Teaching Vocabulary to an adult?

Question

Do you know of a good website that a teacher can use to teach an adult better vocabulary? Maybe one that creates crossword puzzles? Flashcards?

Answer 1

Because you say "better vocabulary" I'm going to assume the adult already has a basic or rudimentary reservoir of words.

From that assumption, my recommendations are to, at first anyway, refrain from crossword puzzles because the puzzles, in and of themselves, do not provide for the user to consider a dictionary or thesaurus for alternatives to words s/he already knows but do not fit the required answer ... as such, it's quite likely, the user simply gets frustrated and "quits" the puzzle (possibly adding more frustration and resistance toward a better vocabulary).

As far as flash cards are concerned, you may want to create a series of cards that have various levels, for example:

(1) Make 10 cards of words you're certain the learner already knows

(2) Make 10 corresponding cards that are synonyms for the original 10 words.  Because there are often multiple synonyms for a given word, begin with a set of reasonably easy-to-recall synonyms and, once the learner has those under control, create another set of 10 synonyms that are more difficult.  

For example, let's say the original set (the set you believe the learner will easily recognize) has the word "connection" listed, and the second set of cards has, as a synonym for "connection" the flashcard is "union."  And the, for the next (3rd tier) level, the flashcard is "junction."

At that point, if your original set of flashcards had 10 words, your second set has ten (relatively easy) synonyms, and your third set has ten (progressively more difficult) synonyms, you have begun a process to increase -and, arguably, improve- the learner's vocabulary (the learner has 30 words -twenty of those words are new -and, critically important to this learning process) LINKED TO existing words within her/his vocabulary.

(4) Assuming you try this strategy, then also consider to make your flashcards have some reasonable pattern to the selection of words on each set, for example, following the information above in (3), be sure the first set of words are all nouns (as opposed to mixing nouns with verbs, with adjectives, and adverbs.  I propose you try to use nouns, then adjectives [modify nouns]; then move to verbs, then adverbs [modify verbs].  The sequence [patterns] have been shown [in research] to increase the likelihood the information will be stored, used, and retained [as opposed to just memorized and then unavailable for use 60/90/100 days later).

(5) One final suggestion is to be sure you begin this with a clear understanding of what the learner enjoys -as related to reading, and conversation.  In other words, begin within her/his comfort zone first and then gradually but continuously expand.

For your convenience, I've provided a web link to dictionary.com using the example -connection- as a guide to show the points I wanted to make.  In addition, dictionary.com has a "word-of-the-day" when it opens, and this can be very helpful to the learner.

Have fun, and good luck to you -and the learner!