(Following is the introduction to the book. Click to download the book)
Arline Burgmeier
California State University, Fullerton
Gerry Eldred
Long Beach City College
Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman
California State University, Fullerton
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Burgmeier, Arline, 1936-
LEXIS : academic vocabulary study / Arline Burgmeier, Gerry
Eldred, Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0-13-535022-0
1. English language — Textbooks for foreign speakers.
2. Vocabulary. I. Eldred, Gerry, 1940- . II. Zimmerman, Cheryl
Boyd, 1950- . III. Title.
PE1128.B847 1991
428.2'4—dc20 90-46728
CIP
Editorial/production supervision: Janet S. Johnston
Manufacturing buyers: Ray Keating, Lori Bulwin
Cover design: Miriam Recio
Illustrations: Kristen Burgmeier
Copyreader: Elaine Burgmeier
Prentice-Hall International (UK) Limited, London
Prentice-Hall of Australia Pty. Limited, Sydney
Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Toronto
Prentice-Hall Hispanoamericana, S.A., Mexico
Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, New Delhi
Prentice-Hall of Japan, Inc., Tokyo
Simon & Schuster Asia Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Editora Prentice-Hall do Brasil, Ltda., Rio de Janeiro
Preface vii
Establishing a Context 1
Understanding Words 5
Putting Words into Sentences 15
Using Words in Context 22
Establishing a Context 25
Understanding Words 29
Putting Words into Sentences 37
Using Words in Context 47
Establishing a Context 51
Understanding Words 55
Putting Words into Sentences 63
Using Words in Context 71
Establishing a Context 73
Understanding Words 78
Putting Words into Sentences 85
Using Words in Context 90
Establishing a Context 94
Understanding Words 99
Putting Words into Sentences 106
Using Words in Context 119
Establishing a Context 121
Understanding Words 126
Putting Words into Sentences 131
Using Words in Context 138
Establishing a Context 141
Understanding Words 145
Putting Words into Sentences 151
Using Words in Context 159
Establishing a Context 161
Understanding Words 166
Putting Words into Sentences 175
Using Words in Context 184
Dictations 189
Glossary 192
Vocabulary List 195
Lexis: Academic Vocabulary Study helps students acquire the large and accurate
vocabulary they need for academic success. Designed for highintermediate
ESL classes or developmental English classes, Lexis presents a
wide variety of communicative activities that expand students' language skills
through intensive practice with high-frequency academic vocabulary.
Unlike other vocabulary texts that focus merely on building the passive
vocabulary, Lexis focuses on increasing the students' active vocabulary so that
they learn not only the meaning of words but also their use in original expression.
At the beginning of each chapter, students encounter target words in the
meaningful context of a high-interest reading selection. In the succeeding activities
they must recognize the words in different but related contexts. At the
same time they are given practice with word formation skills that will help
them recognize and understand new words that they encounter. Students also
learn to utilize the dictionary as a vocabulary-expanding tool. Subsequent activities
allow students to use the words in natural communicative situations.
Through this process, students are able to take an unfamiliar word, incorporate
it first into their passive vocabularies, then ultimately into their active vocabularies.
The book affords practice in all four language skills (reading, writing,
listening, and speaking) to give students extensive practice with the words
they are learning.
To give students a thorough understanding of the target words and their
usage, Lexis approaches vocabulary study on three levels: the word level, the
sentence level, and the context level. The organization of each chapter reflects
this approach.
Establishing a Context
Each chapter begins with pre-reading questions that focus the students' mindset
on a particular context that will become the theme of the chapter. The context
itself is a 1500-to-2000 word article on a high-interest topic related to such
academic disciplines as business, psychology, language, history, and biology.
Comprehension questions about the article check the students' understanding
of what they have read.
Understanding Words
Students are presented a list of approximately 40 vocabulary words taken from
the article. These words have been singled out because they are high-frequency
words that are broadly applicable in university-level general education
courses. Technical and idiomatic words have been avoided because they tend
Preface VII
to have limited application. Initial activities focus on establishing the general
meaning of each word as it is used in the article. Other activities at the word
level are designed to familiarize students with decoding devices that will help
them understand the meaning and function of new words they encounter, and
encoding devices that will enable them to create new forms of words they
learn. These devices include the use of prefixes and suffixes, capitalization,
and pluralization.
Putting Words into Sentences
Ten words are selected from the original vocabulary list for further study. These
words have multiple meanings and multiple forms. Vocabulary-expanding activities
teach students related forms of target words and give semantic and