CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale
When people first begin to learn a language, they often get frustrated with the introduction of several terms that can be substituted for the same word As you become more fluent, however, you realize that the slight difference in meaning between these words can make all the difference in the world in your sentences If you want to use more nuance or be more precise in your language choices, you need synonyms and antonyms
Synonyms are words with the same or similar meanings According to James Champlin Fernald (2009): “Synonym is a suggestion which they would not gain from
any precision of separate definitions in a dictionary.”
For example: ‘joyful’ is a synonym for ‘happy’
Words with opposite meanings are called antonyms For example: 'miserable' is an antonym of happy
Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word within a book The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers or it may follow in the next sentence Because most of our vocabulary 1s gained through reading, it is important that we are able to recognize and take advantage of context clues
Most learners therefore expect to speak the language fast when they join a course or hire a teacher As teachers, however, we know that, being a productive skill, speaking will have to come after listening in the process of the students’ linguistic development The same goes for writing: it needs to follow reading Receptive skills (listening and reading) precede productive skills (speaking and writing) This is an absolute law that emulates the acquisition of the native language ontext clues are hints of mformation that help us figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words Context clues are the words and sentences that surround a word and help explain the word’s meaning Context clues are hugely important because their comprehension and effective usage leads to academic success They can increase the child’s vocabulary, reading comprehension, and make children better readers
Trang 2themed 21 page packet was created by Carrie to help students learn to use context clues by figuring out the meaning of nonsense words
Sometimes you won’t understand every word in a reading passage One thing you can do to figure out new words is to use context clues Good readers use context clues to help them understand the meaning of an unfamiliar and/or challenging word
So often, students are told to figure out what a word means based on its word parts or on surrounding context clues, but if they don’t have the understanding of what a context clue is, that is a difficult task We have been exploring strategies to help us use context clues When students can effectively use context clues strategies to navigate a text, they will increase their vocabulary, activate prior knowledge, and improve reading comprehension and fluency
There are four common types of context clues strategies we are investigating The first is definition/explanation clues In this strategy, the unknown word is defined The word’s meaning is explained in the sentence A second strategy is using restatement or a synonym to give a clue as to the meaning of the unknown word A word or phrase is used in the sentence that has similar meaning Often, authors use antonyms as clues to a word’s meaning The meaning of the work 1s clarified by a work or phrase with opposite meaning Finally, students can use their schema and inference skills to understand the meaning of the word By labeling the context clues according to their specific type, rather than simply saying they are “clues,” students who are confused by generalities have a more concrete method and can look more easily for restatements, contrasts, inferences, and so on
1.2 Aims and Objectives
The paper aims at investigating features of the topic based games in English 12 textbook and their usefulnesses in teaching English as the second language in order to have a good insight into the given basic topics and from which to develop students’ language skills and acedemic knowledge
To reach the aim, the objectives of the writing are as follows:
- To describe the importance and features of Context Clue in English learning and language knowledge acquisition
- To find out the kinds of Context Clues that are used to find out the meaning of the words before deciding to choose their closest or opposite meaning
Trang 31.3 The research question
The paper aims at finding the answers to the following research questions:
- How do Context Clues related to the exercise given in GCSE English Tests affect students’ tutoring engagement and desire to gain the result?
- What can learners get from those interesting application?
- What difficulties do learners have in experiencing Context Clue application? 1.4 Significance of the study
- Theoretically, this writing can help the language researchers and learners understand more the use of Context clues in solving the exercise of finding the closest or Opposite meaning in GCSE English Tests The result of the study could partly lay the foundation for the next creations relating to other topic based activities relating to teaching orientations made by language teaching performers
- Practically, the result of the study could be used in the teaching and learning of English language at high schools As for teachers, this study will be a good reference of the use and importance of Context clues in solving the exercise of finding the closest or opposite meaning in GCSE English Tests, especially in teaching language process As for students, they will have greater insights into the exercise with a greater deal of vocabulary and related knowledge in the situations suggested Moreover, the paper’s goal is also designed to help students improve academic competence; develop language skill and imagination through concrete situations designed
1.5 The methodology
Trang 4CHAPTER IT —- LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The theoretical basis
2.1.1 Context Clue Definition
Context clues are hints to help readers understand unfamiliar words The hints may be within the sentence, paragraph, or passage By utilizing context clues, students gain a better understanding of the writing
Context clues are basically the hints for specific content — to understand the meaning of the content that is hidden in the plain yet twisted text Context clues can be used to explain a passage, paragraph, or individual statements
With the help of context clues, we can essential information about the phrases or words that are used in the content This directly or indirectly helps the reader to understand the meaning of the paragraph Moreover, the context clues provide insights into the specific portion of the text that is generally difficult to understand Sometimes even the title of a piece or the illustrations that come with it offers context clues, as well These clues are really beneficial in learning the meaning of unfamiliar words in a unique way
2.1.2 Vocabulary in Context
Understanding why and how to teach vocabulary in context has been a skill I’m still learning to master One of the main challenges of teaching reading is knowing whether your students are comprehending the text Often times, we sit as students read effortlessly and fluently a reading passage We smile as they decode multisyllabic words with little hesitation Then we look up from our clipboards and ask, “Ok, now tell me what that was about.”
Comprehension and fluency need to be looked at with completely different lenses In fact, a student’s reading level may significantly drop when linked directly with comprehension So what is the problem when students are decoding with ease but not comprehending?
Vocabulary instruction needs to be explicitly taught at all grade levels We want to teach the decoding and we want students to read effortlessly But if they are not understanding the words they are reading, what is the true point of our instruction?
Being an ESL teacher, I have made it a point to be sure I am incorporating vocabulary instruction into my daily lessons What I have found over the years is these five things work to help build vocabulary no matter what grade level, or level of
Trang 5CHAPTER HI — DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES TO HELP STUDENTS ADDRESS THE EXERCISE OF FINDING CLOSEST AND OPPOSITE MEANING OF WORDS IN GCSE ENGLISH TESTS
“Words in Context” subscore measures the understanding of the meaning and use of words and phrases in the context of a sentence in GCSE English Tests
3.1 Participants
There were a total of 36 students taking part in the survey in order to find out the result Of those 36 students, it 1s often observed that the attrition is more or less impacted by low achieved students who generally have low motivation in completing the exercise This bias often affects the results of the study as well—higher post (or delayed) test scores in one condition might be simply due to the exclusion of lower motivated students who dropped from the study This could be troublesome in our analysis, because the number of students who took the delayed test was different between the two conditions In our study, however, there were no notable condition differences on scores among those 19 students who did not take the delayed-test, suggesting that we can safely eliminate the potential threat of the motivation bias as a cause of the condition difference in delayed-test scores (if any)
The expected rating after getting the test result is also delivered to students When receiving the exercise, students will classify the types of the exercise related to the theory and properly apply in different contexts
Math has different formulas to solve equations Additionally, there are often multiple ways to complete a science experiment Similarly, there are numerous types of context clues to understand an unfamiliar term Thankfully, this means that students can apply different techniques to improve their understanding
3.2 Context Definition
To better understand the meaning of the word context, let’s look at the meaning of its parts: “con-” and “text.”
Con- This prefix means “with” or “together” Text means reading material
When combined with each other, con and text make a pretty important and powerful word that could be defined like this:
Context means the surrounding circumstances, ideas and words woven together to form the setting or background for an event, statement, or idea
Trang 6Context is the connection of the words or ideas expressed before and after It provides readers with the information they need to fully understand, evaluate or interpret the ideas in the passage
3.3 Context Clues
Context clues are hints that an author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word within a book The clue may appear within the same sentence as the word to which it refers or it may follow in the next sentence Because most of our vocabulary 1s gained through reading, it is important that we are able to recognize and take advantage of context clues
In reading and listening, a context clue is a form of information (such as a definition, synonym, antonym, or example) that appears near a word or phrase and offers direct or indirect suggestions about its meaning
Context clues are more commonly found in nonfiction texts than in fiction, although they are sometimes found in children's literature, often with the goal of building readers' vocabulary Words can have multiple meanings, so being able to infer the correct definition from context is a valuable reading comprehension skill
3.3.1 Different Types of Context Clues
Questions in the Words in Context category ask you to consider both the meanings and roles of words and phrases as they are used in particular passages You'll also be asked to think about how to make language use more effective These questions focus on the following skills: 3.3.2.1 Definition The author provides a direct (explicit) definition of an unknown word in the sentence The signal words are “Is, are Is /are called Is / are known as Is defined as Means, Refers to”
- Martha is a curator, a person who is responsible for looking after a museum’s
collection Entomology is the study of insects
- Archeology is the scientific study of prehistoric cultures by excavation of their remains
Trang 7The author uses a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or other words in a sentence
The signal words are “Commas , Semicolon ; Dashes - Parenthesis ( ) Sometimes signal words or, that is, or in other words are used
For example:
- Carnivores, that is, meat eaters, are the top of the food chain - My best friend
squandered all his money; his drinking and gambling wasted all his earnings - After seeing the picture of the starving children,
we all felt compassion or pity for their suffering - After atime, glaciers, or slowly moving rivers
of ice, formed over many parts of the Earth 3.3.2.3 Antonym or Contrast
The author uses another word or phrase that means the opposite of an unfamiliar word
Words used are: But, however, although, otherwise, unless, instead of, on the contrary, on the other hand, while, unlike
For example:
- Mike’s parrot was loquacious, but Maria’s said very little - The gentleman was portly, but his wife was thin
- While Luis is hardworking, his indolent brother
spends most of the time watching TV or sitting around with friends 3.3.2.4 Comparison
In comparison clues, the author uses words and
phrases that have the same or similar meaning as an unfamiliar word
Words used are: like, as, similar to, in the same way, likewise, resembling, too, also For example:
- My brother is enthralled by birds similar to the way that I am fascinated by insects - The stench of the old shoes was like the smell of garbage
3.3.2.5 Example/ Explanation
The author provides examples or additional explanations or summaries to help you understand an unfamiliar word The word 1s cleared up by giving an example For example / For instance/ Including/ Such as/ Specifically/ To illustrate
Trang 8For example:
- The archeologist found different amulets, such as a rabbit’s foot and bags of herb - Paula was suspended from school because of several infractions of the rules,
including smoking in the bathroom and dressing improperly
- Celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon, and stars, are governed by predictable laws
3.3.2.6 Cause and Effect
The meaning of an unknown word depends on the cause/effect relationship with other words in the text As aresult/ Accordingly/ Because, Since/ Consequently / For this reason/ Hence, if then For example:
- Simce no one came to the first meeting, attendance for the second one is mandatory for all staff
- Because the conflagration was aided by wind, it was so destructive that every building in the area 3.3.2.7 List or Series The unfamiliar word is included in a series of related words that give an idea of the word’s meaning Look for a list of words For example:
- North American predators include grizzly bears, pumas, wolves, and foxes
- The debris in the stadium stands included numerous paper cups, ticket stubs, sandwich wrappings, and cigarette butts
3.3.2.8 Inference or General Context
The meaning of an unfamiliar word can be inferred (guessed) from the description of a situation The author provides non-specific clues, often spread over the sentence or number of sentences
Look for clues over several words or sentences For example:
- The monkey’s vociferous chatter made me wish I had earplugs
- Katie’s belligerence surprised everyone She threw her book across the room,
Trang 93.4 The exercise used Context clue analysis
Question 1 The children were full of beans today, looking forward to their field trip
A eating a lot B hyperactive
C melancholy D lively and in high spirits
Question 2 When the protestor entered the meeting clad only in a beach tower, the audience was dumbfounded
A speechless B excited C content D applauding
Question 3 She is always diplomatic when she deals with angry students
A strict B outspoken C tactful D firm
Question 4 We had to list the chronology of events in World War II on our test A time sequence _ B discrepancy C catastrophe D disaster Question 5 The team wasn’t playing well, so the coach took the bull by the horns and sacked severalsenior players
A made the right decision B made the wrong decision C made a bold decision D made a final decision
Question 6 It is such a prestigious university that only excellent students are entitled to a full scholarship each year
A have the right to refuse B are given the right to C are refused the right to D have the obligation to
Question 7 The way the care-taker treated those little children was deplorable She must be punished for what she did
A respectable B unacceptable C mischievous D satisfactory Question 8 Talking about your feeling can help you get clear about what you feel
A control B banish C get rid of D figure out Question 9 The government has launched a new road safety campaign in an attempt to reduce the number of road accidents
A to try to B to aim to C to intend to D to plan to Question 10 A number of programs have been initiated to provide food and shelter for the underprivileged in the remote areas of the country
A rich citizens B active members C.poorinhabitants D enthusiastic people
Question 11 I can't believe what a narrow escape it was when the car went off the road and passed within a few feet of us
Trang 10A rambled B tiptoed C stumbled D crawled Question 13 TV commercials that sell household products have often been accused of reinforcing stereotypes of societal roles
A strengthening _B modifying C contrasting D exposing Question 14 Her style of dress accentuated her extreme slenderness
A betrayed B emphasized C revealed D disfigured Question 15 He was attentive as Betsy and I talked about our charity concert to help
the victims of the recent floods
A perceptive B indifferent C interested D negligent Question 16 My father hit the roof when he found out that I’d damaged the car
A was over the moon B burst with anger C went with the flow D kept his shirt on
Question 17 Many organizations have been involved in drawing up the report on environmental campaigns
A concerned about B confined in C enquired about —_—D engaged in Question 18 His girlfriend’s behavior at the party was unacceptable, which made everyone there shocked
A out of practice _B out of line C out of the habit D out ofsight Question 19 Please stop making that noise! It really gets on my nerves
A.cheersmeup PB wakes me up C amuses me D annoys me Question 20 Denise has been burning the midnight oil trying to finish this report, so I reckon she is exhausted now
A making every attempt possible B exercising regularly to keep fit € staying up working late at night D having lots of food late at night Explanation:
Question 1 D
Giải thích: full of beans: hăng hái, sôi nỗi, đầy năng lượng
eating a lot: ăn rất nhiêu hyperactive: quá mức hiểu động (trẻ em)
melancholy: u sâu, đau buôn lively and in high spirits: nang nỗ và đây năng lượng
=> full of beans = lively and in high spirits
Tạm dịch: Hôm nay lũ trẻ rất hăng hái, vô cùng mong đợi chuyên đi thực địa Đáp án: D
Question 2 A
Trang 11Giải thích: dumbfounded (a): im lặng, câm lặng
speechless (a): câm lặng excited (a): thích thú contented (a): băng lòng applauding (a): tân dương => dumbfounded = speechless
Tạm dịch: Khi kẻ chống đối bước vào cuộc họp chỉ với chiếc khăn tắm, khán giả câm lặng điếng người
Dap an: A
Giai thich: diplomatic (a): quang giao, hoa nha
strict (a): nghiém khac outspoken (a): thang than
tactful (a): lich thiép firm (a): chic chan
=> diplomatic = tactful
Tạm dịch: Cô ấy luôn hòa nhã khi xử lý các học sinh đang nồi nóng
SWragcHew: 42 A
QR PREOSCSSSES SSL OAR
Giai thich: chronology (n): nién dai
time sequence (n): chuỗi thời gian điscrepancy (n): sự tương phản catastrophe (n): thảm họa đisaster (n): tai họa
=> chronology = time sequence
Tạm dịch: Chúng tôi phải liệt kê chuỗi thời gian các sự kiện trong chiến tranh Thế giới
thứ 2 ở bài kiểm tra
Giải thích: take the bull by the horns: dũng cảm giải quyết điều gì đó make the right decision: dua ra quyét dinh dung
make the wrong decision: dua ra quyét định sai make a bold decision : đũng cảm đưa ra quyết định make a final decision: dua ra quyét dinh cuéi cing => took the bull by the horns = made a bold decision
Tạm dịch: Đội đã chơi không tốt, vì thế huấn luyện viên dũng cảm đưa ra quyết định
loại bỏ một số cầu thủ cao cấp Đáp án: C
S Saxe Ssenes
CL SMES TOTS O wats ‘shed
Giai thich: are entitled to: có quyên với
have the right to refuse: có quyền từ chối are given the right to: duoc cho quyén VỚI
are refused the right to: bị từ chối quyền với have the obligation to: có nghĩa vụ
Trang 12=> are entitled to = are given the right to
Tạm dịch: Đây là một trường đại học có uy tín mà chỉ có những sinh viên xuât săc mới được hưởng học bơng tồn phân môi năm
ŸWggeefievss TẾ §8 SUES ¿, šề Be Ñ kì Ñ
iải thích: deplorable (adj): tồi tệ, không thể chấp nhận được
respectable (adj): đáng kính trọng unacceptable (adj): không thể chấp nhận được
mischievous (adj): tinh nghich satisfactory (adj): thoa man, dat yéu
cau
=> unacceptable = deplorable
Tạm dịch: Cách mà người bảo mẫu đối xử với những đứa trẻ đó là không thê chấp nhận được Cô ấy phải bị trừng phạt vì những gì cô ấy đã làm
Giải thích: get clear: hiểu rõ ràng
control (v): điều khiển banish (v): trục xuất get rid of: thoát khỏi figure out: hiểu ra => figure out = get clear
Tạm dịch: Nói về cảm giác của bạn có thể giúp bạn hiểu rõ hơn về những gì ban cảm thây
Giải thích: attempt (n): nỗ lực
try (v): c6 gang aim (v): v61 muc dich
intend (v): du dinh plan (v): lên kế hoạch
=> try = In an attempt
Tam dich: Chính phủ đã khởi động chiến dịch an toàn đường bộ mới nhăm giảm số vụ tai nạn đường bộ
the underprivileged: những người thiệt thòi về quyên lợi
Trang 13=> dap an C Tạm dịch: Một số chương trình đã được khởi xướng để cung cấp thức ăn và chỗ ở cho seg wyagtecays § x SG sầu Y
Giải thích: narrow escape: mém chét, suyt chét
lost cause: bo tay, hết hy vọng first-rate: hạng nhất, loại một
close call: thoát chết takeaway: cửa hàng bán thức ăn mang
về
=> narrow escape = close call
Tạm dịch: Tôi không thể tin được thật suýt chết khi chiếc xe chạy trên đường và vượt chúng tôi chỉ cách có vài feet
v “aN
Beek Sewn
RIES EM fc
Lao SEARS SRS
Giai thich: walk quietly (v): di nhe nhang
ramble (v): dao choi, ngao du tiptoe (v): di nhon chan
stumble (v): vấp ngã crawl (v): bò, trườn
=> walk quietly = tiptoe
Tạm dịch: Bởi vì cô ấy đã trễ vài phút, cô ấy lặng lẽ bước vào lớp và ngôi ở phía sau phòng
Đáp án: B
⁄
Png! wed zz C3 1, Le ras 7 ‘en? rn eae WIL ‘oad „
Giải thích: reinforce (v): tăng cường; củng cố
strengthen (v): củng cố; tăng cường modify (v): thay đổi, sửa đôi contrast (v): trong phan expose (v): phoi bay ra, dé 16 ra => reinforce = strengthen
Tam dich: Các quảng cáo truyền hình bán các sản phẩm gia dụng thường bị buộc tội làm tăng thêm khuôn mẫu của các vai trò xã hội
kể KÃ Nhã
Giai thich: accentuate (v): nhân mạnh, làm nổi bật, nêu bật
betray (v): tiết lộ, đề lộ emphasize (v): nhấn mạnh, làm nổi bật
reveal (v): đề lộ, bộc lộ, tiết lộ disfipgure (v): làm biến dạng, làm xâu
xi di
=> accentuate = emphasize
Tạm dịch: Phong cách ăn mặc của cô làm nôi bật dáng mảnh mai của cô
Trang 14Giải thích: attentive (a): chăm chú, ân cần
perceptive (a): sâu sắc; sáng suốt indifferent (a): tho ơ; lãnh đạm interested (a): 16 vé quan tam (chu y, thich tha) negligent (a): cau tha, chénh mang => attentive = interested
Tạm dịch: Anh ây chú ý đến việc Betsy và tôi đã nói chuyện về buổi hòa nhạc từ thiện của chúng tôi để giúp đỡ các nạn nhân lũ lụt gân đây
HIE, wR: al oy jd Gea wad wn og M4 watt PIED / ae I2, vu”
Giải thích: hit the roof: tức giận
over the moon: rất sung sướng, hạnh phúc burst with anger: tức giận
go with the flow: thuận theo ý kién, hanh động của mọi người keep one's shirt on: không mất bình tĩnh, đừng hấp tấp
=> hit the roof = burst with anger
Tạm dịch: Cha tôi tức giận khi phát hiện ra răng tôi đã làm hỏng chiếc xe
Giải thích: 1nvolve 1n (v): tham gia vào, liên quan tới
concern about (v): quan tâm, lo lăng về confine 1n (v): giới hạn trong enquire about (v): hỏi về engage 1n (v): tham g1a vào => involve in = engage in
Tạm dịch: Nhiêu tô chức đã tham gia vào việc soạn thảo báo cáo vê các chiên dịch môi
VN 4N x y
§ Sesesetseayse f duestian 28,
Giai thich: unacceptable (a): khong thé chap nhan
out of practice: v6 lý, cách xa thực tế out of line: hành xử một cách không thể chấp nhận được
out of the habit: mất thói quen làm gì out of sight: xa mat cách lòng => unacceptable = out of line
Tạm dịch: Hành vi của bạn gái anh ấy ở bữa tiệc không thể chấp nhận được, khiến mọi
người đều bị sốc
Giải thích: gets on someone nerves : chọc tức, làm ai phát cau
A cheers me up : cô vũ B wakes me up : đánh thức dậy C amuses me : gây cười D annoys me : gây bực bội
Trang 15=> gets On my nerves = annoys me : gây bực bội
Tạm dịch : Đừng gây tiếng ôn nữa! Nó thực sự làm tôi bực mình! Đáp án D
Question 20 C
Giai thich: burning the midnight oil: hoc hoac lam viéc muộn vào ban đêm making every attempt possible: thuc hién mọi nỗ lực có thể
exercising regularly to keep fit: tap thé dục thường xuyên để giữ dáng staying up working late at night: thc khuya lam viéc
having lots of food late at night: an nhiéu dé vao t6i muộn => burning the midnight oil = staying up working late at night
Tam dich: Denise thức đêm để hoàn thành bản báo cáo, vì thê tơi đốn hiện giờ cô ấy kiệt sức rồi
Dap an: C
Trang 16CONCLUSION
We found that introducing different types of Context clues to help students tackle with the exercise of finding Closest and Opposite meaning of words in GCSE English Tests is urgent activities in which students are supplied with proper orientation so that they can have better and faster way to make the best choice for the answers of the GCSE questions, resulting in an overall better English score in the tests
As a major technological contribution of the current study, we have demonstrated that students can be used as a teachable agent with which students can learn procedural skills by being taught We also demonstrated that using a teachable agent allows the researcher to collect detailed process data that, when combined with outcome data, can help us understand better cognitive theories of learning by teaching We also identified issues of the exercise related to the topic and urgently find out the best ways of solving it
The exercise relating to knowledge of finding closest and opposite meaning of words has been solved basing on using six main types of context clues Such studies can be run in real schools and these approaches have the potential to provide effective interventions The transformative theory of learning by teaching has yet to be thoroughly investigated, but we find great potential and opportunity in future work in this area