colloquial
/kəˈloʊkwiəl/Used in relaxed everyday speech rather than in careful formal writing.
Example: His writing is too colloquial for a formal report.
C222 words · Proficient
Ways of Learning vocabulary — C2
Ways of Learning vocabulary for language study at scale, including etymology, phonology and neologism, plus learning analytics and credentialing.
22 questions
Words in this set
22etymology
/ˌɛtəˈmɑlədʒi/The origin of a particular word and the way its form and meaning have changed over time.
Example:
The etymology of "salary" goes back to Roman payments in salt.
lingua franca
A language used for communication between people who do not share a first language.
Example:
English is often used as a lingua franca at international conferences.
semantics
/sɪˈmæntɪks/The study of meaning in language, including how words and sentences convey meaning.
Example:
The debate was really about semantics, not the actual facts.
morphology
/mɔrˈfɑlədʒi/The study of how words are formed from smaller parts, such as prefixes and suffixes.
Example:
Understanding morphology helps you guess what an unfamiliar word means.
phonology
/fəˈnɑləˌdʒi/The study of the sound patterns and systems used in a particular language.
Example:
English phonology includes sounds that don't exist in her first language.
vernacular
/vərˈnækjələr/The everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a particular place, rather than a formal or official one.
Example:
The poem was written in the local vernacular rather than formal English.
lexicon
/ˈlɛksɪˌkɑn/The complete set of words known and used by a person or found in a particular language or subject.
Example:
Medicine has its own specialised lexicon.
neologism
A newly invented word or expression that has recently come into use.
Example:
'Selfie' was once a neologism before it entered every dictionary.
onomatopoeia
The use of words that sound like the noise they describe, such as 'buzz' or 'bang'.
Example:
'Sizzle' is a classic example of onomatopoeia.
polyglot
/ˌpɑˌliɡlɑt/Someone who speaks several languages well.
Example:
A polyglot receptionist handled four nationalities before nine o'clock.
asynchronous
/ˈeɪˈsɪŋkrənəs/Describing lessons you complete whenever you like rather than at one fixed live time.
Example:
The course is asynchronous, so watch the videos anytime.
andragogy
The theory and practice of teaching adult learners, as distinct from teaching children.
Example:
The course design was based on principles of andragogy.
MOOC
A free online course, open to a huge number of learners at once, usually run by a university.
Example:
Millions of people have taken a MOOC on introductory programming.
learning analytics
The collection and study of data about learners in order to understand and improve how they learn.
Example:
Learning analytics showed that most students dropped off after week three.
digital literacy
The skills needed to find, use and evaluate information using computers and the internet effectively.
Example:
The programme aims to improve digital literacy among older adults.
credentialing
The official process of confirming that someone has completed a course and awarding proof of it.
Example:
The platform added credentialing so learners could show employers their certificates.
personalisation
Adjusting the content or pace of a course to fit each individual learner's needs.
Example:
The software uses personalisation to suggest exercises based on your weak areas.
scalability
/ˈskeɪləˈbɪlɪti/The ability of a course or system to serve far more learners without a large increase in cost or effort.
Example:
One advantage of a MOOC is its scalability to millions of learners.
competency-based
Describes a course where learners move forward once they prove they can do a skill, rather than after a fixed amount of time.
Example:
The programme uses a competency-based model, so students progress at different speeds.
massification
The process by which education becomes available to very large numbers of people rather than a small group.
Example:
MOOCs have driven the massification of higher education worldwide.
microlearning
Teaching delivered in very short pieces, often a few minutes each.
Example:
The app rebuilt the whole course around microlearning modules.
