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TKT Preparation Course: Unit 2. Lexis

The document discusses key concepts about lexis, which refers to individual words or sets of words that have specific meanings. It explains that the meaning of words can be created by adding prefixes and suffixes, making compound words, and using collocations or idioms. Meaning is also derived from grouping words into synonyms, antonyms, and lexical sets. The document stresses that understanding a word involves knowing its different meanings, grammatical functions, pronunciation, spelling, and related words. Teachers are advised to repeatedly expose learners to new vocabulary to aid recall and comprehension of the full range of a word's meaning.

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César Cárdenas
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103 views20 pages

TKT Preparation Course: Unit 2. Lexis

The document discusses key concepts about lexis, which refers to individual words or sets of words that have specific meanings. It explains that the meaning of words can be created by adding prefixes and suffixes, making compound words, and using collocations or idioms. Meaning is also derived from grouping words into synonyms, antonyms, and lexical sets. The document stresses that understanding a word involves knowing its different meanings, grammatical functions, pronunciation, spelling, and related words. Teachers are advised to repeatedly expose learners to new vocabulary to aid recall and comprehension of the full range of a word's meaning.

Uploaded by

César Cárdenas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

TKT Preparation Course

Unit 2. Lexis

T. César Cárdenas / March 2021


What is lexis?
Lexis - individual words or sets of words, i.e.
vocabulary items that have specific meaning, for
example:
• tree
• get up
• first of all
What meanings does the word tree have?

● denotative, e.g. - a large plant with a wooden trunk,


branches and leaves

● figurative, e.g. - a tree of life, a family tree

● depending on context
Key Concepts: meaning from
additional elements
- meaning can be created by:
Key Concepts: meaning from
additional elements
- meaning can be created by:
● adding prefixes and suffixes
(e.g. nationality, unprofessional)
Key Concepts: meaning from
additional elements
- meaning can be created by:
● adding prefixes and suffixes
(e.g. nationality, unprofessional)
● making compound words
(e.g telephone number, bookshop)
Key Concepts: meaning from
additional elements
- meaning can be created by:
● adding prefixes and suffixes
(e.g. nationality, unprofessional)
● making compound words
(e.g telephone number, bookshop)
● using collocations or idioms
(e.g. take a holiday, heavy rain, it’s raining cats and
dogs)
Key Concepts: meaning by
grouping
- meaning can be created by grouping:
Key Concepts: meaning by
grouping
- meaning can be created by grouping:
● synonyms (words with similar meaning)
Key Concepts: meaning by
grouping
- meaning can be created by grouping:
● synonyms (words with similar meaning)

● antonyms (words with opposite meaning)


Key Concepts: meaning by
grouping
- meaning can be created by grouping:
● synonyms (words with similar meaning)

● antonyms (words with opposite meaning)

● lexical sets (words within the same topic area, e.g.


members of the family, furniture, types of food)
Key Concepts: meaning by
grouping
- meaning can be created by grouping:
● synonyms (words with similar meaning)

● antonyms (words with opposite meaning)

● lexical sets (words within the same topic area, e.g.


members of the family, furniture, types of food)
● word families (words with the same root)
Key Concepts and the language
teaching classroom
● Really knowing a word means
knowing all its different kinds
of meaning.
Key Concepts and the language
teaching classroom
● Knowing a word also involves
knowing its form, i.e. what
part of speech it is, how it
works grammatically, and how
it’s pronounced and spelt.
Key Concepts and the language
teaching classroom
● Teachers need to introduce
vocabulary items again and
again to learners to increase
range of meaning and aid
memory.
Key Concepts and the language
teaching classroom
● We first introduce words in
reading and listening before
we ask learners to use the
items.
Lexical Features
• Denotation • False Friends
• Synonyms • Prefixes
• Antonyms / Opposites • Suffixes
• Lexical Sets • Compounds
• Word Families • Collocations
• Homophones • Figurative Meanings
• Homonyms • Idioms

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