lesson link TEACHERS NOTES

Using the Topic Dictionary on the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition CD-ROM to expand your vocabulary
Building vocabulary is an essential element of language learning at all levels, yet it is an aspect that many students find challenging. Learners of English, particularly those who use English to study other subjects, will benefit from categorizing the vocabulary they learn by topic. The interactive Topic Dictionary and My Topics components of the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition CD-ROM are designed to encourage students to expand their knowledge of vocabulary related to particular subject areas. The Topic Dictionary enables students to select the vocabulary in the dictionary that is relevant to the subject they are studying. Students can also search for a particular word within the Topic Dictionary, view which subjects use that word, and click on those subjects to see the various definitions. My Topics allows students to create personal mini-dictionaries or word lists for particular topics of their own choosing. This lesson focuses on helping you walk students through their first experience of using the Topic Dictionary and My Topics and to show them how they can use these tools to develop their knowledge of vocabulary related to the topic of Computing. Once students are familiar with this, they can use the Topic Dictionary and My Topics to search for and store their own topic vocabulary for classroom tasks, for homework, and for their own individual practice. Level Time Aim Skill Materials Upper-Intermediate 55 minutes To improve students skill at using a dictionary CD-ROM to learn new vocabulary related to the topic of Computing Reading Computers (one per pair of students) Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition CD-ROMs Photocopies of Worksheets 1 and 2

Preparation
Make enough photocopies of Worksheet 1 for one between two students. You may wish to enlarge these to A3 size to allow students more space to write their answers. Make the same quantity of copies of Worksheet 2. This activity can be carried out on single worksheets or the sentence halves on each worksheet can be cut up and placed in envelopes for students to match up.

Procedure Lead-in [10 mins]

Display the word Computing on the board. Divide students into groups of three or four. In their groups students write all the words they can think of associated with this topic, without the aid of reference materials.
Using the Topic Dictionary for the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition to expand your vocabulary
PHOTOCOPIABLE

Oxford University Press 2012

lesson link TEACHERS NOTES

Have an open discussion with the class about techniques for building vocabulary and write up any useful points on the board for students to copy. Provide suggestions if necessary (creating mind/concept maps, categorization, using annotated pictures, noting down collocations, etc.). Ask students if they have used a CD-ROM Topic Dictionary before and discuss what students perceive to be the benefits of using this vocabulary tool.

Activity 1 [15 mins]

Divide students into pairs and distribute Worksheet 1. Students search within the topic Computing on the CD-ROM to find at least 5 words for each category on the sheet. Choose the Topic Dictionary tab on the CD-ROM and select Computing from the drop-down menu in the top left of the main window.

Activity 2 [10 mins]

Distribute Worksheet 2 to the pairs of students. Students match the sentence halves. When they have finished, they can check their answers in the examples in the dictionary by looking up the underlined word. Note that if they key the words into the search box rather than scrolling through the Topic Dictionary entries, they will need to make sure that they select Computing in the See this word in box below the Index box on the left-hand side of the pane. Worksheet 2 answer key 1 Ive just been browsing 2 There are filters to block 3 This computer has 4 Theres a bug 5 We have now computerized 6 The text on the disk 7 I cant access the file 8 Click on the file 9 I have a stack of 10 The new system interfaces 11 You need to key in 12 I posted a question 13 Click here 14 Text and pictures f the Internet for information on Iceland. h spam from your inbox. b a 640k memory. i in the software. l the library catalogue. c seems to be corrupt. j as our computers have been down all morning. o and drag it into the new folder. g emails in my inbox. k with existing telephone equipment. a your password to log on. d on the message board. n to refresh this document. e can be scanned into the computer.

15 Upgrading your computer software m can be expensive.

Using the Topic Dictionary for the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition to expand your vocabulary

PHOTOCOPIABLE

Oxford University Press 2012

lesson link TEACHERS NOTES

Activity 3 [5 mins]
Point out the Record function in the Topic Dictionary and allow students to listen to and record themselves saying some of the words in this category that they havent come across before. Direct students to the Exercises button in the bottom right-hand corner of the CD-ROM Topic Dictionary page. Students choose an exercise under the heading Computing and complete this, using the Topic Dictionary for reference when necessary. Students who finish quickly attempt other activities within that topic. As a follow-up activity, students report any new words that they have learned while carrying out the exercise.

Activity 4 [10 mins]

In pairs, students choose a sub-category from Activity 1 and create their own word list in My Topics. To create their own topic dictionaries, students click on the Add to My Topics button in the Dictionary pane, select Create topic, and type the name of the new topic into the window that appears. When students click OK, this will appear in the My Topics window. Then, students go back to the main dictionary on the CD-ROM and select any word that they would like to include in the topic. They then open the Add to My Topics pane again and this time click on Add entry. The word will appear in the Topic Contents box. Students can add as many words from the main dictionary as they want to each of their personal topics. The entries they have added will now appear in the My Topics dictionary. In the main dictionary they will have a purple folder icon next to them to show that they belong in one of the My Topics lists. To save a topic list or to share it with someone else who has the Students Dictionary CDROM, students click on the Save topic list button in the Add to My Topics pane, accessed via the main dictionary window. They then name the file in the window that opens and save it to their hard disk. They can then send this file to other users, for example students working on the same project. These students can import it into their CD-ROMS, using the Get topic list button, also located in the Add to My Topics pane, and it will automatically create the topic for them.

Plenary [5 mins]
Students return to their original groups of three or four and are allowed two minutes to repeat Activity 1, again without the aid of reference materials or their original lists. Students compare their new lists with their original lists. Have an open discussion with the class on how they could use the Topic Dictionary tool to aid their vocabulary learning.

Using the Topic Dictionary for the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition to expand your vocabulary

PHOTOCOPIABLE

Oxford University Press 2012

lesson link WORKSHEET lesson link WORKSHEET 1 lesson link WORKSHEET WORKSHEET
The Internet Using a computer (verbs)

Computing Parts of a computer & accessories Abbreviations

Computer screen & software

Using the Topic Dictionary for the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition to expand your vocabulary

PHOTOCOPIABLE

Oxford University Press 2012

lesson link WORKSHEET lesson link WORKSHEET 2 lesson link WORKSHEET WORKSHEET
1 Ive just been browsing 2 There are filters to block 3 This computer has 4 Theres a bug 5 We have now computerized 6 The text on the disk 7 I cant access the file 8 Click on the file 9 I have a stack of 10 The new system interfaces 11 You need to key in 12 I posted a question 13 Click here 14 Text and pictures 15 Upgrading your computer software
Using the Topic Dictionary for the Oxford Students Dictionary, 2nd edition to expand your vocabulary

a your password to log on. b a 640k memory. c seems to be corrupt. d on the message board. e can be scanned into the computer. f the Internet for information on Iceland. g emails in my inbox. h spam from your inbox. i in the software. j as our computers have been down all morning. k with existing telephone equipment. l the library catalogue. m can be expensive. n to refresh this document. o and drag it into the new folder.
PHOTOCOPIABLE

Oxford University Press 2012