Vocabulary is just a little piece of hokum

Houston, I think we have a problem with vocabulary. A tiny problem when it comes to writing and, occasionally, reading. The interconnectivity of words. How a simple word has tendrils that reach to other words and sentences within a paragraph.

We’ve always had an issue with vocabulary and the perception of some words seemingly to show a great level of sophistication. Students are impressed with the word ‘discombobulated’ yet poets and famous writers alike avoid such an ugly word. Story writing is shaped by the student around the word rather than the word be used to help express an idea. Therefore, you get clunky writing. It might look impressive, but it doesn’t fit the meaning or the syntax of a sentence.  Plus, there’s only about six writers in the whole world who’d consider using it in a piece of writing and that will probably be to obscure their meaning.

We have students learning lots of words which is, in part, great but we are getting students with lots of words but no idea of how these words have tendrils and links to meaning. When students learn terms like socialism in association with ‘An Inspector Calls’, they tend to either define it or flag it up in their writing. Is there an understanding of the concept and its meaning in relation to this context and text? Very little, if we are honest. Let’s call it ‘flagging’. The student is flagging they know something. Yet, it doesn’t have the depth of understanding to go any further.  You need to explore the idea in great depth to make it of use.

I feel that we have to teach more than vocabulary. We need to teach phrases and, in particular, noun phrases to add meaning and to unlock elements of analysis. Take the phrases  ‘socialist tendencies’  or ‘socialist agenda’. When faced with these phrases and trying to put them in a sentence, students will have to justify why there is an agenda or a tendency for socialism. There’s a greater level of building tendrils and connections to other parts of explanation. The phrase forces the syntax of a sentence. With a single noun, you can place it anywhere.

Partly, based on ‘The Writing Revolution’ by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler, I have been looking at supporting students with writing and talking about poetry for the GCSE exams. Instead of providing a list of words for each poem, I have been included some phrases to explain some of the aspects. The idea is that the students use the sheet when discussing or writing the poems. There isn’t a need to mention all, but it is about selecting the best choice for the idea they are explaining. In the classroom, we often struggle to find the right way of expressing an idea. This is aimed to help them express ideas with some clarity and hopefully some complexity.

Vocabulary and phrases to extend thinking

Charge of the Light Brigade	Exposure
bombastic emotive  epic fast-moving glorifying immortalising jingoistic lyrical passionate patriotic rhythmic romanticised rousing stirring visual	atmospheric bleak melancholic nightmarish painful personal pitiful psychological realistic slow-paced stoic visual
imminent danger personal cost cannon fodder failed advance celebrated sacrifice inspiring act valiantly facing death blind faith badly outgunned	bleak depiction of suffering collective loss of faith constant feeling of being in edge driving force emotional roller coaster of suffering experienced soldiers futility of war harrowing experience horrific fare true cost

Remains	Bayonet Charge
anecdotal colloquial confused disjointed dreamlike graphic  haunting informal nightmarish patriotic psychological questioning shocking visual vivid warning	challenging confused desensitised determined discovery distancing emotionless futile helplessness isolating patriotic proud questioning reflective repressed stoic thoughtful
broken soldiers with broken minds distant memories functioning minds hazy memories immaturity of soldiers lack of understanding mental consequences ordinary people sleep walking stain on his soul traumatic events	a great masterplan a helpless pawn a moment of clarity a tool for war awaken to reality blind faith challenging deceptions dutiful soldiers psychological conflict thoughtless actions unwanted memories

 

London	War Photographer
accurate angry challenging corruption critical freedom haunting illuminating lyrical moralising political realistic simplistic uncovering visual	angry apathy cynical desensitised emotionless haunting moralising muted poignant repressed simplistic sombre   stoic visual voyeuristic
consequences of revolution controlling authorities impact of capitalism physical and psychological imprisoning powerful ruling class social commentary stark inequalities and injustice suffocating society visible hypocrisy	blind to the truth contrasting worlds distraction from life hidden suffering insignificance of events lasting impact sacred to face the reality selfish society simplification of war the reduction of importance

 

Ozymandias	Storm on the Island
anecdotal arrogance attacking bombastic critical god-like ironic political pride satirical timeless tragic visual vivid	conversational deceptive disgusted inclusive political realistic restless sensory symbolic understated uniting visual
corrupting influence of power futility of mankind hierarchical power structures inequality between different people ruling class social commentary the arrogance of mankind unstoppable force of nature	destructive yet deceptive force imminent danger lack of protection limited power of man practical nature of living suffering of humanity underwhelming power vast power of nature

I really like ‘The Writing Revolution’ because it’s emphasis on developing syntax and ensuring students build up sentences. It isn’t just vocabulary that improves a student’s writing, but the combination of words and how those words are positioned in a sentence.

We’ve recently been using No More Marking for Question 5 and we’ve noticed something that separates the average writing and the really impressive writing: the students with impressive vocabulary don’t do as well as others. It is the students who use vocabulary meaningfully that do better. They often have better combinations of words or phrasing. In fact, we were pointing out how the phrases were lifting pieces and not the words. It is the precision in its use.

Maybe, we should not just be providing students with vocabulary associated to texts, but also noun phrases associated with aspects related to the text. That way we can help students build on their sentence writing and expression. For a long time, it was always about sentence starters. What if forget the start and focus on 'idea starters'? It isn't the start of the sentence that students struggle with, but the ideas in the middle and end. So rather than focus on sentences, we should focus on phrases and look to how students can stich those phrases  together in a sentence. 

Thanks for reading,

Xris