2. CHAPTER VIII MEANING AND CONTEXT 1. Two types of contexts 2. The vital role of context in determination of word meaning 3. Suggested Ways for the Correct Comprehension of Word Meaning

3. definition-based vocabulary instruction Limitations of definition-based vocabulary instruction a reduction in the number of definitions that need to be learned

4. definition-based vocabulary instruction a discrepancy between the definition and the meaning that a word conveys in any given context Definitions are ineffective instructionally because they are abstract and decontextualized, so the student must be exposed to large amounts of comprehensible input

5. The importance of context The importance of context in vocabulary learning is evident from two common-sense observations what a word means on any given occasion is mediated by the many contexts in which it is used,

6. and such contexts provide considerable input from which language user clearly pick up huge amounts of vocabulary knowledge,apart from any explicit vocabulary instruction they may receive.

7. TWO TYPES OF CONTEXTS Linguistic context(verbal context) –Lexical context(p.234) –Grammatical context –Verbal context in its broad sense

8. Extra-linguistic context/Context of situation –The actual speech situation in which a word occurs –The entire cultural background against which a word, or an utterance or a speech event has to be set

9. He runs fast Tears run down her checks He made a toy for his son. The bad news made me depressed. He made me a cup of tea. The doctor is performing an operation to amputate his leg. The soldiers mount a rescue operation.

10. The vital role of context in determination of word meaning Eliminating ambiguities –Lexical ambiguity –Structural ambiguity Conveying emotional overtones –The emotive side of word meaning depends largely on the context Indicating referents and the range of the meaning of a word

11. Pass the port. Go across harbour Give by hand a kind of wine The damage was done by the river beside through the agency The river brought about the damage.

12. MEANING AND CONTEXT Suggested ways for a correct comprehension of word meaning –The use of an up-to-date and adequate monolingual dictionary –A good knowledge of the culture of the English-speaking people –Development of the ability to determine the meaning of a word from it context

13. I like Bill more than Mary. I like Bill more than Mary does. I like Bill more than L like Mary. Visiting relatives can be difficult. It is difficult to visit relatives. Relatives who visit can be difficult to cope with.

14. The information of dictionaries will be of some help to you Prescriptive and descriptive dictionaries General and special dictionaries Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries Unabridged, medium-sized, and pocket How to choose and use a dictionary

15. It may be useful to distinguish three categories of knowledge that contribute to context-based inferences:linguistic knowledge, world knowledge and strategic knowledge Much of the information provided by context lies in the syntactic knowledge, vocabulary knowledge and word schemas

16. CONCLUSION 1. Explain: lexical context extra-linguistic context 2. State the vital roles of context in determination of word meaning. 3. How can we get the correct comprehension of word meaning?