Sunday, June 11, 2006
ESL Classics 07: Lexicarry for the Win with Vocabulary!
Blog: ESL Classics 07: Lexicarry, Patrick R. Moran, Pro Lingua Associates, ISBN 0-86647-032-8
Many students love words. They seem to associate vocabulary with wealth, and thrill in learning as many as possible. I once had a student in Taiwan who every day memorized one page from a dictionary! But in reality, we don’t need to know every word in English, only the words we need. That’s what makes Lexicarry so valuable.
The book has two huge sections. The first one covers dozens of types of interaction: offering refusing, complaining, suggesting, etc., with simple cartoons. The teacher then can explain what to say in these situations, using model dialogues in the back or providing alternates. The range of situations is breath-taking.
The second section covers vocabulary, pure and simple: farm animals, parts of a car, types of fabric, cooking paraphernalia, air travel verbs, etc. Each page has a content theme, with drawings. No words are seen here; the relevant vocabulary is in the back of the book. Almost anything for daily interaction in the US is included right here!
And that is it! For new immigrants this is a fabulous resource. It can be used for self-study, and can be used (with some imagination) in classes and pair work. Few other books successfully cover as much useful vocabulary as Lexicarry. I just with I had a book like this for Chinese or Russian.
Recommendation: Must-have for tutors and teachers of immigrants. And, unlike so many ESL classics, this one is still in print!
Many students love words. They seem to associate vocabulary with wealth, and thrill in learning as many as possible. I once had a student in Taiwan who every day memorized one page from a dictionary! But in reality, we don’t need to know every word in English, only the words we need. That’s what makes Lexicarry so valuable.
The book has two huge sections. The first one covers dozens of types of interaction: offering refusing, complaining, suggesting, etc., with simple cartoons. The teacher then can explain what to say in these situations, using model dialogues in the back or providing alternates. The range of situations is breath-taking.
The second section covers vocabulary, pure and simple: farm animals, parts of a car, types of fabric, cooking paraphernalia, air travel verbs, etc. Each page has a content theme, with drawings. No words are seen here; the relevant vocabulary is in the back of the book. Almost anything for daily interaction in the US is included right here!
And that is it! For new immigrants this is a fabulous resource. It can be used for self-study, and can be used (with some imagination) in classes and pair work. Few other books successfully cover as much useful vocabulary as Lexicarry. I just with I had a book like this for Chinese or Russian.
Recommendation: Must-have for tutors and teachers of immigrants. And, unlike so many ESL classics, this one is still in print!
