1. admonish 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

2. bemoan 3. condone: 4. confound: 5. contravene: 6. exacerbate: 7. forestall: 8. refute 9. shun 10. stint:

Help Choosing the Right Word

Table of Contents Deciding which word in a thesaurus entry is best for your purposes is not always easy. The basic meaning shared by the members of a synonym group cannot tell you everything you need to know in order to choose the word that best suits your needs. Something that is very pleasing to look at can be described as attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny, comely, cute, fair, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, lovely, pretty, ravishing, sightly, stunning, or taking, but which word is best for describing a sunset? A city? Should you use knockout to describe a cathedral or ravishing for a sports car? Sometimes, of course, your own experience can tell you when one word is better than another, but that's not always the case. That's when the verbal illustrations in this thesaurus can be of help. Verbal illustrations can help by showing how each synonym is typically used: <sunsets in Hawaii are just gorgeous> <the glass-topped table was a handsome addition to the room> <a knockout sports car that's the talk of the neighborhood> <with her red curls falling around her shoulders> <she looked ravishing in her green dress> If after reviewing the verbal illustrations for all of the synonyms, you decide that you still have not found the right word, then you have the list of related words to consider: Related Words: alluring, appealing, charming, delightful, eye-catching, glamorous (also glamourous), prepossessing; elegant, exquisite, glorious, resplendent, splendid, statuesque, sublime, superb; flawless, perfect, radiant; dainty, delicate; personable, presentable Now you have 38 words that mean the same thing or nearly the same thing as beautiful. Here's where you need a good dictionary. You can consult the dictionary to get a precise definition of any word in the lists, and perhaps an example of its use. The vocabulary in Merriam-Webster's Online Thesaurus is based on Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary, which contains words within the range likely to be useful to you. Whether you use the Intermediate Dictionary or some other dictionary, you should always use this thesaurus along with a reliable dictionary.

A Few Words About Finding the Right Word

By Richard Nordquist, About.com Guide July 13, 2011

My Bio

Headlines Forum RSS

Ads
Sound wordsHow to write the sound of things Onomatopoeiawww.writtensound.com Dictionary Free DownloadWord Definitions, Translate & More. Download Dictionary Boss Today!www.DictionaryBoss.com www.flipkart.comHuge Selection and Amazing Prices. Free Home Delivery - Above Rs.200www.flipkart.com Finding the right word--le mot juste--was a lifelong quest for French novelist Gustave Flaubert: Whatever you want to say, there is only one word that will express it, one verb to make it move, one adjective to qualify it. You must seek that word, that verb, that adjective, and never be satisfied with approximations, never resort to tricks, even clever ones, or to verbal pirouettes to escape the difficulty. (letter to Guy de Maupassant) A perfectionist (who happened to have an independent income), Flaubert would spend days worrying over a single sentence until he got the words just right. Most of us, I suspect, don't have that kind of time available. As a result, we often have to be "satisfied with approximations" when drafting. Near synonyms and almost-right words, like temporary bridges, let us move on to the next sentence before a deadline arrives. Nonetheless, converting inexact words to precise ones remains a critical part of revising our drafts--a process that can't be reduced to a simple method or a clever trick. All the same, here are some points worth considering the next time you find yourself in search of the right word.

1.

Be Patient In revising, if the right word is not at hand, run a search, sort, select process through your mind to see if you can find it. (Even then, a word may be elusive, refusing to emerge from the mind one day only to arise from the subconscious the next.) . . . Be prepared to rewrite today what you revised yesterday. Above all, be patient: take the time to select words that will transfer your exact thought to the mind of a reader. (May Flewellen McMillan, The Shortest Way to the Essay: Rhetorical Strategies. Mercer University Press, 1984)

2.

Wear Out Your Dictionary Once you have a dictionary, use it! Wear it out! . . . When you sit down to write and need a particular word, pause to consider the key ideas you want to convey. Start with a word that's in the ballpark. Look it up and go from there, exploring synonyms, roots, and usage notes. Many's the time a usage note in the American Heritage Dictionary has led me to the word that fits, much as the right jigsaw puzzle piece slips into place. (Jan Venolia, The Right Word!: How to Say What You Really Mean. Ten Speed Press, 2003)

3.

Recognize Connotations Do not be fooled into thinking you can substitute one word for another simply because a thesaurus groups them together under a single entry. The thesaurus will do you little good unless you are familiar with the connotations of possible synonyms for a given word. "Portly," "chubby," "chunky," "heavy," "overweight," "stocky," "plump," and "obese" are all possible synonyms for "fat," but they are not interchangeable. . . . Your task is to select the word that conveys most accurately the precise shade of meaning or feeling you intend. (Peter G. Beidler, Writing Matters. Coffeetown Press, 2010)

4.

Put Away Your Thesaurus Using a thesaurus will not make you look smarter. It will only make you look like you are trying to look smarter. (Adrienne Dowhan et al., Essays That Will Get You Into College, 3rd ed. Barron's, 2009)

5.

Beware of Fancy Language There is a difference between vivid language and unnecessarily fancy language. As you search for the particular, the colorful, and the unusual, be careful not to choose words merely for their sound or appearance rather than for their substance. When it comes to word choice, longer is not always better. As a rule, prefer simple, plain language over fancy language. . . . Avoid language that seems stilted or unnecessarily formal in favor of language that sounds natural and genuine to your ear. Trust the right word--whether fancy or plain--to do the job. (Stephen Wilbers, Keys to Great Writing. Writer's Digest Books, 2000)

6.

Delete Pet Words They may be more pests than pets. They are the words you overuse without even knowing it. My own problem words are "very," "just," and "that." Delete them if they're not essential. (John Dufresne, The Lie That Tells a Truth. W.W. Norton, 2003)

7.

Eliminate the Wrong Words I do not choose the right word. I get rid of the wrong one. Period. (A.E. Housman, quoted by Robert Penn Warren in "An Interview in New Haven," 1970)

8.

Listen [B]ear in mind, when you're choosing words and stringing them together, how they sound. This may seem absurd: readers read with their eyes. But in fact they hear what they are reading far more than you realize. Therefore such matters as rhythm and alliteration are vital to every sentence. (William Zinsser, On Writing Well, 7th ed. HarperCollins, 2006)

9.

Be True "How do I know," the sometimes despairing writer asks, "which the right word is?" The reply must be: only you can know. The right word is, simply, the wanted one; the wanted word is the one most nearly true. True to what? Your vision and your purpose. (Elizabeth Bowen, Afterthought: Pieces About Writing, 1962)

10.

Enjoy [P]eople often forget that the sheer joy of finding the right word which expresses a thought is extraordinary, an emotional rush of an intense kind. (playwright Michael Mackenzie, quoted by Eric Armstrong, 1994) Is the struggle to find the right word truly worth the effort? Mark Twain thought so. "The difference between the almost-right word & the right word is really a large matter," he once said. "It's the difference between the lightning-bug & the lightning."

confound

(k n-found , k n-) tr.v. confounded, confounding, confounds 1. To cause to become confused or perplexed. See Synonyms at puzzle. 2. To fail to distinguish; mix up: confound fiction and fact. 3. To make (something bad) worse: Do not confound the problem by losing your temper. 4. To cause to be ashamed; abash: an invention that confounded the skeptics. 5. To damn. 6. a. To frustrate: trivial demands that confounded the peace talks. b. Archaic To bring to ruination. [Middle English confounden, from Anglo-Norman confundre, from Latin c nfundere, to mix together, confuse : com-, com- + fundere, to pour; see gheu- in Indo-European roots.] confound er n. confound ingly adv.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

confound [knfand]
vb (tr) 1. to astound or perplex; bewilder 2. to mix up; confuse 3. to treat mistakenly as similar to or identical with (one or more other things) 4. to curse or damn (usually as an expletive in the phrase confound it!) 5. to contradict or refute (an argument, etc.) 6. to rout or defeat (an enemy) 7. Obsolete to waste

[from Old French confondre, from Latin confundere to mingle, pour together, from fundere to pour] confoundable adj confounder n

Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

Synonyms Related Words Antonyms Verb 1. confound - be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher" befuddle, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, fuddle, throw demoralize - confuse or put into disorder; "the boss's behavior demoralized everyone in the office" bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me" disconcert, flurry, confuse, put off - cause to feel embarrassment; "The constant attention of the young man confused her" disorient, disorientate - cause to be lost or disoriented be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" 2. confound - mistake one thing for another; "you are confusing me with the other candidate"; "I mistook her for the secretary" confuse misidentify, mistake - identify incorrectly; "Don't mistake her for her twin sister" obnubilate, obscure, blur, confuse - make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions" mix up, jumble, confuse - assemble without order or sense; "She jumbles the words when she is supposed to write a sentence"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

ThesaurusLegend:

confound
verb 1. bewilder, baffle, amaze, confuse, astonish, startle, mix up, astound, perplex, surprise, mystify, flummox, boggle the mind, be all Greek to (informal), dumbfound, nonplus, flabbergast (informal) For many years medical scientists were confounded by these seemingly contradictory facts. 2. disprove, contradict, refute, negate, destroy, ruin, overwhelm, explode, overthrow, demolish, annihilate, give the lie to, make a nonsense of, prove false, blow out of the water (slang), controvert, confute The findings confound all the government's predictions.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

admonish

( d-m n sh) tr.v. admonished, admonishing, admonishes 1. To reprove gently but earnestly.

2. To counsel (another) against something to be avoided; caution. 3. To remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility. [Middle English amonishen, admonishen, alteration of amonesten, from Old French amonester, admonester, from Vulgar Latin *admonest re, from Latin admon re : ad-, ad- + mon re, to warn; see men-1 in Indo-European roots.] admon isher n. admon ishingly adv. admon ishment n. Synonyms: admonish, reprove, rebuke, reprimand, reproach These verbs mean to correct or caution critically. Admonish implies the giving of advice or a warning in order to rectify or avoid something: "A gallows erected on an eminence admonished the offenders of the fate that awaited them" (William Hickling Prescott). Reprove usually suggests gentle criticism and constructive intent: With a quick look, the teacher reproved the child for whispering in class. Rebuke and reprimand both refer to sharp, often angry criticism: "Some of the most heated criticism . . . has come from the Justice Department, which rarely rebukes other agencies in public" (Howard Kurtz). "A committee at [the university] asked its president to reprimand a scientist who tested gene-altered bacteria on trees" (New York Times). Reproach usually refers to regretful or unhappy criticism arising from a sense of disappointment: "Every other author may aspire to praise; the lexicographer can only hope to escape reproach" (Samuel Johnson).
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

admonish [dmn]
vb (tr) 1. to reprove firmly but not harshly 2. to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution [via Old French from Vulgar Latin admonestre (unattested), from Latin admonre to put one in mind of, from monre to advise] admonisher , admonitor n admonition [dmnn] n admonitory adj

Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

ThesaurusLegend:

Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Verb 1. admonish - admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; "I warned him not to go too far"; "I warn you against false assumptions"; "She warned him to be quiet" monish, warn, discourage warn - notify of danger, potential harm, or risk; "The director warned him that he might be fired"; "The doctor warned me about the dangers of smoking" advise, counsel, rede - give advice to; "The teacher counsels troubled students"; "The lawyer counselled me when I was accused of tax fraud" 2. admonish - warn strongly; put on guard caution, monish warn - notify of danger, potential harm, or risk; "The director warned him that he might be fired"; "The doctor warned me about the dangers of smoking"

3. admonish - take to task; "He admonished the child for his bad behavior" reprove criticise, criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

admonish
verb 1. reprimand, caution, censure, rebuke, scold, berate, check, chide, tear into (informal), tell off (informal), reprove, upbraid, read the riot act to someone, carpet (informal), chew out (U.S. & Canad. informal), tear someone off a strip (Brit. informal), give someone a rocket (Brit. & N.Z. informal), slap someone on the wrist, rap someone over the knuckles They admonished me for taking risks with my health. reprimand praise, applaud, compliment, congratulate, commend, big up (slang, chiefly Caribbean) 2. advise, suggest, warn, urge, recommend, counsel, caution, prescribe, exhort, enjoin, forewarn Your doctor may one day admonish you to improve your posture.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Confound
0

Double click on any word to get a popup explanation of the word and sample sentences Dictionary | Wikipedia | Synonyms | Quotation | News

Dictionary Meaning and Definition on 'Confound'

Confound Meaning and Definition from WordNet (r) 2.0 confound v 1. be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled even the teacher" [syn: confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, discombobulate] 2. mistake one thing for another; "you are confusing me with the other candidate"; "I mistook her for the secretary" [syn: confuse] Confound Meaning and Definition from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Confound \Con*found"\ (k[o^]n*found"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Confounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Confounding.] [F. confondre, fr. L. confundere, -fusum, to pour together; con- + fundere to pour. See Fuse to melt, and cf. Confuse.] 1. To mingle and blend, so that different elements can not be distinguished; to confuse. They who strip not ideas from the marks men use for them, but confound them with words, must have endless dispute. --Locke. Let us go down, and there confound their language. --Gen. xi. 7. 2. To mistake for another; to identify falsely. They [the tinkers] were generally vagrants and pilferers, and were often confounded with the gypsies. --Macaulay. 3. To throw into confusion or disorder; to perplex; to strike with amazement; to dismay. The gods confound... The Athenians both within and out that wall. --Shak. They trusted in thee and were not confounded. --Ps. xxii. 5. So spake the Son of God, and Satan stood A while as mute, confounded what to say. --Milton. 4. To destroy; to ruin; to waste. [Obs.] One man's lust these many lives confounds. --Shak. How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour? --Shak. Syn: To abash; confuse; baffle; dismay; astonish; defeat; terrify; mix; blend; intermingle. See Abash. Would you like to add your own explaination to this word 'Confound'?

Wikipedia Meaning and Definition on 'Confound'

Confounding: In statistics, a confounding variable (also confounding factor, lurking variable, a confound, or confounder) is an extraneous variable in ... Procedural confound: A procedural confound is a type of confound that can occur in a laboratory experiment or a quasi-experiment . This type of confound ... Operational confound: In design of experiments , a subdiscipline of statistics , an operational confound is a type of confound that can occur in both experiment ... Confounds and Artifacts: Although often used interchangeably, confounds and artifacts refer to two different kinds of threat to the validity of social psychological ... Foolish Guys ... to Confound the Wise: to Confound the Wise is the second album by American Christian comedy group Isaac Air Freight , released in 1980. Track listing " ... Confounding factor (disambiguation): In statistics, a confounding variable (also confounding factor, lurking variable, a confound, or confounder) is an extraneous variable in ... Confounding Factor (games company): tm/news/4120/confounding-factor-sink-with-galleon/ Confounding Factor sink with Galleon at Play. tm. Category:Companies established in 1997 ...

http://www.dictionary30.com/meaning/Confound http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/articles.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

Manager Bully Leader Bully, coward Decisive Random, impulsive Has a good appreciation of short, medium Rigidly short term, often no more than 24 and long term needs, goals and strategy hours Accepts responsibility Abdicates responsibility Shares credit Plagiarises, takes all the credit Acknowledges failings Denies failings, always blames others Learns from experience and applies Has a learning blindness, cannot apply knowledge gained from experience to knowledge gained from experience except improve business, communication, how to be more devious, manipulative, language and interpersonal skills and how to better evade accountability Consistent Inconsistent, random, impulsive Inconsistent, always critical, singles Fair, treats all equally people out, shows favouritism Respectful and considerate Disrespectful and inconsiderate Seeks and retains people more Favours weaker employees, recruits knowledgeable and experienced than self henchmen and toadying types Values others Unable to value, constantly devalues

others Includes everyone Includes and excludes people selectively Leads by example Dominates, sets a poor example Economical, uses distortion and Truthful fabrication Confident Insecure, arrogant Behaviourally mature Behaviourally immature Emotionally mature, high EQ (emotional Emotionally immature, very low EQ intelligence) (emotional intelligence) Good interpersonal skills Poor interpersonal skills Good etiquette Poor etiquette Balanced objectivity Exclusive self-interest Cares about staff, the business, etc Cares only about self Respects clients Is contemptuous of clients Gets on well with people at all levels and Identifies only with clones of himself or from all backgrounds herself Assertive Aggressive Delegates Dumps Builds team spirit Divisive, uses manipulation and threat Alienates, divides, creates fear and Uses influencing skills uncertainty Motivates Demotivates Listens, guides, instructs Tells Has high expectations (that staff will do Has low expectations of everybody well) Shares fairly Controls and subjugates Withholds information, releases Shares information freely selectively, uses information as a weapon Always strives for clarity Revels in confusion, divide and rule etc Allows and trusts people to get on with Constantly interfering, dictating and the job controlling Only addresses genuine performance Makes false claims about alleged issues and then focuses on performance underperformance and focuses on the and behaviour person, not behaviour or performance Focused on the future Obsessed with the past Respected Loathed Sets a good example Sets a bad example Has good moral code and moral integrity Amoral behaviour, no integrity Has honesty and integrity Exhibits hypocrisy and duplicity Frequently imposes verbal warnings and Rarely uses the disciplinary procedures written warning without justification

http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/manage.htm

S
Vocabulary Activity Classification
(w/Content Connections)

Purpose: Semantic Development, Syntactic Development Focus: Classify vocabulary into two or three groups ELDC (Continuum) Level(s): Proficient 2, Proficient 3 Procedure: Model the activity, beginning with several words for teams to classify into groups. Ask students to identify an appropriate label for the groups they create. Discuss other words that could go into each group. Each team gets out one pencil and one sheet of paper. The captain writes team name and divides the paper into the appropriate number of columns (groups). The captain labels columns for classifications and sets timer for 5 minutes. Team members take turns writing words in appropriate columns (as in the Team Spelling Test). Note that words do not have to come from the lesson vocabulary. When the timer rings, collect papers. Teams get one point for each word they place correctly. Spelling should not count. Classification Activities & Notes on how to use Classification Reproducibles below: 1 Classification Activities are designed to practice the lesson vocabulary 2 (Suggestion: As a starter, create and/or use a lesson vocabulary list for quick reference) 3 Classification is a team activity. Once teams understand the activity, they make up their own classification headers, and can deviate from lesson vocabulary to include other words from the text, synonyms, etc. 4 Classification Activity #1 and Classification Activity #2 are suggested activities to use with reproducible graphic organizer(s) on the pages below to model for students. Then in Classification Activity #3, have teams decided on their own classification headings to classify a particular vocabulary (from lesson vocabulary list, lesson summary, textbook, etc.). Be sure teams provide an answer key to their own original classification activity when completed. In this and all classification activities using vocabulary, teams must

provide a correct reason (rationale) for each classification decision. Answers and reasons may vary. Classification Activity #1
Classify Lesson Vocabulary into (4) groups

Classification Activity #2
Classify Lesson Vocabulary into (4) groups 1. Nouns: (people, place, thing, idea) 2. Verbs: (action or being words) 3. Adjectives: (describing words) 4. Adverbs: (describing words) 5. Other words 1. Words relating to ___ (a character, person, term, etc) 2. Words relating to __ (a second character, person, term,) 3. Words relating to ___ (a third character, person, term,) 4. Words that _______ (do or tell something--such as describe, tell sequence or order, start a noun clause, etc) 5. Other words (not related to groups 1, 2, 3 above)

Classification Activity (Continued on following pages)

Vocabulary Activities
There are as many interesting and fun ways to work with vocabulary as you have the time and imagination to prepare them. My mantra for vocabulary is: "Recognition, Repetition, Reproduction." Always keep in mind that the end goal of learning vocabulary is to be able to use it comfortably in context. Maintain a picture box. Magazine advertisements provide wonderful pictures for all kinds of vocabulary because they are bright and attention grabbing, and generally do not have a lot of extraneous things going on in them. Mount them on colored paper so they are all the same size. To introduce a new set of vocabulary, create a story and show the picture as you use the word. The story should repeat the words several times. Use the pictures as visual clues for vocabulary repetition or multiple choice recognition. Distribute several pictures to a group of students and have them create a story of their own to share with the class. Prepare 3x5 flash cards. I find that visual cues work best on one side of the card with the TL word on the reverse. These can be used as drill, as cues to form sentences, as part of scrambled sentences, or for a memory game on the front board. I sometimes use the computer for this, finding clip art better than my limited line-drawing skills. Once these are done, you will have them for the duration of your textbook cycle. Here are some activities that my students have always enjoyed. Starred activities are explained below. This is a chart summary for vocabulary activities at different language levels:
Beginning Intermediate Advanced

Memory/Concentration Fly swatter Magnetic scrabble Scrambled sentences Word pictures Grouping & organizing Crossword puzzles Word searches

Beginning activities Flyers Posters Radio spots TV news program Role play Typewriter Story telling

Intermediate activities Skits "What's My Line?" Riddles Newspaper kid's page Teach elementary class Acrostics Graffiti

Children's book

Beginning Memory/Concentration Goal: To match every drawing with the appropriate vocabulary word. Winning team is the one that matches the most words and drawings correctly. Preparation: This requires the use of two sets of note cards, one set numbered from 1 to 30, and the other 30 cards divided in half, 15 with clear, clean line drawings that illustrate the vocabulary and 15 with the vocabulary word in the L2. I use the black board because it is centrally located in my classroom, but a bulletin board or easel board would work just as well. Shuffle the drawing and word cards together to get a random order. Place the drawing cards on the blackboard in a 6 x 5 grid, with space around each card. Cover each drawing or word with a consecutively numbered card that can be lifted to show the drawing/word underneath. (I use scotch tape to attach the cards to the board.) Procedure: Divide the class in half. The first person says the numbers of two of the cards in the L2. The teacher lifts the card to reveal the drawing/word hidden underneath. If it is a match, the cards are removed from the grid and the next person on the team chooses two more numbers. If it is not a match, the numbers are replaced and play moves to the other team. Play continues until no match is made. Play alternates back and forth between teams until all words are matched with drawings. Hints: Insist that everybody play, that nobody shares information with anyone else on the team, that everybody listen, and that nobody takes notes. This is an activity that permits the students to remain in their seats while actively engaged in a whole class game. Everybody needs to pay attention and be quiet to hear what numbers are being selected. Allow about 15 minutes to play. Fly swatter Place words on board or wall. Divide class into relay teams for a relay race. Give a clue. Student in front of each line goes to the word wall and swats the correct vocabulary item. Magnetic scrabble Purchase magnetic letters. Play on the front board. A variation is a relay race, with 2 members from each team working together. A clue to the vocabulary item is given. One student searches for the letters. The other student places them on the board. First team to get the word correctly spelled wins the point. Scrambled Sentences This is a good activity for midway through a lesson or for review at the end of a lesson. This is also excellent for reinforcing syntax at any time. Goal: To form complete, grammatically correct sentences from the randomly organized word cards. Preparation: Prepare as many sets of cards as will be needed for groups of 3 or 4 students. Create your master list of sentences, usually around 20 is sufficient. Using 1 " x 2 " note cards, write one word on each note card. Divide the sentences evenly into sets. (If you have a class of 25 students, 3 students per group, you will need 8 sets of cards.) Mix (scramble) the words in each sentence and place them in a paper clip. Place 3 paper clipped sentences on each of 8 desktops spaced around the room. Each desktop will act as a station and students will rotate from station to station at the end of a prescribed amount of time. 5 minutes is a good place to start until you figure out how quickly your students can master this type of activity. Procedure: Each group of 3 or 4 students is supplied with a piece of paper and a pencil, and is placed at one of the 8 desktops. Working together as a team of 3, the students unscramble the sentences, write them on their paper, and bring them to the teacher for checking. If they are correct nothing more is required at this stage; if they are incorrect, the students are permitted to reorganize the sentence until they get it right, or until time is called. When time is called, each team rotates to the next desktop station and goes through the procedure again with a new set of sentences. Hints: This is a good activity to place stronger and weaker students together to work out the puzzle. A different student should be designated as the team secretary at each station, allowing all students to write as well as manipulate the sentences. Three stations are about all the students can stay on task with, so allow 20-25 minutes total for this activity. Word pictures Given a list of vocabulary, students draw a picture related to the word that incorporates the word in the drawing. Simple line drawings work the best. Grouping and Organizing This is a good activity at the beginning of a lesson to acquaint the students with all of the vocabulary and to get them to think about relationships between and among words. Goal: To organize vocabulary words by category. Preparation: If you wish, you can pre-determine the categories into which the vocabulary list should be organized. I generally allow the students to determine the categories themselves since this requires them to think more deeply about relationships. Procedure: Students use the list of vocabulary provided at the end of the lesson in the textbook. These words are generally already divided into various topics (which do not count for purposes of this activity), but there are many more categories that can be created. Each category must contain at least 3 words for it to legitimately be considered a category. Words may be used in more than one category. Each student writes a category heading, underlining it, and lists all words that correspond to the category underneath the heading. Stipulate a time limit for this activity and stick to it, collecting the papers at the end of the time limit. Then, for full class follow-up, ask students what categories they listed and put these on the board. Once several categories are on the board, ask students to suggest words that fit the category. Hints: This is an activity that can be done individually or in pairs or triplets, depending upon the amount of time you wish to devote to in class follow-up and paper grading. I prefer individually because it forces each student to look at the words and think about their meaning, as well as requiring them to write the words multiple times. Additionally, this is a good activity to assign if you have to be out of the class on one of the first days of a new lesson. This can also be used as a homework assignment. This is probably a 30-minute activity and can be spread out over two days, with the follow-up on the second day. Crossword Puzzles This is a good activity to do any time, once the students are familiar with the vocabulary of the lesson. Goal: To create a crossword puzzle that uses about 50% of the listed vocabulary. Depending upon the level of student, the clues are to be in the L2 if at all possible. Preparation: I usually prepare the grid for the students, so there is some uniformity in size; this makes it easier for me to read. Instead of asking the students to number each word individually as in a real crossword puzzle, I put numbers across the columns and letters down the rows. This way as a student finds a spot to place a word, he designates it, for example, as H12 (the word starts on row H, column 12) and places it either in the horizontal or vertical list of clues. I often place one of the longer words or phrases in the grid with a definition or clue to help them get started. Procedure: If this is a homework assignment, I usually give the students 2 or 3 days to work on it. If it is an in-class project, I usually spread it out over 2 to 3 days. The clues may be definitions in the L2, synonyms or antonyms in the L2. Very rarely will I permit a direct translation between L1 and L2 for the clues. All words must be interconnected and no floaters are permitted. If students wish, they may use a highlighter to block out the unused squares on

Intermediate
Typewriter Prepare two sets of alphabet cards. Distribute randomly to each team. Students will probably have 2 or 3 letters each, depending on the size of the class. Alternating teams, give a clue. The team must spell out the word by standing up letter by letter, saying the word, and spelling the word. The idea is to simulate an old-fashioned keystroke typewriter. Flyers This is a good culminating activity, before a test, to bring together all the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural concepts in a lesson. Goal: To prepare an 81/2" x 11" flyer that announces something, using correct grammar, vocabulary, and cultural content from the lesson. Preparation: Have in mind what you want the end product to look like before you start writing directions and a rubric for this. Decide if the flyer will have hand drawn art, or computer generated graphics. Determine the specifics for the assignment: 1) What is the minimum number of vocabulary words you wish them to use? 2) How many examples of the grammar points need to be incorporated into the flyer? 3) What is/are the topic/s, or will you let the students invent their own topics as long as they use the required elements? 4) Will you evaluate the appearance? This can be done either as an out-ofclass assignment, or in-class. Be sure to reserve the computer lab if you need it. For hand drawn art, have a supply of colored pencils, markers, scissors, and glue on hand. Have wall space available for posting the flyers. Procedure: Each student will work alone on this activity, producing a flyer that addresses the topic and uses the elements of the lesson. If this is an inclass assignment, be sure to provide the tools necessary for completing the assignment. Hints: This type of activity is a good one to finish out a class period with, asking the students to complete the work at home and turn it in the next day at the start of class. Or, this is something that can be left for a day when a substitute is in the classroom. Posters This is a good culminating activity, before a test, to bring together all the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural concepts in a lesson. Goal: To prepare a large poster that explains something, using correct grammar, vocabulary, and cultural content from the lesson. Preparation: Have in mind what you want the end product to look like before you start writing directions and a rubric for this. Decide if the poster will have hand drawn art, or computer generated graphics. Determine the specifics for the assignment: 1. 2. 3. 4. What is the minimum number of vocabulary words you wish them to use? How many examples of the grammar points need to be incorporated into the flyer? What is/are the topic/s, or will you let the students invent their own topics as long as they use the required elements? Will you evaluate the appearance? This can be done either as an out-of-class assignment, or in-class. Be sure to reserve the computer lab if you need it. For hand drawn art, have a supply of colored pencils, markers, scissors, and glue on hand. Have wall space available for posting the flyers.

Procedure: Each student will work alone, or in pairs, on this activity, producing a poster that addresses the topic and uses the elements of the lesson. If this is an in-class assignment, be sure to provide the tools necessary for completing the assignment. An example of a poster project: the topic is basic health and exercise, the grammar is present subjunctive, the setting is someplace in France. The poster would have phrases exhorting people to eat well or exercise every day. There might be examples of a balanced diet or types of exercise. Foods would be those easily available in France and places to exercise would be in France as well. Hints: When students work together on a project of this nature, they tend to waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to attack the assignment. Brainstorming with the entire class may reduce this problem. This is a good activity to spread out over two days so you have time for other types of instructional activities during the class period. Radio Spots This is another good culminating activity before a test, to bring together all of the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural concepts in a lesson. Goal: To present orally, either in front on the class or onto a tape recorder, a 15-second segment for a radio broadcast that uses the vocabulary, grammar, and cultural concepts of the lesson. Preparation: Write a good set of directions and a clear rubric for the activity, including pronunciation and inflection. If this will be recorded, gather together several tape recorders and cassette tapes. Place them around the room so several students can be recording at the same time. Check out all of the equipment to be certain everything works correctly. Set the volume. Write a specific set of directions for operating the tape recorder that is to be placed on the desk next to the recorder. Demonstrate the use of the tape recorder to the class, even if this is something they are accustomed to doing; it will reduce the poorly recorded messages. Procedure: Provide students with a clear set of directions and rubric for this assignment. Give them time to write the script, practice it, and then to record or present it. The assignment may spread over a week to provide for sufficient practice time. If this is the first or second time they have done an activity of this nature, you may want to listen and critique prior to the final presentation. These messages may be public service announcements or advertisements. Hints: I have found that students like to record their spots and then listen to them as a whole class. They think they're wasting time; they are actually getting additional contact and more much-needed listening practice. Children's Book This is a good culminating activity, before a test, to bring together all the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural concepts in a lesson. Goal: To write an illustrated children's story in a specific time frame, using specified categories of vocabulary. Preparation: Prepare a clear set of directions and rubrics for the students to follow. Provide examples of the end product so students understand what they are expected to do. Determine the time frame, probably either present or past, and the vocabulary content. For purposes of example, this explanation will deal with childhood activities in the past. Not only do students need to be able to conjugate correctly, but they also must understand the differences among the various past tenses. Familiarity with vocabulary is essential. Determine how much time will be devoted to the activity in class and how much will the student be expected to do on his own time. Break down the process into easy-to-manage segments. Procedure: Before doing any actual work on the student's stories, read some "real" stories in Spanish to your students. Talk about how the "plot" and "characters" are developed, about how the words and illustrations are arranged on the pages, about what the illustrations accomplish in terms of the story

Advanced
Skits This is a good culminating activity, before a test, to bring together all the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural concepts in a lesson. Goal: To create and present a cohesive skit on a particular topic. Preparation: Create a rubric and a clear set of directions for the students. Include such items as content (vocabulary and topic), structure (grammar and syntax), sound of speech (pronunciation, flow, inflection), and presentation (props, action, delivery of lines, length). Procedure: Since this is an activity that you have been using since early in level one, students should know what to expect. By this level, writing of lines should be very minimal. Planning should be done in the target language. On the day the skit is assigned, allow time in class for the groups to get together and decide on an approach, assign roles, and do some basic blocking of action. The day before the skit is to be performed in front of the class, provide some time for practice. On the day of the skit presentation, allow only enough time to ready the props. When presentations are over, have students write summaries of at least two of the skits, including a "plot line" and using the language elements you required for the presentation. Hints: Three to four students per group provides for enough characters to lend variety and depth to the presentation without overwhelming the students. It is a good idea to emphasize that each student will receive an individual grade based on his verbal contribution to the performance of the skit on the day it is presented. If you have stipulated a number of vocabulary words, each individual must use that number of words. Variation: impromptu skits. Somewhere between a prepared skit and something from "Whose Line Is It?" impromptu skits require students to think and plan quickly. Provide a group of students with a topic, give them a specified amount of time to prepare (5 minutes), and then have them present. Do one a day until everybody has had an opportunity to present. While the group of the day is preparing, remaining students can be reading, writing, or playing vocabulary games. What's My Line? This is a good activity to encourage quick, global thinking. Requiring a broad vocabulary base and creative interpretation, students are always challenged in this fun activity. Based on the Drew Carey TV show. Goal: To react appropriately and creatively to unexpected statements and behaviors of a partner. Preparation: Choose the particular type of activity (questions only, newscast, on the spot reporting, etc.) the students will be asked to perform. Be sure you have a vision of what you want the students to do, and that they have the basic vocabulary necessary to do it, before asking them to do it. The following is an example for questions only. Procedure: Divide class into opposing teams. One member of each team steps to the center of the room and a conversation ensues between them in which only questions may be used. When one student cannot respond with a question, he sits down and the next person on his team takes his place. Play continues until the topic is used up or until all students have had an opportunity to participate. Hints: Students must have a good command of interrogatives and must be paying attention in order to successfully participate in this activity. On the day before the game, it is a good idea to shoot rapid fire questions at students on random topics in no particular order. Riddles This is a good activity to extend a reading assignment, to review vocabulary, or to practice a particular style of writing. Goal: To write a riddle in a particular writing style, using a specified set of vocabulary. Preparation: Find riddles in the target language and use them as a reading assignment. Doing an Internet search will result is several resources. Prepare a rubric and clear directions for the students. Determine if they will have a topic around which to write the riddles, or if they will be given free rein. Define the form of the riddle: poem, number of lines, use of simile and/or metaphor, title. Clear wall space for posting the riddles so other students may read and enjoy them. Procedure: Explain the assignment and when it is due. Read several riddles so students can get a feeling for the style of writing and how circumspect to be with the clues. Where are the answers? Collect and assess the riddle before posting. Hints: A simple and fun assignment, this is easily adaptable to all levels. Newspaper Kid's Page A long term project that explores a variety of topics. Goal: To create a children's newspaper page, published on a regular basis, each edition about a particular topic with a variety of activities to explain the topic. Preparation: Good scheduling and advanced planning is essential to the success of this project. Although this is not strictly a vocabulary activity, it employs learned vocabulary in a new context and in a unique way. Determine the audience, the method of production and distribution, the newsroom roles, and some possible topics. How will the student be assessed? How much time in class will be spent on this activity? If it is a language club activity, how frequently with the editorial staff need to meet? The size of the page is important; 11in x 17in is recommended. The teacher must have a clear vision of the end product, the purpose, and the follow-up before embarking on the project. Procedure: Provide students with a clear vision of the purpose and end product. Give students the lead in decisions about topics, layout, graphics, and all other elements of publication. If there are only a few students involved, assign each individual multiple tasks. If there are a lot of students, it might be possible to work on multiple editions simultaneously. All information must be thoroughly researched and free of copyright. It is recommended that all graphics be original work by the students. Address the topic in a variety of ways, using different illustrations and contexts to cover the core concepts of the age and grade level of the audience. If the topic is snow, possible items for the page might be: the structure of a snowflake, a table illustrating snowfall over the last 5 years in the locality, things to make with snow (snow man, snow angels, maple candy), sports that involve snow (skiing, sledding), how to make paper snowflakes, word searches or crossword puzzles, Did you know that questions, how to dress for the snow, snow tools, etc. Once everything is ready, then the layout process begins. White space is important, as is size of lettering; keep in mind the age of the audience. Print and distribute. Follow-up might include a survey, a conversation with a group of young readers, an evaluation on the part of the editorial staff. Hints: This is a long-term project that requires iron-fisted control. Deadlines are important. Set intermediate as well as final ones. There will be technical glitches that the teacher will need to solve along the way; be prepared. Have alternatives. In subsequent issues, assign new roles to students until each finds his niche. Graffiti This is a good activity for self-expression. Goal: To creatively express oneself verbally in a public forum.