Definition and Examples of Words in English

Definition and Examples of Words in English A word is a  speech sound or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing, that symbolizes and communicates a meaning and may consist of a single morpheme or a combination of morphemes. The branch of linguistics that studies word structures is called morphology. The branch of linguistics that studies word meanings is called lexical semantics. Etymology ​From Old English, word Examples and Observations [A word is the] smallest unit of grammar that can stand alone as a complete utterance, separated by spaces in written language and potentially by pauses in speech.-David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003A grammar . . . is divided into two major components, syntax and morphology. This division follows from the special status of the word as a basic linguistic unit, with syntax dealing with the combination of words to make sentences, and morphology with the form of words themselves. -R. Huddleston and G. Pullum, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2002We want words to do more than they can. We try to do with them what comes to very much like trying to mend a watch with a pickaxe or to paint a miniature with a mop; we expect them to help us to grip and dissect that which in ultimate essence is as ungrippable as shadow. Nevertheless there they are; we have got to live with them, and the wise course is to treat them as we do our neighbours, and make the best and not the worst of them.-Samuel Butler, The Note-Books of Samuel Butler, 1912 Big WordsA Czech study . . . looked at how using big words (a classic strategy for impressing others) affects perceived intelligence. Counter-intuitvely, grandiose vocabulary diminished participants impressions of authors cerebral capacity. Put another way: simpler writing seems smarter.-Julie Beck, How to Look Smart. The Atlantic, September 2014The Power of WordsIt is obvious that the fundamental means which man possesses of extending his orders of abstractions indefinitely is conditioned, and consists in general in symbolism and, in particular, in speech. Words, considered as symbols for humans, provide us with endlessly flexible conditional semantic stimuli, which are just as real and effective for man as any other powerful stimulus.Virginia Woolf on WordsIt is words that are to blame. They are the wildest, freest, most irresponsible, most un-teachable of all things. Of course, you can catch them and sort them and place them in alphabetical order in dictionaries. But words do not live in dictionaries; they live in the mind. If you want proof of this, consider how often in moments of emotion when we most need words we find none. Yet there is the dictionary; there at our disposal are some half-a-million words all in alphabetical order. But can we use them? No, because words do not live in dictionaries, they live in the mind. Look once more at the dictionary. There beyond a doubt lie plays more splendid than Antony and Cleopatra; poems lovelier than the Ode to a Nightingale; novels beside which Pride and Prejudice or David Copperfield are the crude bunglings of amateurs. It is only a question of finding the right words and putting them in the right order. But we cannot do it because they do not live in dictionaries; they live in the mind. And how do they live in the mind? Variously and strangely, much as human beings live, ranging hither and thither, falling in love, and mating together.-Virginia Woolf, Craftsmanship. The Death of the Moth and Other Essays, 194 2 Word WordWord Word [1983: coined by US writer Paul Dickson]. A non-technical, tongue-in-cheek term for a word repeated in contrastive statements and questions: Are you talking about an American Indian or an Indian Indian?; It happens in Irish English as well as English English.-Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992

Cooperative Learning Tips and Techniques

Cooperative Learning Tips and Techniques Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy classroom teachers use to help their students process information more quickly by having them work in small groups to accomplish a common goal. Each member that is in the group is responsible for learning the information given, and also for helping their fellow group members learn the information as well. How Does It Work? In order for Cooperative learning groups to be successful, the teacher and students must all play their part. The teachers role is to play the part as facilitator and observer, while the students must work together to complete the task. Use the following guidelines to achieve Cooperative learning success: Arrange students heterogeneously in groups as few as two and no more than six.Assign each member of the group a specific role: recorder, observer, bookkeeper, researcher, timekeeper, etc.Monitor each groups progress and teach skills necessary for task completion.Evaluate each group based upon how well they worked together and completed the task. Classroom Management Tips Noise Control: Use the talking chips strategy to control noise. Whenever a student needs to speak in the group they must place their chip in the middle of the table.Getting Students Attention: Have a signal to get students attention. For example, clap two times, raise your hand, ring a bell, etc.Answering Questions: Create a policy where if a group member has a question they must ask the group first before asking the teacher.Use a Timer: Give students a predetermined time for completing the task. Use a timer or stopwatch.Model Instruction: Before handing out the assignment model the instruction of the task and make sure every student understands what is expected. Common Techniques Here are six common cooperative learning techniques to try in your classroom. Jig-Saw: Students are grouped into five or six and each group member is assigned a specific task then must come back to their group and teach them what they learned.Think-Pair-Share: Each member in a group thinks about a question they have from what they just learned, then they pair-up with a member in the group to discuss their responses. Finally they share what they learned with the rest of the class or group.Round Robin: Students are placed into a group of four to six people. Then one person is assigned to be the recorder of the group. Next, the group is assigned a question that has multiple answers to it. Each student goes around the table and answers the question while the recorder writes down their answers.Numbered Heads: Each group member is given a number (1, 2, 3, 4, etc). The teacher then asks the class a question and each group must come together to find an answer. After the time is up the teacher calls a number and only the student with that number may answer the question .   Team-Pair-Solo: Students work together in a group to solve a problem. Next they work with a partner to solve a problem, and finally, they work by themselves to solve a problem. This strategy uses the theory that students can solve more problems with help then they can alone. Students then progress to the point that they can solve the problem on their own only after first being in a team and then paired with a partner.Three-Step Review: The teacher predetermines groups before a lesson. Then, as the lesson progresses, the teacher stops and gives groups three minutes to review what was taught and ask each other any questions they may have.