Foundation of Functional English

1.
Foundation of Functional English

Vocabulary Building
What is vocabulary?
A vocabulary is a set of familiar words that a person knows. Usually developed with
age, vocabulary is a useful and essential tool that helps an individual to communicate
and expand their knowledge.
Vocabulary is denoted as “the group and collection of words that are known and used
by a particular person”. It can also be defined as “a list or collection of words or phrases
that are normally alphabetically arranged and defined or explained”.
Three Tiers of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is described with the following three tiers:
1. Basic Vocabulary:
The basic words form the first tier of vocabulary. These words normally have a single
meaning and do not require instruction. Early reading words, sight words, adjectives,
verbs, nouns, etc are portrayed in this tier. 8000-word families in English comprise this
tier.
2. High-frequency Vocabulary:
It is also called the multiple meaning vocabulary tier, this tier comprises words used in a
variety of domains, communication, literature, etc. It influences reading and speaking.
7000-word families comprise this tier. The characteristics for tier two words are as
follows:
 It has multiple meanings

 Vital for reading comprehension
 Descriptive vocabulary
 A diverse environment use these words
 Used for direct instruction
3. Low-frequency Vocabulary
The words that are used only when specifically required or in a particular domain like
weather, technology, geographical region, occupation, hobbies, school, etc. comprise
this tier. About four million words in vocabulary in English comprise this tier.
Types of Vocabulary
The types of vocabulary can be categorized based on spoken and written vocabulary.
Children start vocabulary-building through listening and speaking even before writing
and reading. Every type of vocabulary has a different aim and purpose. However, the
development of one type of vocabulary facilitates another.
The types of vocabulary are discussed below briefly.
1. Listening Vocabulary:
Listening vocabulary comprises words that we understand through hearing. Learning

new words is a continuous process, and by the time you reach adulthood, almost fifty
thousand words are understood and recognized by you. Deaf people can be exposed to
visual listening vocabulary for learning.
2. Speaking Vocabulary
Speaking vocabulary consists of words that we actually speak. It has a horizon of

around 5000 to 10000 words. These are used for giving instructions and conversations.
The number of words in this category are comparatively lesser than the listening
vocabulary.
3. Reading Vocabulary
The major ingredient of vocabulary building is reading. Reading grows and develops
your vocabulary. The words we get to learn while reading a text are termed as reading
vocabulary. It may happen that we understand words through reading vocabulary even
if we don’t use it in speaking vocabulary.
4. Writing Vocabulary:
Words we recoup while expressing ourselves through writing are termed as writing
vocabulary. Writing vocabulary is normally influenced by the words we are able to spell.
We find it easy to express verbally, through facial expression, or intonation, but writing
vocabulary depends upon our expertise in vocabulary.
5.Final Vocabulary
Richard Rorty discovered this term ‘Final Vocabulary’. It is a collection, set, or group of
words that every person applies to justify their actions, beliefs, and lives. Final
vocabulary comprises words a person avails to praise, contempt, express deep feelings,
hopes, doubts, etc.
Some other categories of vocabulary are:
Oral Vocabulary: It includes those words that we recognize and use in listening and
speaking.
Print Vocabulary: It is used in reading and writing
Receptive Vocabulary: It involves hearing and seeing actions and recognizing them.
Vocabulary Building
Vocabulary building is the process of learning new words and their meanings, and is a
key part of learning a new language. It can help you understand what you read and
hear, and improve your communication skills.
1. Contextual usage:
Contextual vocabulary is a strategy for learning new words by using the context of the
surrounding text or speech to infer meaning. It's an important skill for reading, writing,
and critical thinking.
Look for clues

Use the words, phrases, or sentences around an unfamiliar word to help you guess its
meaning.
Consider the tone and mood
The overall feeling or emotion of the text can indicate the meaning of a word.
Use figurative language
Metaphors or similes can provide clues to the meaning of a word.
Use your own knowledge
You can sometimes use your own experience or knowledge of a topic to guess new
vocabulary.
2. Synonyms :
Synonyms are words that mean the same or similar things in the same language.
Synonymous words can serve the same purpose as their counterparts more often than
not. Synonyms are often used to avoid repetitiveness in language when composing long
speeches or written pieces.
i. Absolute synonyms: These words have the exact same meaning.

ii.Partial synonyms: These words have similar meanings with slight differences.
iii.
Near synonyms: These words have different meanings that are closely related.
iv.One-way synonyms: These words are a subset of a keyword, but with a more
specific meaning.
v. Two-way synonyms: These words have the same meaning and return the same
search results.
3. Antonyms:
The words that make contrasting or opposite sense would be considered antonyms.
Antonyms would easily stand against their counterparts. Posing an opposite sense
towards the word intended, antonyms keep the variety going. But just like synonyms,
antonyms too, play a vital part in spicing the language up and sift out the monotony
from it.
Types:
i. Complementary:
Also known as direct or contradictory antonyms, these are words that are absolute
opposites and can exist independently. For example, "dead and alive" and "odd and
even".
ii. Graded:
These are opposite words that have a range of possible opposites between them. For
example, "early and late", "empty and full", and "light and dark".
iii. Relational/Converse
These are pairs of words that exist only because they depend on the other word to
exist. For example, "near" and "far".
iv. Auto-antonym
These are words that have two meanings, including one with an opposite
meaning. Examples include "bound," "dust," "consult," and "fast".
4. Idiomatic expressions
Idiomatic expressions are phrases that have a figurative meaning that's different from
the literal meaning of the words that make up the phrase. They are an important part
of English and can help you understand the culture and history of the
language. Learning idioms can help you:
Communicate more effectively: Idioms can help you express ideas concisely, convey
emotions, and make a strong impact on the reader or listener.
Understand native speakers: Idioms can help you understand native English speakers,
literature, films, and social media content.
Speak more fluently: Mastering idioms can help you communicate more fluently and
naturally
Here are some examples of idiomatic expressions:

 It's raining cats and dogs: Means it's raining hard
 Kill two birds with one stone: Means to get two things done with a single action
 Let the cat out of the bag: Means to give away a secret
 Break the ice: Means to start a conversation or make people feel more
comfortable
 Cut corners: Means to do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often badly
 Hit the nail on the head: Means to describe something exactly right
 Piece of cake: Means something very easy to do
 Cost an arm and a leg: Means to be very expensive

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1.

Foundation of Functional English

Three Tiers of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is described with the following three tiers:

 It has multiple meanings

The types of vocabulary are discussed below briefly.

Listening vocabulary comprises words that we understand through hearing. Learning

Speaking vocabulary consists of words that we actually speak. It has a horizon of

Some other categories of vocabulary are:

Print Vocabulary: It is used in reading and writing

Look for clues

i. Absolute synonyms: These words have the exact same meaning.

Here are some examples of idiomatic expressions:

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