Activity Type. Listening /Reading -Matching phrases with similar meaning
A. Synonyms – Alternative Vocabulary
Even when we can’t find exactly the right words to use it is easier to explain what we mean if we have a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures to use.
For example if you can’t remember or don’t know the word “crack” which can be used to describe a loud, sharp, dry sound, you can still describe what you heard as a sound or a noise. Describing the sound or noise as loud and sharp would give your listeners a better idea. If you add that it was a dry sound, this might define the crack even more clearly.
ANSWERS:
| Original (word that cannot be remembered) | Replacement word than can be used |
|---|---|
| Crack | Sound |
| Trestle | Support |
| Cruise | Travel |
| Battle | Fight |
| Ogre | Giant |
| Nightmare | Dream |
| Lollipop | Sweet |
| Durian | Fruit |
| Prism | Block |
| Ruby | Gemstone |
ANSWERS:
| Original - difficult word | Descriptive terms | Replacement word |
|---|---|---|
| Crack | Loud, dry | Sound |
| Trestle | Wooden, collapsible | Support |
| Cruise | Aimless, luxurious | Travel |
| Battle | Long, organized | Fight |
| Ogre | Man-eating | Giant |
| Nightmare | Terrible, frightening | Dream |
| Lollipop | Transparent, wobbly | Sweet |
| Durian | Big, smelly | Fruit |
| Prism | Transparent, triangular | Block |
| Ruby | Deep red, precious | Gemstone |
B. lternative Sentence Structure and Vocabulary
When we forget how to say something or do not have enough vocabulary we can use alternative sentences to say the same thing. For example:
- A very loud sound rang through the air as the boy fell to the ground.
- We heard a very loud sound as the boy fell to the ground.
If we can’t remember the phrase rang through the air but we know that we hear sounds, the second sentence has a similar meaning to the first and would carry the message to your listeners. In this example the subject of the sentence has changed although the rest of the sentence follows a similar structure.
If we restructure the sentence we allow more features of the sentence to change. For example:
- A very loud sound rang through the air as the boy fell to the ground.
- It sounded as though a bone broke when the young man dropped to the floor.
Instructions
Re-order the second sentences of these pairs to give a similar meaning to the first sentence. Then listen to the recordings to check whether they are accurate or not.
-
1) The student from Japan believed that greater respect should be bestowed on his teacher. 2) the highly be that teacher should thought student respected Japanese his more. Answer : The Japanese student thought that his teacher should be more highly respected. -
1) It is not uncommon for honorary degrees to be given to celebrities. 2) honorary people famous degrees receive often Answer : Famous people often receive honorary degrees. -
1) Not many people enjoy travelling long distances, especially when there are few facilities along the way. 2) few like journeys long with making route rest the few people breaks along Answer : Few people like making long journeys with few rest breaks along the route.
Listening /Reading -Matching phrases to purpose
When you realize that people listening to you don’t appear to follow or understand what you are saying you can try to say the same thing using different words. You can use synonyms or restructure the sentence to say the same thing using different words (paraphrase), as practiced in the previous activity. Warning or preparing your listeners for the paraphrased statements is important, so we signal or signpost this first with set phrases.
Instructions
Identify the phrases below which signal that you are about to paraphrase a statement you have just made. When you have identified the signal phrases, listen to the recording to find out if they are the correct choices.
| To put it another way … | Another thing is … | What I meant by that was… | What I mean to say is … |
| In other words … | Let me put that another way… | Alternatively, … | What I mean is … |
ANSWERS:
| To put it another way … | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | What I meant by that was… | What I mean to say is … |
| In other words … | Let me put that another way… | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | What I mean is … |
Instructions
Listen to and identify which of the following statements contain accurate and appropriate phrases which are used to signal paraphrasing. Repeat those which are identified as accurate and appropriate.
Recording:
Not all citizens of a country were born there. To put it another way although many people are born in the countries in which they live, often there are also large numbers of immigrants. (Accurate and appropriate)
Games that test the general knowledge of the players are quite popular. Alternatively a lot of people enjoy general knowledge quizzes. (Inaccurate and inappropriate)
People who like the countryside often also like fresh air and exercise. Another thing is they like nature. (Inaccurate and inappropriate)
Wales is a beautiful country which is situated to the west of England. In other words Wales, a beautiful country, is one of the countries that make up the land known as Great Britain. (Accurate and appropriate)
There are several different varieties of native English. Let me put that another way. Countries in which English is spoken as a native language each have slight variations in terms of colloquial expressions, pronunciation, vocabulary and other features of the language. (Accurate and appropriate)
Speaking / Listening -Combining signposts and paraphrasing
Instructions
Practice by using the ideas from previous tasks, then listen to the recording of your own voice to compare against the sample recordings. Use the paraphrased statements with the signposting phrases below to signal that you are about to paraphrase what you have just said
| 1a) | The Japanese student thought that his teacher should be more highly respected. |
| 1b) | The student from Japan believed that greater respect should be bestowed upon his teacher. |
| Possible Answer : “The Japanese student thought that his teacher should be highly respected. What I mean is the student from Japan believed that greater respect should be bestowed upon his teacher.” | |
| 2a) | Famous people often receive honorary degrees. |
| 2b) | It is not uncommon for honorary degrees to be given to celebrities. |
| Possible Answer : “Famous people often receive honorary degrees. To put it another way it is not uncommon for honorary degrees to be given to celebrities.” | |
| 3a) | Few people like making long journeys with few rest breaks along the route. |
| 3b) | Not many people enjoy travelling long distances, especially when there are few facilities along the way. |
| Possible Answer : “Few people like making long journeys with few rest breaks along the route. What I mean to say is not many people enjoy travelling long distances, especially when there are few facilities along the way.” | |
| 4a) | Teachers and students do not always agree. |
| 4b) | Classroom disagreements are sometimes caused by differences of opinion between teachers and students |
| Possible Answer : “Teachers and students don’t always agree. In other words classroom disagreements are sometimes caused by differences of opinion between teachers and students.” |
| To put it another way … | Another thing is … | What I meant by that was… | What I mean to say is … |
| In other words … | Let me put that another way… | Alternatively, … | What I mean is … |
State the simpler sentence (1.) followed by the signpost and paraphrase (2.). The more complex language that you may not have remembered first time around is highlighted in this example:
“The Japanese student thought that his teacher should be highly respected. What I mean is the student from Japan believed that greater respect should be bestowed upon his teacher.”
Speaking – Follow-up activities to develop the target language in conversations
Instructions
Listen to the following statements and repeat them. Identify words or phrases that you think are unclear or too general. Signpost that you are going to paraphrase, then do so. Record your voice then compare what you have said to the suggested answers.
Recordings:
| 1. Not all learners use the same tools. |
| Suggested Answer : Not all learners use the same tools. What I mean to say is that not all learners use the same methods or use their memory in the same ways. |
| 2. Some people find learning a new language easy. |
| Suggested Answer : Some people find learning a new language easy. In other words some are gifted language learners, while others really struggle with the task. |
| 3. People’s backgrounds can influence the amount that they learn. |
| Suggested Answer : People’s backgrounds can influence the amount that they learn. Let me put that another way. If one person is from an environment that encourages learning while another is from a background that discourages it, the person from the unsupportive background may value learning less. |
| 4. Listening to native English speakers is good for English language learners. |
| Suggested Answer : Listening to native English speakers is good for English language learners. What I meant by that was it enables you to listen to native pronunciation patterns and then try to reproduce them. |
| 5. Some people are not very good at school, yet they become very successful.. |
| Suggested Answer : Some people are not very good at school, yet they become very successful. In other words, rather than being very academically gifted, they have other types of skills. |
When you have discussions in English try to watch people’s reactions to what you are saying. If their facial expressions suggest they might not understand, or are not getting the complete idea, don’t be afraid to paraphrase what you have just said. Using the signpost phrases will tell your listeners what you are attempting to do. Some listeners may even suggest paraphrases for you as they check they have understood what you meant.