further Reading

Adedun, E.A. (2010). Use of English for Academic Purposes. Lagos: Fat-Gbolly.
Gerber, Philip, et al (1979). Effective English Handbook. Canada: Silver Burdett.
McCarthy, M. and O‟Dell, F.(2008) English Vocabulary in Use Advanced.
Cambridge: CUP