Tam Kang University TOFEL Preparation Course Week 2

Tam. Kang University TOFEL Preparation Course Week 2 Host: Andrew du Boulay

Recommended Text • Reminder if you want the best TOEFL book “Cracking the TOEFL i. BT” 2011 Edition (with Test Preparation CD) Publisher: Princeton Review 2010 Approximately, NT$ 1, 103 • To Order contact Safin (陳珈汝) in the Dean’s office ~ room CL 521

Extra Learning Tools • The Official Guide to the TOEFL® Test, 3 rd Edition A guide with practical and tactical information you need to know about the TOEFL test. Includes two full-length practice tests, real sample responses

About last week’s test • The following graph shows the average spread of last week’s test. • Compare where your performance fits into the rest of the class. • Our aim is to improve performance and move the majority of students toward the 75% pass mark

Distribution of test results 35 30 S t u d e n ts 25 20 15 10 5 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 Mean test score was 11. 26 out of 30 with 120 students

Lesson 2 • Your best friend: the Dictionary. Understand what you read as you read it. • Your next best friend: the Thesaurus

Question 1 • What do you call a person who likes to read and study a dictionary?

Answer • A 1 : a smart person with a great vocubulary!

Question 2 & 3 • 2. What do you call a person who likes to study the formation and meaning of words? • 3. What do you call a person who likes to study the history and formation of words?

Answer 2 & 3 • A 2: a lexicologist. – From the Greek words • lexis ~ meaning word • ology ~ meaning to study • plus the suffix ist ~ to signify a person • A 3 : an etymologist. – From the Latin word • etymologia ~ meaning to study the origin of a word

The best place to start…

a Dictionary and a Thesaurus • Oxford dictionaries and thesauruses are trusted the world over • They invest in language research • Give you access to the latest new words and phrases and the most up-to-date definitions.

For learners of English • Oxford’s dictionaries for learners of English give the help and support you need to expand vocabulary and use words correctly. • They explain words using language learners understand, with illustrations for difficult words, and help with grammar and pronunciation.

Electronic Dictionaries • Consumers are turning to electronic dictionaries over the traditional book dictionaries due to their portability and user friendly features. • The best electronic dictionaries are both comprehensive and easy to use. • They have large, easy to read LCD screens, comprehensive word banks, and tons of consumer friendly features.

International Phonetic Alphabet • The IPA is the most common phonetic system. • It was established in 1886 in Paris.

Different Phonetic Sounds Phonetic symbol IPA Sounds = to English Letter IPA English Sound ㄅ b э: b b bat, ball, big, bank, book, bible ㄆ p э: p p pan, pen, point, please, proper ㄇ m э: m m man, memory, mother, monster ㄈ f э: f f find, fox, friend, foe, finger , life ㄉ d э: d d do, did, doing, done, destined ㄊ t э: t t tap, tip, toss, temporary, total ㄋ n э: n n no, need, now, next, never ㄌ l э: l l leg, long, lane, lemon, lime ㄍ g э: g g get, going, gone, grandma ㄎ k э: c + k k cat, come, kick, cool, kettle, chemistry, chaos, Christian, ㄏ h э: h h her, hurt, hearse, have, hold, hello, help, heaven, ㄐ ʤ i: j g ʤ jam, jump, jazz, jog, judge, general, generation, giant ㄑ ʧ ch ee ʧ cheese, cheat, church, chop, change, challenge, chocolate i: Some English words

Different Phonetic Sounds Phonetic symbol IPA Sounds = to English Letter IPA English Sound Some English words ㄒ ʃ i: sh ee ʃ ㄓ ʤ ü: j ew ʤ Jew, juice, juicy judicial ㄔ ʧ ü: ch ew ʧ chew, chewing, choose, ㄕ ʃ ü: sh ew ʃ shoe, chateau, chauffeur, shame, session, profession, show decision, measure, treasure sheep, shop, sharpen, shadow, motion, imagination, chef, ㄖ ʒür combined sound ʒ ㄗ ds-z combined sound d s z ㄘ ts ts t s ㄙ sz s sit, sister, his zebra, size, sizzle, peoples’ zoo, xylophones ㄧ i: i I it, situation, institution, ㄨ u: several diphthongs u: ㄩ jü ü j ü ㄚ a: ar a: does, dozen dentists, artists, tests, plates do, too, two, kangaroo, you, flew, through, coupé, blue, Mainly for German words. You’re, j = yes are, archer, army, muscular

Different Phonetic Sounds Phonetic symbol IPA Sounds = to English Letter IPA English Sound Some English words ㄛ ɔ: several diphthongs ɔ: auto, author, auspicious, saw, awesome, all, ordinary, major, ㄜ э: several diphthongs э: her, girl, curl, term, turn, ㄝ je yeh j e yeah (yes), yellow, several sounds a. I Letter ‘I’, tie, fly, fire, bye, buy, eye, bicycle, hi (hello), high, ei Usually ‘A’ words ei Letter ‘A’, day, maid, made, fade, appreciate, eight, ㄠ aƱ ao aƱ Ouch! Our house. How now brown cow. ㄡ oƱ several diphthongs oƱ No, know, go, low, coat, boat, remote, follow, yellow ㄞ a. I ㄟ n up, hut, but, under, undo, understand, hundred ㄢ Λn un Λ ㄣ en e n end, send, envy, enable, enter, envelope ㄤ Λŋ ung Λ ŋ up, sun, rung, ring, thing sing, sang, sung, ㄥ Ʊŋ ong Ʊ ㄦ э: r several diphthongs ŋ э: r put, look, book, No Ʊŋ sounds her, sir, father, turn, burn, dirt,

Some sounds not in Chinese æ ‘a’ as in cat l ‘l’ as in lolly at, hat, mat, scatter, material, manager look, listen, learn ƆI ‘oy’ as in boy toy, r ‘r’ θ ‘th’ as in with ð ‘th’ as in the v ‘v’ in victory Red Rooster on Ross River Road thank, thistle, brother, mother, father this, that, those, them , they, their, therefore five, favour, very, every w ‘w’ in wish with, when, why, window

The Thesaurus • A thesaurus is a book that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning (containing synonyms and sometimes antonyms) in contrast to a dictionary, which contains definitions and pronunciations. • The largest thesaurus in the world is the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary which contains more than 920, 000 words.

Synonyms • In its narrowest sense, a synonym is a word or phrase that is perfectly substitutable in a context for another word or phrase. • They have identical or very similar meanings. • Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous. • Eg: the words car and automobile are synonyms.

Synonyms • Synonyms can be any part of speech (e. g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs or prepositions), provided both words are the same part of speech.

Synonyms • • • Noun : "student" and "pupil" "petty crime" and "misdemeanour" Verb: "buy" and "purchase" Adjective: "sick" and "ill" Adverb: "quickly" and "speedily" Preposition: "on" and "upon"

Antonyms • Antonyms are words with opposite or nearly opposite meanings. • For example: – short and tall – dead and alive – increase and decrease – add and subtract • The words synonym and antonym are themselves antonyms.

One of the best around …

• You can download a Thesaurus on-line

Next week’s lesson… • Lesson 3 • Pronunciation: the key to improving listening, speaking and spelling. • The LATIN Alphabet • Vowels, Consonants and Diphthongs