Explicit learning of vocabulary is regarded as a minimum threshold, which is to engage student to learn a certain amount of words, for example: 2000 highly frequent words. And then after that, it will be appropriate for students to read numerous authentic texts or expose them to meet a word in different contexts to expand what is known. This is how implicit learning of vocabulary takes place. While reading this chapter, it just recalled me of something we read last week: Matthew effect, which mean the rich gets richer, and the poor gets poorer. The more you read, the more your language skills improve.
As an English learner, I personally think the most difficulty of vocabulary learning process is the collocations and idioms as referred on the textbook page 292 and 294. The examples of collocations are exactly like the text shows: rancid butter and sour milk. I don’t know why people use “rancid” butter and use “sour” milk, not saying “sour” butter and “rancid” milk. In my e-dictionary, both “rancid” and “sour” refer to the same thing “having a bad smell.” I'm sure there are millions of cases like this. The example for idiom would be “up to the ears/elbows/eyes”. At the first time when I read it, I knew each single word, but I couldn’t understand what they meant when they all put together. I know that a wide reading will help my vocabulary knowledge and improve the word co-occurrence.
As an English learner, I personally think the most difficulty of vocabulary learning process is the collocations and idioms as referred on the textbook page 292 and 294. The examples of collocations are exactly like the text shows: rancid butter and sour milk. I don’t know why people use “rancid” butter and use “sour” milk, not saying “sour” butter and “rancid” milk. In my e-dictionary, both “rancid” and “sour” refer to the same thing “having a bad smell.” I'm sure there are millions of cases like this. The example for idiom would be “up to the ears/elbows/eyes”. At the first time when I read it, I knew each single word, but I couldn’t understand what they meant when they all put together. I know that a wide reading will help my vocabulary knowledge and improve the word co-occurrence.
I think one of the reasons why we differentiate 'sour' from 'rancid' is because 'sour' is also a taste, while rancid usually isn't... Where's that sunset picture from?
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ReplyDeletewhat??? sour is also tasty. so that's why "sour" cream is still tasty, not smelling...=D the picture is from Space Needle in Seattle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that if we have not buit up our vocabulary through learning words in chanks then we face these kind problems with collocations. this means if you lean it in chanks or if you learn those words which have collocations, you will not make that mistake that you mentioned about sour and rancid. So, I strongly support the idea that students should learn langauge in chunks.
ReplyDeleteI agree that sour can be great taste, but we also use it for bad tastes as well. Examples:
ReplyDeleteSour Skittles are a good candy, but many people think that sour candies are too sweet/tart (not me).
Sour cream and sweet/sour sauces are very good. No debate there, but for the cream I think it refers to how its created instead of its taste.
And sour milk is absolutely awful. I guess the main difference between the two words is that 'rancid' can never be good. It is always a bad smell (and I think it is rarely used for taste).