1. Building Academic Vocabulary Amy Benjamin www.amybenjamin.com
Today:
Facts & Figures
The Academic Word List
Three Structures for
Differentiated Instruction:
a. Strangers/Acquaintances/Friends
b. Morphology Chart
c. “Getting to Know the Words We
Meet in Reading” Graphic Org.
Also:
Word Sort Cards (spelling, word
familiarity, word roots and
patterns)
4-Puzzle Pages on the Academic
Word List

2. “All I know is what I have words for.”
Ludvig Wittgenstein

3. School age:
Predictive capacity
(number of words
expected to be learned
per year)
Cumulative, by age 3
(collection of spoken
words)
Emergence:
10-18 months
(words heard per hour)
…by
age 5:
Anna
500
700
1,100
616
750 (2 per day)
3,000 (8 per day)
5 affirmative
11 prohibitive
2,000
Public
assistance
Sophie
1,251
3,000
Office and
Hospital
Workers
(not mgmt)
(4 per day)
12 affirmative
7 prohibitive
James
2,153
5,000
32 affirmative
5 prohibitive
Col. profs

4. More Numbers: 6;30 10-15% 2-3 90-95% 20 8-3000 25-1-1000
Number of exposures to a new word during the initial lesson;
Number of exposures during the ensuing month
10-15%
Your chances of learning a word after a single exposure in context
2-3
Realistic number of words learned in a school day through explicit instruction
90-95%
Percentage of words that need to be known for the text to be
considered “instructional level” for that reader 20
Number of paragraphs of instructional level text that need to be read to
add one word to your vocabulary
8-3000
Number of words that schoolchildren need to learn every day
(3000 words per year)
A fifth grader who spends 25 minutes a day reading will grow
her vocabulary by 1,000 words in a year.

6. apprentice: (n)
one bound by legal agreement
to work for another for a
specified time in return for
his training in a trade, an art,
or a business
scheme: (n, v)
a systematic plan
of action
Definition contains unfamiliar language
Definition can be too simplistic and therefore misleading
Limited information
Usually, no context
Not all of the information about a word is captured in a definition

7. 1.Deliberate learning of definitions,
examples, forms of specific,
targeted words
Language Learning:
2. Deliberate practice in newly
learned words
3. Assessment on specific words
Language Acquisition:
8 Words a Day
(3000 per year)
90%
10%
1.Unconscious growth through
exposure and need to understand
messages
2.Grows through “comprehensible
input”
3.Use, and response to feedback
Dependent on the
learner being relaxed,
trusting, unselfconscious

8. 1st exposure,
one context
2nd exposure,
another context
3rd exposure,
another context
4th exposure,
another context
5th t exposure,
another context
2-3: Explicit Instruction
2-3: Reading 50 paragraphs
2-4 More Words
8 words a day

9. Of Limited Value… Of Durable Value… Lists alone Context alone
Definitions alone
Dictionaries and Glossaries alone
Of Durable Value…
Words in clusters
Leisure reading
Multiple exposures in various contexts
Chances to speak, hear, write
Manipulation of forms of words
Classify and categorize word lists
Word games, puzzles

10. Tier 3: glossary word:
Multisyllabic
Specific to a subject area
Latin or Greek-based
topography, photosynthesis, isoceles triangle,
sedimentary, oxygenated, cartographer
Tier 2: Words of education, business,
government, religion:
Components: Prefix, root, suffix
Latin-based
elevation, formation, protrude, expansive,
isolated, remote
Tier 1: Basic conversational words: Friends & family
1 or 2 syllables
Learned naturally, through exposure
hills, grass, rocks, land, sky, clouds, fly, climb,
green, high…

11. Two Types of Tier Two Words:
Generic Academic
Words:
acquire, benefit, clarify, develop, evolve, grant, hierarchy, internal…
Literary Words:
allude, beneficient,
clamorous, deride,
effulgent, frugal, guile, happenstance,
insipid

12. The Academic Word List (AWL):
Background: The Academic Word List consists of 570 word families that are not in the most
frequent 2,000 words of English but which occur frequently over a very wide range of academic texts.
These 570 word families are grouped into ten subsets that reflect word frequency.
A word like analyze falls into Subset 1, which contains the most frequent words, while the word
adjacent falls into Subset 10 which includes the least frequent (among this list of high incidence words).
The AWL is not restricted to a specific field of study. That means that the words are useful for learners
studying in disciplines as varied as literature, science, health, business, and law.
This high-utility academic word list does not contain technical words likely to appear in one,
specific field of study such as amortization, petroglyph, onomatopoeia, or cartilage.
Two-thirds of all academic English derive from Latin or Greek.
Understandably, knowledge of the most high-incidence adademic words in English can significantly
boost a student’s comprehension level of school-based reading material. Students who are taught
these high-utility academic words and routinely placed in contexts requiring their usage are likely
to be able to master academic material with more confidence and efficiency, wasting less time and
energy in guessing words or consulting dictionaries than those who are only equipped with the most
basic words that characterize ordinary conversation.
The following link gives you a two-page version of the list:
Source: Coxhead, Averil. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34,

13. Academic Word List: Subset 1
analyze approach area assess assume authority available benefit concept consist context constitute contract data define derive distribute economy environment establish estimate evident factor finance formula function income indicate individual interpret involve issue labor legal legislate major method percent period principle proceed process policy require research respond role section sector significant similar source specific structure theory vary
Academic Word List: Subset 2
achieve acquire administrate affect appropriate
aspect assist category chapter commission community
complex compute conclude conduct consequent construct
consume credit culture design distinct equate element
evaluate feature final focus impact injure institute invest item
journal maintain normal obtain participate perceive positive
potential previous primary purchase range region regulate
regulate relevant reside resource restrict secure seek select
site strategy survey tradition transfer

14. Academic Word List: Subset 3
alternative circumstance comment compensate component consent considerable constant constrain contribute convene coordinate core corporate correspond criteria deduce demonstrate document dominate emphasis ensure exclulde fund framework illustrate immigrate imply initial instance interact justify layer link maximize negate outcome philosophy physical proportion publish react register rely scheme sequence shift specify sufficient technical technique valid volume
Academic Word List: Subset 4
access adequacy annual apparent approximate attitude attribute civil code commit concentrate confer contrast cycle
debate despite dimension domestic emerge ethnic grant hence hypothesis implement implicate impose integrate internal investigate mechanism occupy option output overall parallel parameter phrase prior principal professional project promote regime resolve retain series statistic status stress subsequent undertake

15. Academic Word List: Subset 5
academy adjust alter amend capacity clause compound consult decline discrete enable energy enforce entity equivalent evolve expand expose external facilitate fundamental generate liberal license logic margin modify monitor network notion objective orient perspective precise prime psychology pursue ratio reject revenue stable style substitute sustain symbol target transit trend version welfare whereas
Academic Word List: Subset 6
abstract acknowledge accuracy aggregate allocate assign bond capable cite cooperate discriminate display diverse domain edit enhance estate exceed explicit federal fee flexible furthermore gender incentive incorporate incidence index inhibit initiate input interval mitigate minimum ministry motive neutral nevertheless overseas precede presume rational recover reveal scope subsity trace transform underlie utilize

16. Academic Word List: Subset 7
adapt advocate channel classic comprehensive comprise confirm contrary convert decade deny differentiate dispose dynamic equip eliminate empirical extract finite foundation gradient guarantee hierarchy identical ideology infer innovate insert intervene isolate media mode paradigm phenomenon priority prohibit publication quote release reverse simulate sole somewhat submit successor thsis transmit ultimate unique voluntary
Academic Word List: Subset 8
abandon accompany accumulate ambiguous appendix appreciate arbitrary automate bias chart clarify commodity complement conform contemporary contradict crucial currency denote detect deviate displace eventual exhibit exploit fluctuate guidline iplicit induce inevitable infrastructure inspect intense manipulate minimize nuclear offfset predominant prospect radical reinforce restore revise tension terminate theme thereby uniform vehicle via virtual widespread

17. Academic Word List: Subset 9
accommodate analogy anticipate assure attain behalf cease coherent coincide commence compatible concurrent confine controversy converse device devote diminish distort duration erode ethic found format inherent insight integral intermediate manual mature mediate medium military minimal mutual norm overlap passive portion preliminary protocol qualitative refine restrain revolution rigid route scenario sphere subordinate supplement suspend trigger unify violate
Academic Word List: Subset 10
adjacent albeit assemble collapse colleague compile conceive convince depress encounter forthcoming incline integrity intrinsic invoke levy likewise nonetheless notwithstanding ongoing panel persist pose reluctance so-called straightforward undergo whereby

18. Prior Knowledge: How well do I know these words?
Strangers
Acquaintances
Friends 18 18 18

21. Morphology Chart NOUNS: VERBS: ADJECTIVES: ADVERBS -----
It’s easier to understand parts of speech than you think. Simply use the cues above. Not all words
follow the same morphology. It’s interesting to see how words morph into different forms.
Morphology Chart
NOUNS:
The_____.
VERBS:
I_____; He______
Yesterday he_____
He is___________.
ADJECTIVES:
The ______truck
ADVERBS
Do it___________.
principle, principles
implication, implications
analysis, analyses
relevance
deduction, decductions
-----
imply, implies,
implying, implied
analyze, analyzes
analyzing, analyzed
deduce, deduces,
deducing, deduced
implicit
analytical
relevant
deductive
implicitly
analytically
relevantly
deductively

22. Morphology Chart NOUNS: VERBS: ADJECTIVES: ADVERBS
It’s easier to understand parts of speech than you think. Simply use the cues above. Not all words
follow the same morphology. It’s interesting to see how words morph into different forms.
Morphology Chart
NOUNS:
The_____.
VERBS:
I_____; He______
Yesterday he_____
He is___________.
ADJECTIVES:
The ______truck
ADVERBS
Do it___________.

23. Getting to Know the Words We Meet in Reading: Target Word:
Dictionary Definition:
Visual:
Draw or find a picture:
My guess:
Definition in my own words:
Complete sentence of at least ____words:
Must contain an action verb and a visual image.

24. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Chapter 42 “The Whiteness of the Whale”
What the whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at times, he was
to me has been so far left unsaid.
Aside from those considerations touching Moby Dick, which could not
but occasionally waken in any man’s soul some alarm, there was another
thought, or rather vague, nameless horror concerning him, which at times,
by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical
and well nigh ineffable was it that I almost despair of putting it in a
comprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things
appalled me…
Though in many natural objects, whiteness refiningly enhances beauty,
as if imparting some kind of special virtue of its own, as in marbles,
japonicas, and pearls; and though various nations have in some way
recognized a certain royal preeminence in this hue; even the barbaric, grand
old kinds of Pegu placing the title “Lord of White Elephants” above all their
other magniloquent ascriptions of dominion; and the modern kings of Siam
unfurling the same snow-white quadraped in the royal standard; and the
Hanoverian flag bearing the snow-white charger; and the great Austrian
Empire, Caesarian, heir to the overlording Rome, having for the imperial
color the same imperial hue; …

25. connect the target word to other words?
1. Does our instruction generate conversation about words?
2. Does our instruction
connect the target word to other words?

26. AWL Puzzle Page: Subset 1
Anagrams
Cryptograms
megcjby: __ __ __ __ __ ___ ___
fgadoafbp: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
qpmadp: __ __ __ __ __ ___
oedhahi: __ __ __ __ __ __ __
ydybrlp: __ __ __ __ __ __ __
1. cnifaen: : ___________________
2. ttrruusce:____________________
3. deothm:_____________________
4. otnneemnriv:__________________
5. ssilbeath:_____________
A cryptogram is a code. Solve the puzzle by breaking the code,
letter by letter.
Hint: Y stands for A
(Replace all Y’s in the
cryptogram with A’s)
AWL Puzzle Page: Subset 1
Word Find
Clueless Mini X-Word
(find 6 hidden words) A R L B I Y H S A S C R E D R E D R C Y W O O Y E E P U F F T V N N G T N I E I V R V U T S E T R C R E F C R E P E I E O T C E S I L X A T A D R N E N I D T H U E P F S Y S N H H E