Focus on Vocabulary : Mastering the Academic Word List

by Schmitt, Diane; Schmitt, Norbert

• ISBN13: 9780131833081
• ISBN10: 0131833081
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-11
• Publisher: Pearson Education ESL

Summary

Focus on Vocabulary: Mastering the Academic Word List, by Diane Schmitt and Norbert Schmitt, is a research-based vocabulary textbook that gives high-intermediate to advanced students the advantage they need to succeed in academic environments. Through excerpts from college texts and well-crafted exercises, English learners study the Academic Word List -- the most frequently used words in academic texts. To help students reach a fuller understanding of the new vocabulary, each chapter provides a series of exercises on word meaning and word families. In addition, collocations exercises develop students' ability to form natural partnerships between the target vocabulary and other words.

Features 

• Seven units focus on a variety of subject areas, such as social change, consumer behavior, natural resources, and music.
• Each chapter carefully recycles the target vocabulary four times in reading passages and vocabulary-building exercises.
• The collocation exercises -- based on the 179-million-word New Longman Corpus -- reflect how academic words are actually used in real contexts.
• Strategy Practice chapters offer tips for dictionary usage, information about word roots and affixes, and methods for expanding students' word knowledge.
• An Expansion section at the end of each chapter provides additional reading, discussion, and writing activities that broaden students' understanding of vocabulary.

Author Biography

Diane Schmitt began teaching English in Japan and currently lives and teaches in the United Kingdom. She is Academic Team Leader for EFL/TESOL at Nottingham Trent University, where she coordinates all English language instruction at the university. She also contributes to the master’s program in English Language Teaching. Her research interests include issues related to the acquisition of English for academic purposes and second-language testing. She is a regular contributor to English teaching conferences.

 

Norbert Schmitt began his EFL teaching career in Japan, where he taught all levels of students for six years. After completing his Ph.D., he began lecturing at the University of Nottingham, where he is currently Reader of Applied Linguistics and Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Applied Linguistics. He is an active researcher in all aspects of second-language vocabulary studies and has published several books and numerous research papers in this area. He frequently presents at language-teaching conferences and consults on vocabulary learning and testing issues internationally.

Table of Contents

To the Teacher	vi
To the Student	x
About the Authors	xv
Authors' Acknowledgments	xv
UNIT 1 Our Changing Society	1	(35)
Technology and Society	2	(9)
Reading: Human Societies---From the Iceman to Us	3	(8)
Social Experience and Personal Development	11	(11)
Reading: Social Forces That Shape Our Lives	12	(8)
Reading: Emotions in Global Perspective: Do We All Feel the Same?	20	(2)
The Changing Nature of the Family	22	(9)
Reading: Family Structure	23	(8)
Strategy Practice	31	(5)
UNIT 2 Consumer Behavior and Marketing	36	(33)
Influencing the Consumer	37	(8)
Reading: Marketing's Impact on Consumers	38	(7)
Who Buys What? The Family's Influence	45	(11)
Reading: Consumer Socialization of Family Members	46	(8)
Reading: Different Views on Purchasing Behavior	54	(2)
How We See Ourselves	56	(9)
Reading: How Perspectives on the Self Influence Consumer Behavior	57	(8)
Strategy Practice	65	(4)
UNIT 3 Workplaces and Work Spaces	69	(34)
How Office Space Affects Behavior	70	(9)
Reading: Work Space Design	71	(8)
The Modern Office: Symbols of Status	79	(11)
Reading: The Meaning of the Chair	80	(8)
Reading: Office Designs That Work	88	(2)
Sitting Comfortably	90	(9)
Reading: The Ergonomics of Sitting	91	(8)
Strategy Practice	99	(4)
UNIT 4 Use and Abuse of Natural Resources	103	(34)
Water for Sale	104	(9)
Reading: Exploding Sales for Bottled Water	105	(8)
The Aral Sea---An Environmental Disaster	113	(10)
Reading: The Dying Lake	114	(7)
Reading: Creating More Fresh Water Through Desalination	121	(2)
International Conflict over Natural Resources	123	(10)
Reading: Water Politics in the Middle East and North Africa	124	(9)
Strategy Practice	133	(4)
UNIT 5 We Are What We Eat	137	(32)
Food Roots and Foodways	138	(9)
Reading: Food Habits and Beliefs	139	(8)
Getting Back to Nature	147	(10)
Reading: Organic Farming Versus Traditional Farming Methods	148	(7)
Reading: Genetically Modified Foods	155	(2)
Microorganisms: The Spice of Life?	157	(9)
Reading: Food Microbiology	158	(8)
Strategy Practice	166	(3)
UNIT 6 Encounters with Music and Sound	169	(32)
Music as Social Conscience	170	(9)
Reading: Opposing War Through Music: Classical and Modern Examples	171	(8)
Noise Hurts	179	(10)
Reading: Noise Pollution	180	(7)
Reading: The Science of Sound	187	(2)
Ultrasonics: Super Sound?	189	(9)
Reading: Ultrasonics	190	(8)
Strategy Practice	198	(3)
UNIT 7 Animal Nature	201	(34)
Endangered Elephants	202	(9)
Reading: Saving the African Elephant: Using International Law and Trade	203	(8)
Animals: How Human?	211	(11)
Reading: Chimpanzees: Our Closest Relative	212	(8)
Reading: Kanzi: A Case Study of Ape Language Development	220	(2)
Living Together: Advantage or Disadvantage?	222	(9)
Reading: The Costs and Benefits of Social Behavior	223	(8)
Strategy Practice	231	(4)
Index of Academic Words	235	(4)
Credits	239