VWO - Exam Idiom - Lesson 1

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

What do you think of when you hear the term 'exam idiom'?

Exam Idom

VWO - Lesson 1

Learning to use context clues is a key component of vocabulary instruction. Students use context clues to help them determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by looking at the way the word is used in a sentence or paragraph. The words or phrases surrounding an unknown word provide the reader with clues. Common types of context clues include examples, synonyms, antonyms and comparisons. Context clues often contain signal words that the reader can use to help them learn the meaning of new words.

Today's learning goals

• I can recognise and name signal words both in/out of context
  
• I can answer gap questions using signal words
  

Signal words in context

Exercise 1:

I can recognize signal words in context

When I first arrived in Cairo, I really couldn't believe my eyes because it looked and smelled exactly like New Delhi. Although there was more Arabic around me on all the signs instead of Hindi, I still felt like I was suddenly home. 

I always thought the roads in Delhi were the most dangerous of the world, if Cairo wasn't equally dangerous, it was maybe more! I didn't really expect to be in any danger, however, there were a few moments that I did think, well this is how it ends. Nevertheless, I arrived in one piece at my cousin's house. In addition to the roads being similar to Delhi, the air was equally hot and thick, besides the heat was the smell of dust and smoke very similar too.

Moreover, the people and houses seemed alike as well. I arrived at Laura's house and immediately she told me the water wasn't working, and she has no idea when it would be fixed. After all, this was Cairo. Nevertheless I was looking forward to a really nice summer with my cousin. In contrast to Cairo, the north coast of Alexandria would be a lot cooler, so that's where we would be headed in a few days, since they had a house there anyway.

Provided everything went exactly how it was supposed to go (and if Egypt was like India, there is no way it would) we would be headed north quite soon. Of course we couldn't leave until Laura's husband was back and the kids' stuff was packed and that's not as easy as it sounds. Everything moves in its own time here, then again we did end up leaving reasonably soon. Although I thought the kids would want to stay in the car with Laura, her little boy wanted to ride in the car with me. I didn't think it would be a big deal, until he angrily threw his iPad at me. Consequently, he quickly learned that auntie Florence doesn't take crap from anyone. Admittedly most of the time he was a little darling, even so 3 year old can still make you crazy.

When I first arrived in Cairo, I really couldn't believe my eyes because it looked and smelled exactly like New Delhi. Although there was more Arabic around me on all the signs instead of Hindi, I still felt like I was suddenly home. I always thought the roads in Delhi were the most dangerous of the world, if Cairo wasn't equally dangerous, it was maybe more! I didn't really expect to be in any danger, however, there were a few moments that I did think: well this is how it ends. Nevertheless, I arrived in one piece at my cousin's house. In addition to the roads being similar to Delhi, the air was equally hot and thick, besides the heat, the smell of dust and smoke was very similar too.

Moreover, the people and houses seemed alike as well. I arrived at Laura's house and immediately she told me the water wasn't working, and she has no idea when it would be fixed, after all, this was Cairo. Nevertheless. I was looking forward to a really nice summer with my cousin. In contrast to Cairo, the north coast of Alexandria would be a lot cooler, so that's where we would be headed in a few days, since they had a house there anyway.

 

Provided everything went exactly how it was supposed to go (and if Egypt was like India, there is no way it would) we would be headed north quite soon. Of course we couldn't leave until Laura's husband was back and the kids' stuff was packed and that's not as easy as it sounds. Everything moves in its own time here, then again we did end up leaving reasonably soon. Although I thought the kids would want to stay in the car with Laura, her little boy wanted to ride in the car with me for 4 hours. I didn't think it would be a big deal, until he angrily threw his iPad at me. Consequently, he quickly learned that auntie Florence doesn't take crap from anyone. Admittedly most of the time he was a little darling, even so, a 3 year old can still make you crazy. For instance, he wouldn't play on his own, he just had to play with me, no matter how exhausted I was. 

Signal words in context

Find all signal words in the attached text

Write down all the signal words and identify 

their purpose, work in pairs

Write down all the signal words found in the text on the previous slide

Write down on the board what other signal words the students can come up with

Handout some sentences to students with words that have not been mentioned, ask them to read aloud and have the peers answer: which was the signal word

Look at the words we've collected, can they possibly be grouped into categories?

Signal words

Exercise 2:

 I can link signal words to their correct category

Listing

Contrast

Causal

Example

Also

In addition

Because

Since

Although

Rather

Instead

Yet

For example

For instance

i.e.

In fact

As

Signal words

Exercise 3:

 I can link signal words to its correct category

To which category does the following word belong?

"If"

1. Comparison
2. Conditional
3. Consequence
4. Contrast

To which category does the following word belong?

"As a result"

1. Comparison
2. Listing
3. Consequence
4. Causal

To which category does the following word belong?

"Still"

1. Listing
2. Causal
3. Contrast
4. Comparison

To which category does the following word belong?

"Moreover"

1. Listing
2. Contrast
3. Example
4. Comparison

To which category does the following word belong?

"Likewise"

1. Conditional
2. Consequence
3. Comparison
4. Contrast

Signal words

Exercise 4:

- I can fill in or use signal words to answer gap questions

Orientation

On the next slide you'll see a text 

You'll be asked to fill in the gap with options afterwards

Keep a close eye not only on the sentence in question but the sentences before and after it. You must contextualise the text in order to find the right words to fill the gap.

1. ignoring the computer's potential
2. inclined to be distracted easily
3. subject to complex emotions
4. wired for social interaction

1. consequently
2. however
3. in short

Do you have a good first feeling of what the exam idiom is?

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