How to study and teach vocabulary, by Mark Hurlin Shelton.

Having a good understanding of Latin, Greek and Germanic root-words ,suffixes and prefixes will help you immensely in your ability to understand and teach vocabulary.

You will also need to know and understand synonyms,for words and to know the difference between equal or interchangeable synonyms and "unequal" synonyms
(words which do not mean exactly the same and are not interchangeable -or which only mean the same in a specific context.).
Eg: "perhaps" and "maybe" are equal synonyms and are therefore perfectly interchangeable.(You can swop them).
"House and Home" are not quite equal, they are almost the same in meaning, but do have different connotative meanings.
Words like "Beautiful, pretty, handsome, sexy, and attractive, stunning, gorgeous, good looking, shapely" are NOT equal interchangeable synonyms, as they all have different specific shades of meaning and connotation.

We understand words only in relation to other words.We rely on words to explain other words. The only way to explain a word without a word is to point to a physical object while saying the word for it.

So
1) when teaching vocabulary first make sure that you are teaching words that you understand very well.
2) Provide the list of words to your students,
3) Ask your students to first tell you their own understanding of these words.
4) The class can discuss them and give you their ideas.
5) Then ask them to consult a dictionary (or a few good dictionaries) eg: Oxford English Dictionary and even perhaps a Thesaurus- and look up the meanings and then the synonyms for each word.
WARNING: Be very careful with a Thesaurus because if you don't know how to use one- you may be led to think that a word may mean the same as a word listed next to it- but very often the words listed are not true synonyms at all, but are only related concepts or what I call "unequal or unequivalent synonyms."
Two EQUIVALENT synonyms explain or define one another and are interchangeable."

With two NON-EQUIVALENT or unequal synonyms- one of the pair will explain or define the other- but it's partner will not explain or define the word that explained it !!
I mean for example. A poodle is a dog, but a dog is not a poodle.
(The word dog explains what a poodle is , but "poodle" does not explain what a dog is !!
A boy is a related concept to a man, they are both male, but a boy and a man are very different things.

6) Next to each word on your students vocabulary list they should first write down at least 3 different dictionary definitions of that word.
7) Possibly they may need to also write down both a literal (denotative) meaning and also any colloquial, figurative or connotative definitions of that word.
8) Then, around each word they should draw a neat circle.
9) Around that circle first write down synonyms that mean exactly the same .
10) Then, draw a larger neat circle around all those words and then on the outside of the larger circle write down those words which mean almost the same but not quite.
11) Then, when finished draw another larger neat circle around that.
12 On the outside of the new circle write down words which are unequal /non-equivalent synonyms.
13)Draw yet another larger neat circle around these words.
14) Then write down around the outside of that circle ,words which are related words and concepts. 15)Then of course these words and their synonyms need to be studied, revised and understood as well as possible.
16) The next step is to use these words in sentences.
17) Check with a native speaking teacher or friend who has a good vocabulary to make sure that you have used these words properly.
18) Also you will need to use them in spoken conversation.
19)The rule is USE them or USE them.
Unless you put your vocabulary into practice it will soon be forgotten.

Before a word truly can be said to have become a part of your vocabulary you will need to:

1) Spell it properly
2) Thoroughly understand it's dictionary definitions.
3)Understand its denotative and connotative meanings.
Denotative means the literal meaning as defined by a dictionary. "Connotative" means the way it is actually used in actual speech.
Eg: "Wicked"denotatively means something "evil", yet connotatively young people use it to mean that something is great, awesome or cool.
4)Know a fair number of a words equivalent synonyms and be able to distinguish them from its non-equivalent synonyms and related concepts.
5) Be able to pronounce it properly.
6) Be able to use it properly in a written and a spoken sentence.

I hope you understand, please ask me if there is anything that you don't quite understand. This may seem difficult, but once you grasp the difference between equivalent and non equivalent synonyms. It will become a lot simpler and clearer.
Also realise that one word may mean the same as another in one particular context, (situation) but mean something completely different in another.

Only experience and a good grasp and knowledge of your own vocabulary, will enable you to make the very important distinctions between words. Are two words the same in meaning ? Are they equivalent in meaning and interchangeable?
. Do they mean the same only in a particular context, but not in others?
Are they just related concepts, but not actually synonyms?

You will need to thoroughly understand all these distinctions if you wish to become a good teacher of vocabulary.

Kind regards,
Teacher Mark.