Equipping yourself with the relevant academic vocabulary will give you a head start in your university studies. Especially if you’re a second language learner of English, studying in a foreign language can be very difficult and time-consuming. In order to do well, you may want to consider the following ways of learning academic vocabulary more effectively.
Academic Vocabulary Equipping yourself with the relevant academic vocabulary will give you a head start in your university studies Especially if you’re a second language learner of English, studying in a foreign language can be very difficult and time-consuming In order to well, you may want to consider the following ways of learning academic vocabulary more effectively You will need: The General Service List The GSL is a list of general and basic vocabulary of English used in order of frequency It has been recognized and used quite extensively among second language learners of English for work and study It was first created by West in 1953 The version used was then adapted by Baumann and Culligan in 1995 It contains almost 2,300 words The GSL here is divided into smaller sublists Sublist has the first 500 words Sublist the next 500 words etc For the complete word lists, refer to: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~alzsh3/acvocab/wordlists.htm Subject-related Word List This is a list of words which is specific to your discipline of studies, for example, finance, accounting, education and others The index at the back of your textbook is generally the best guide to the terms, concepts that are widely used in the subject The index is a valuable guide to understanding the key concepts and terms used in a subject So make good use of the book index You may also want to consult this site for some additional help and ideas: http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/selframs.htm Read through the introduction and see which parts are relevant to you The Academic World List The AWL is first developed by and compiled by Averil Coxhead Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand The AWL contains 10 sublists that include 570 word families which appeared most frequently in academic texts There are 60 words in each sublist 1-9, and 30 in Sublist 10 Sublist one consists of the 60 mostly frequently used words in the academic texts and sublist two consists of the next 60 word families and so on The academic corpus contained approximately3,500,000 active vocabulary taken from a variety of texts used and read across the faculties, spanning over more than 25 subject areas The complete Academic Word list of 570 root words and their word families can be conveniently found in http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm with a quick link to their the dictionary meanings A note to mention is that the list here is arranged in alphabetical order and NOT by sublists Nevertheless, this is a great site to learn the meanings of the AWL words and to see how the words are connected Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Critical Thinking is There are gap-filling exercises that you could to learn the academic words in their proper contexts Besides learning the root word, learn the word families and how they could be correctly used in sentences e.g the word “access” can be used as a noun as well as a verb The word family for ‘access’: accessed, accesses, accessibility, accessible, accessing, inaccessible Ensure you have at least 80-85% correct answer in the each exercise of a sublist before you move on to the subsequent level Start with exercises in sublist and work your level up This website will take you step by step through the exercises Try some of these exercises: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~alzsh3/acvocab/learning.htm PRACTICE TEST Be sure you _ a recent photo for your passport application There has been a noticeable drop in the _ of crime in the area since the teen centre opened up If we all appear _, I’m sure we’ll be able to negotiate a good deal with the sales agent It can be quite difficult to really define _ ideas, such as ‘trust’ or ‘faith’ My wife has great _ because she practises yoga on a daily basis The Dutch foreign _ attended to the needs of the victims of the American tornado It was my _ that she was talking to me; I could be wrong though The boss gave me specific _ to send the report to you as soon as it was complete Reading lots of journals really _ my knowledge and grasp of academic vocabulary 10 We made a digital _ of our baby’s first sounds to send to my parents Words to choose from: tape abstract cooperate flexibility attach incidence instructed presumed enhanced ministered ANSWERS are available on sublist on page of this document The numbers show the correct answers to the above questions Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of the Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus analysis approach area assessment assume authority available benefit concept consistent constitutional context contract create data definition derived distribution economic environment established estimate evidence export factors financial formula function identified income indicate individual interpretation involved issues labour legal legislation major method occur percent period policy principle procedure process required research response role section sector significant similar source specific structure theory variable Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the second most frequent words in the Academic Word List from the Academic Corpus achieve acquisition administration affect appropriate aspects assistance categories chapter commission community complex computer conclusion conduct consequences construction consumer credit cultural design distinction elements equation evaluation features final focus impact injury institute investment items journal maintenance normal obtained participation perceived positive potential previous primary purchase range region regulations relevant resident resources restricted security sought select site strategies survey text traditional transfer Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the third most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus alternative circumstances comments compensation components consent considerable constant constraints contribution convention coordination core corporate corresponding criteria deduction demonstrate document dominant emphasis ensure excluded framework funds illustrated immigration implies initial instance interaction justification layer link location maximum minorities negative outcomes partnership philosophy physical proportion published reaction registered reliance removed scheme sequence sex shift specified sufficient task technical techniques technology validity volume Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the fourth most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus access adequate annual apparent approximated attitudes attributed civil code commitment communication concentration conference contrast cycle debate despite dimensions domestic emerged error ethnic goals granted hence hypothesis implementation implications imposed integration internal investigation job label mechanism obvious occupational option output overall parallel parameters phase predicted principal prior professional project promote regime resolution retained series statistics status stress subsequent sum summary undertaken Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the fifth most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus academic adjustment alter amendment aware capacity challenge compounds conflict consultation contact decline discretion draft enable energy enforcement entities equivalent evolution expansion exposure external clause facilitate fundamental generated generation image liberal licence logic perspective marginal medical mental modified monitoring network notion objective orientation precise prime psychology pursue ratio sustainable rejected revenue stability styles substitution symbolic target transition trend version welfare whereas Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the sixth most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus abstract (4) accurate acknowledged aggregate allocation assigned attached author bond brief capable cited cooperative (3) discrimination display diversity domain edition enhanced estate exceed expert explicit federal fees flexibility (5) furthermore gender ignored incentive incidence (2) incorporated index inhibition initiatives input instructions (8) intelligence interval lecture migration minimum ministry motivation neutral nevertheless overseas preceding presumption (7) rational recovery revealed scope subsidiary tapes trace transformation transport underlying utility Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the seventh most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus adaptation adults advocate aid channel chemical classical comprehensive comprise confirmed contrary converted couple decades definite deny differentiation disposal dynamic eliminate empirical equipment extract file finite foundation global grade guarantee hierarchical identical ideology inferred innovation insert intervention isolated media mode paradigm phenomenon priority prohibited publication quotation release reverse simulation solely somewhat submitted successive survive thesis topic transmission ultimately unique visible voluntary Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the eighth most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus abandon accompanied accumulation ambiguous appendix appreciation arbitrary automatically bias chart clarity conformity commodity complement contemporary contradiction crucial currency denote detected deviation displacement dramatic eventually exhibit exploitation fluctuations guidelines highlighted implicit induced inevitably infrastructure inspection intensity manipulation minimised nuclear offset paragraph plus practitioners predominantly prospect radical random reinforced restore revision schedule tension termination theme thereby uniform vehicle via virtually widespread visual Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the ninth most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus accommodation analogous anticipated assurance attained behalf bulk ceases coherence coincide commenced incompatible concurrent confined controversy conversely device devoted diminished distortion duration erosion ethical format founded inherent insights integral intermediate manual mature mediation medium military minimal mutual norms overlap passive portion preliminary protocol qualitative refine relaxed restraints revolution rigid route scenario sphere subordinate supplementary suspended team temporary trigger unified violation vision Sublist 10 of the Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the least frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic Corpus adjacent albeit assembly collapse colleagues compiled conceived convinced depression encountered enormous forthcoming inclination integrity intrinsic invoked levy likewise nonetheless notwithstanding odd ongoing panel persistent posed reluctant so-called straightforward undergo whereby References: Vocabulary Exercises for the Academic Word List: http://www.uefap.com/vocab/vocfram.htm Using English for Academic Purposes: http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/ University of Nottingham, Academic Vocabulary: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~alzsh3/acvocab/index.htm Learning Skills First Year Experience E-mail: learningskills@mq.edu.au http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ ... http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of the Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic. .. http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the third most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic. .. http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/ Academic Word Lists (AWL) Sublist of Academic Word List - Most Frequent Words in Families This sublist contains the fifth most frequent words of the Academic Word List in the Academic