Once learners know the function of the word, it gives them a much better idea of how to use it in a sentence.

Being able to recognize what type of word the learner is using enables her to know how to use it in a sentence; it also allows her to increase her vocabulary easily. Many of the words we use in English have the same root word in their noun, verb, adjective and adverb form. Knowing what one word means often allows us to know four!

Let's say that your learner is interested in learning about dating in Canada, and you have recently found an article about dating in Canada that the two of you will read together. While preparing your lesson, you notice the words attract, love, understanding and romance. You know that these words have different word forms and you set up the following chart, which your learner fills in as follows:

Charting the words that your learner encounters can be beneficial. It helps the learner recognize that her vocabulary is much larger than originally assumed and shows her, to a certain degree, how the word can be used. Follow-up exercises could involve writing exercises where the learner is required to use the new word forms in which she has just been introduced.

B: Word Parts

Discussing how words are put together can be helpful for intermediate and advanced learners. While these learners may have a solid basic vocabulary, what they need are some skills that will assist them in tackling the larger, more complex words that they will encounter.