LEXICAL SETS
WHAT IS A LEXICAL SET?
A lexical set (sometimes called a word set) is a cluster or group of related words. Words can be related in several differebt ways, for example:
By topic: furniture, clothes, family relationships, animals
By similarity of meaning or synonyms: gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-urang, ape
In pairs;
a) Opposites in pairs: hot/cold, old/new, hard/soft
b) Synonyms in pairs: slip/slide, rough/harsh, booklet/brochure
Idioms: black and white; black and blue
In series of a scale: boiling, hot, warm, cool, cold, freezing
By subordinates and hyponyms:
Supeeordinate: fruit Hyponyms: orange, apple, pinapple, banana, strawberry
By activity or process: steps in making a cake or building a bookcase
Word families: paint, painter, painting, paint work OR know, knowledge, knowing, knowledgeable, known
WHY ARE LEXICAL SETS IMPORTANT?
We probably don't store words in our brains in alphabetical order like a dictionary does. Research into memory has shown that we apparently store words in our brain in groups or related words (or lexical sets). Words that are related are somehow joined together in our brains; if a new word can be 'hooked' to words which are already stored, it might be easier to remember it. It would seen logical, therefore, that we should teach words in lexical set to our learners, so that it is easier for them to retain and store the words in their memory.
A lexical set (sometimes called a word set) is a cluster or group of related words. Words can be related in several differebt ways, for example:
By topic: furniture, clothes, family relationships, animals
By similarity of meaning or synonyms: gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-urang, ape
In pairs;
a) Opposites in pairs: hot/cold, old/new, hard/soft
b) Synonyms in pairs: slip/slide, rough/harsh, booklet/brochure
Idioms: black and white; black and blue
In series of a scale: boiling, hot, warm, cool, cold, freezing
By subordinates and hyponyms:
Supeeordinate: fruit Hyponyms: orange, apple, pinapple, banana, strawberry
By activity or process: steps in making a cake or building a bookcase
Word families: paint, painter, painting, paint work OR know, knowledge, knowing, knowledgeable, known
WHY ARE LEXICAL SETS IMPORTANT?
We probably don't store words in our brains in alphabetical order like a dictionary does. Research into memory has shown that we apparently store words in our brain in groups or related words (or lexical sets). Words that are related are somehow joined together in our brains; if a new word can be 'hooked' to words which are already stored, it might be easier to remember it. It would seen logical, therefore, that we should teach words in lexical set to our learners, so that it is easier for them to retain and store the words in their memory.
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