Assessment for learning

Grammar and Assessment for TESOL

Aims

• Consider the role of idiom in the classroom.

• Consider ways to teach idiom.
• Consider sense relations.
• Consider ways to teach sense relations.
Idiom

• A group of words established by usage as having a

meaning not deducible from those of the individual words
(e.g. over the moon, see the light).
Idioms

• Students and teachers often enjoy talking about idioms.

It can be interesting to compare English language idioms
with those used in other languages.

• A good understanding of idioms can help learners when

they are engaged in listening activities. If a learner can
use idioms accurately while speaking it can improve the
fluency of speech.
Teaching idioms

• Experiential learning.
• We are going to follow a lesson on teaching idioms
which were coined by Shakespeare.
• As we go through the lesson think about the advantages
and disadvantages of teaching idioms.
Shakespeare’s idioms

Idioms used or invented

by Shakespeare
Warmer – What is an idiom?

Meet Franz.
Your teacher will tell you about him.

Which phrase do you think could describe Franz?

a) a dark horse
b) a night owl ✓
c) a cash cow

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Warmer – What is an idiom?

A ‘night owl’ is an idiom.

If we say that Franz is a ‘night owl’, we don’t mean that he actually is an owl!

night
owl

the words in the idiom the meaning of the idiom

An idiom is a group of words that have a special meaning when used together. The
meaning of the idiom is different from the meaning of the individual words.
Shakespeare used and invented lots of idioms.

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Task 1 – the words in the idioms

Match the idioms with the pictures.

• at a snail’s pace
• send someone packing
• a night owl
• break the ice
• lie low

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 Task 2 – the meanings of the idioms
Match the pictures showing the words in the idiom (left)
with the ones showing the meanings (right).

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 Task 2 – the meanings of the idioms
Match the pictures showing the words in the idiom (left)
with the ones showing the meanings (right).

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Link for lesson plan

• https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/shakespeares-
idioms-lesson-1
Idioms

What are the advantages and disadvantages of teaching

idioms?
Sense relations

• Sense relations can also be referred to as meaning

relations.
• Hedge (2001:113) states that: “learning the meaning of a
word involves knowing how that meaning is defined in
relation to other similar or opposite words.”
• The following aspects of sense relations will be
discussed: synonyms, antonyms, hypomyms
Synonyms

• Synonyms are words that are similar, or have a related

meaning, to another word.
• Example: beautiful, pretty, lovely
• When teaching students with low levels of vocabulary
knowledge it can be useful to include synonyms when
presenting new vocabulary.
• When teaching students with high levels of proficiency
teaching synonyms can help students avoid repetition in
writing.
Antonymy

• Antonyms are words that have contrasting, or opposite,

meanings.
• There are different types of antonymy: complementarity,
converseness, gradable
Antonymy

• Complementarity is used for opposites.

• Examples:
• boy - girl, off - on, night - day, entrance - exit,
Antonymy

• Converseness or relational antonymy describes a

relationship in which one terms implies another.
• Examples:
• above - below, doctor - patient, husband - wife, servant -
master,
Antonymy

• Graded antonyms deal with levels of comparison and

they can be two words on a scale. Many are relative
terms, which can be interpreted differently by different
people.
• Examples:
• young - elderly, hard - easy, happy - wistful,
• This can be difficult to teach as words have different
opposites in different contexts.
Antonymy

• It's possible to create an antonym simply by adding a

prefix to the word. Prefixes include: dis, un, in, and mis.
• Some examples of antonyms created by adding the
prefix dis- are:
• Agree → disagree
• Appear → disappear
• Belief → disbelief
• Honest → dishonest
Hyponomy

• Hyponomy is a way of considering words in terms of a

hierarchy. For example, spoon is a hyponym of cutlery.
• A word of more specific meaning than a general or
superordinate term applicable to it.
• Hedge (2000) notes that linguistics disagree about
hyponymous relationships but states that classifications
can be useful for learners.
Consider

• How could synonyms, antonyms and hyponyms be used

in the classroom?
Vocabulary in the classroom - evaluation

• Which of the ways of considering vocabulary discussed

above would be of most use to the teacher?
• Is there are difference between what a language teacher
ought to know and what a language teacher ought to
teach?
references

• Hedge, T (2000) Teaching and Learning in the Language

Classroom, Oxford: Oxford University Press