With last week’s column titled Developing Speaking Skills, I discussed how candidates preparing for TOEFL and IELTS can develop their fluency and coherence, the first of the four grading criteria for assessing candidates’ speaking skills. The second grading criterion lexical resource is discussed this week. If a candidate is able to use a range of vocabulary comfortably while answering the examiner’s questions, he/she is said to have good lexical resource. Candidates whose lexical resource is good use a wide range of words and expressions flexibly to convey precise meaning, demonstrate knowledge of collocations effectively, use idiomatic language naturally, use words and phrases appropriately, use less common words accurately, and are able to paraphrase successfully. Let us look at some aspects of vocabulary: collocations, less common words and idioms.
Collocations are natural combinations of words. Here are some examples of collocations: heavy rain (not strong rain), strong wind (not heavy wind), fast food (not quick food), quick lunch (not fast lunch), make a mistake (not do a mistake), do an experiment (not make an experiment), cow dung (not cow shit), bull shit (not bull dung), take an exam (if you are a student) and give an exam (if you are a teacher). Learners of English should know which words go together and they should master the word combinations (chunks). By learning the chunks of vocabulary they can demonstrate their knowledge of collocations effectively. The Oxford Collocations Dictionary is a very useful resource book for anyone who wants to master collocations. Those who have smart phones can download the app English Collocation Dictionary and find collocation words easily.
Those who are proficient in English should be able to use less common words skillfully while talking about familiar or unfamiliar topics. For instance, while talking about the Internet, if a candidate uses the words browsing, surfing, cyberbullying, hotspot, netiquette, viral, webcast, hacking, and hacktivism skillfully, the candidate demonstrates his ability to use less common words.
Look at this sentence: We combed our catalog and found courses and specializations that we think match your interests.
The word ‘comb’ in the sentence means to search the catalog in order to find something. ‘Comb’ with the meaning of searching a place in order to find something is a less common word. A candidate who uses less common words skillfully can score good band score in IELTS/TOEFL speaking and writing modules. Native speakers of English use idioms in their everyday conversation. Candidates preparing for
IELTS/TOEFL tests should demonstrate their ability to use idioms naturally and accurately.
They should be familiar with common idioms and use them. They can come across idioms in novels and lyrics written by native speakers and in English movies. Here are examples of most common idioms:
? The trip cost me an arm and a leg. (a lot of money)
? She knows every nook and cranny of Hyderabad. (every part of a place)
Ever since he met the girl, he is on top of the world. (ecstatic)
Dr albert p’ rayan
is an ELT Resource Person and Professor of English. He can be contacted at rayanal@yahoo.co.uk