- THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE WORD
Is the item used with any other meaning? Give learners examples of any positive or negative connotations or associations the word might have
- THE SITUATIONS WHEN THE WORD IS OR ISN’T USED
Is this word formal or informal or neutral? Does it sound old-fashioned or new? Is it used more in written or spoken language (or both)?
- HOW THE WORD IS RELATED TO THE OTHER WORDS
Ask students to record synonyms or antonyms for the word
- COLLOCATION
Understanding which words collocate can be difficult, so give students some common examples – such as, we say “widely available” but not “broadly available”
- WHAT THE AFFIXES MAY TELL US ABOUT THE WORD
Draw students’ attention to affixes –what do they mean? Can they think of other words which have the same affix?