Paraphrasing to Teach and Learn Discipline-Specific Vocabulary

Aspect of Learning: New Vocabulary

Strategy: Paraphrasing to teach and learn discipline-specific vocabulary

Underlying Principle: Experts (teachers) tend to quickly revert to their discipline-specific vocabulary. Novices (learners), however, must access their “new” knowledge of the vocabulary while also trying to listen to and understand the instruction. Teachers need to model the use of discipline-specific vocabulary, but they also need to provide plenty of scaffolding and encouragement to students who are learning to recognize it, recall it, and use it appropriately. Students should be discouraged from trying to memorize textbook definitions and should be encouraged to focus on understanding the meaning of the terms.

How to Teach the Strategy:

• Explain the importance of understanding and using the language of the discipline.
  Also explain that whenever possible, you will be paraphrasing in “plain language” until a term becomes familiar.
• Provide examples of ways to learn unfamiliar terms.
• Flash cards: Write word on one side and on the other side write the definition in own words, a brief example of use, and other forms of the word. Colour code flash cards according to type of word. Separate piles into know well, sort of know, don’t know and put time into the last two, only reviewing the know-well pile once in a while.
• Word parts: Break the words into parts and look for roots, prefixes, and suffixes that provide clues to the meaning of the word.
• Categorizing and classifying: Since items are categorized according to characteristics, it makes more sense to learn the characteristics of the category than to try to memorize the characteristic of each item individually.

How to Incorporate the Strategy into Coursework:

• Model the use of paraphrasing and of discipline-specific language.
• During class, give students a chance to explain to the group (or to each other in pairs) what the class is about. Allow them to use whatever language is necessary to communicate the meaning.
• Re-phrase what they say, using discipline-specific language.
• On quizzes, put the plain-language definition rather than the textbook definition and test students’ ability to connect what they are learning to what they already know.
• In-class quickie: For a few minutes at the beginning of each class, ask students to explain to each other the meaning of selected vocabulary words (put on board).
• Assignment idea: Ask students to hand in a list of vocabulary definitions written in their own words, to ensure comprehension of the terms.

Resource: Models for Interactive Learning Modules. Hugh Morgan, Mildred Cody. Division of Distance and Distributed Learning at Georgia State University. http://www.webct.com/service/ViewContent?contentID=2338975

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