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 Introduction
Taiwanese college/university freshman students usually
confront frustration by the English texts they are assigned to study or read.
One factor that causes the frustration is a bad habit they use to deal with
the overwhelming vocabulary in the texts. Students tend to stop for every new
word when they read. They are busy looking up new words in the dictionary.
However, after writing down the Chinese meanings of the new words, students
are already worn out. It is unlikely that they have the slightest idea of
what the text is really about. One more drawback is that students usually
fail in catching up with the reading/studying schedule. Still another flaw of
this habit is that students fail to know how the new word is exactly used.
They use the new word in terms of Chinese definition to make sentences. Therefore,
they make a sentence like "Airplanes open faster than
trains."
One way to help improve
the situation is to learn how to look for the context definitions of new
words. Four types of context clues can help:
Synonym or Restatement Clues
A synonym is
an expression (a word or phrase) that means the same as the new word that you
need to know. Synonym clues include expressions such as or, and, that is, that means, i.e., and in other
words,orhelpful punctuation
such as comma, dash, a set of parentheses,
or colon. In addition,
sometimes the writer does not use any of the clues listed here but he/she
uses a pronoun to refer back to the vocabulary. In such cases, we say that
the writer is using a restatement clue. In the following sentences, the
boldfaced parts in blue alert you to the synonyms of the italicized words.
 The sociology professor commented that
the ideas in my paper were too
ambiguours,that is,
vague or too general.
When evaluating your classmates'
presentations, you should be more specific with
your commentary; in other words, you
should give examples when you comment.
After you finish reading all the texts,
you have to give an oral presentation, i.e., oral
report.
Many people are fighting obesity, or fatness, since obesity usually leads to coronary
problems.
Your home should be a haven,
a safe place where you can relax.
Ms. Chang is a radical feminist—a person who proposes
women's rights and
liberation
A synonym is an expression（ a
word or phrase）that means the same as the
new word.
Logging industry has been accused of massacring, killing in great numbers of, rare
species.
I'm leaving for Jerusalem on a quest:
a search for the truth.
She had the audacity
to criticize her boss to his face. It was the
boldness and daring
that
made her different from the rest of us.
Antonym Clues
In
contrast to synonym, an antonym is an expression that means the opposite of
another word. Once you see clue words such as but, although, though, while, unless,
however, nevertheless, in contrast, on the
other hand, differently, instead,
asopposed to, except,andunlike, you can easily recognize the meaning of the new word. Study these
examples:
George's rebuttal
against his instructor was insolent; however, he quickly became
aware that it would be wise to adopt a
more respectful tone.
As opposed to the spontaneity of
your composition, mine is rather contrived,
obviously planned.
Instead of submitting a pragmatic
plan, Daniel handed in a proposal that is not
practical at all.
Although opera sounds serious to many people,
it is actually full of vivacity.
In contrast to Mary's joyfulness, John's despondency
really worries his parents.
Unless we can hold on to tangible
evidence, we cannot file a law suit against him.
My room is clean and
neat. On the other hand, my brother's
room is a scene of chaos.
Love is "quiet
understanding and mature acceptance of imperfection," while
infatuation is a strong passion and desire "marked by feeling of
insecurity" and doubt.
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NOTE:
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Pay attention to the part of speech of each clue. Remember that
"however" and "on the other hand" are not conjunctions.
They are adverbs. Therefore, do not use them to combine two independent
clauses.
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Example Clues
Sometimes
a writer gives an example or examples in the context of a word. The
example(s) may help when the word is new to you or when the word expresses a
very sophisticated idea. Expressions like such
as, for instance, for example, take … for example, or punctuation like colon or
semi-colon are all example clues you have to pay attention to.
Consider these examples:
After the game, the
audience created havoc; e.g.,
throwing chairs, banging on doors,
and yelling at each other.
Many species went extinct
for unknown reasons. For example,
dinosaurs no longer
walk the earth now.
To make delicious
Mexican food, you have to use various spices: jalapeno, black
pepper, hot pepper, and so on.
After the earthquake,
victims desperately needed supplies such
as water, food,
sleeping bags, tents, batteries,
flashlights, and so on.
Cause/Effect Clues
You can
also study meanings of words by examining causal relationship. Clues that
point to the causal relationship are: because,
since, therefore, consequently, in consequence, as a result, factor, and a/the reason for. Study the following examples:
The death of the
dinosaurs has relevance to us, since
if we learn what caused their
extinction it may help prevent our
own.
There are no conclusive
answers to the questions because the
mechanism behind the
extinction is still unknown.
The reason why we are still unable to crack
the case is that there has been no new
evidence presented.
The structure was remodeled
several times; therefore, we can no
longer see their
original form.
The sloppy construction
was one of the factors that caused exponential
deaths in the
Sept. 21 earthquake.
After the catastrophe
happened, the government was somewhat slow to reaction; as a
result, victims who lost their homes in the earthquake grew hostile
against officials.
Situation or General Knowledge Clues
To find
out the meaning of a word in context, sometimes you have to resort to your common sense. Try to recall your knowledge
or past experiences and you can come to terms with the task.
Many people were buried
alive in the earthquake when their homes
collapsed.
In the earthquake, many
victims were killed or injured and many children became
orphaned.
One of the rehabilitation
tasks after the earthquake is for the psychologists to see to
victims' mental health.
Helplessly witnessing
his beloved wife losing her life in the collapsed home had left to
him a permanent trauma.
One of the greatest pathos
in life is to lose all of the beloved family members in a
moment.
Many volunteers
devote their time and money to help victims retain a normal life.
Water is rudimentary
to human beings for survival.
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