Keeping it

TECHNOLOGY

in the family
T
Richard West he aim of this article is to – Vocabulary Range and Vocabulary
introduce and describe the Control. These scales describe a
introduces a new online Word Family Framework student’s vocabulary repertoire at each
(WFF), a new British Council CEFR level:
resource for systematic vocabulary resource related to the
Common European Framework of C2 Has a good command of a very
vocabulary learning. Reference (CEFR). This is a free, online broad lexical repertoire …
resource for teachers and students, which
aligns over 26,000 vocabulary items with C1 Has a good command of a
the levels of the CEFR. In particular, I broad lexical repertoire …
will address the following questions:
B2 Has a good range of vocabulary
What is the WFF?
for matters connected to his/her
How does it work? field and most general
What are its practical features? topics …
What are the vocabulary strategies
B1 Has sufficient vocabulary to
that students need in order to learn
express him/herself with some
vocabulary efficiently?
circumlocutions on most topics …

What is the WFF? A2 Has sufficient vocabulary to

Vocabulary is not really central to the conduct routine, everyday
CEFR, which devotes fewer than three transactions …
pages to ways in which learners might be
A1 Has a basic vocabulary
expected or required to develop their
repertoire of isolated words
vocabulary. This neglect seems strange,
and phrases …
given the importance attached to
vocabulary learning in other Council of
Europe documents. For example, Jan van These descriptors are quantitative,
Ek and John Trim, in Vantage, the third yet the CEFR gives no quantities
level in a series on the specifications for suggesting the number of vocabulary
the Council of Europe language learning items needed at each level: there are no
programme, assert that ‘vocabulary vocabulary examples or vocabulary lists
extension may well constitute the greater that could form the basis of a
part of the learning load required to pass vocabulary syllabus. Earlier Council of
from the earlier level to the present one’. Europe documents, such as that by John
At the heart of the CEFR are some Trim et al in 1980, had suggested the
60 ‘can do’ scales, describing various need, and even the methodology, for
aspects of language, each related to six constructing such lists, and the authors
levels of performance from A1 of some documents (eg Threshold) had
(Breakthrough) to C2 (Mastery). Only even drawn up a ‘word index’, but these
two of these scales relate to vocabulary are not included in the CEFR.

60 • Issue 97 March 2015 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •

 Headword A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 X

example
example for example example exemplify exemplary adj
nC nC vT exemplification
typical case sample nU
follow sb’s example
make an example
of sb
set an example

Figure 1

The aim of the WFF is to rectify this How does it work? 3 You can download the entire WFF
omission by producing a research-based, and then search it from your own
online vocabulary resource aligned to The WFF consists of a database of over
computer at any time.
the levels of the CEFR. However, the 26,000 vocabulary items, which have
vocabulary items are not arranged been sorted into the levels of the CEFR. The WFF was constructed by searching
merely as a series of lists, but as a series The 6,600 word families are arranged 18 existing lexicons or vocabulary lists,
of more than 6,600 word families, each alphabetically, and it is possible to all of them recent (1980–2010) and
showing how family members relate to download and print out the entire WFF. including publications from Britain, the
the CEFR levels. This would give you a document with USA, Europe, Germany and China.
As can be seen in Figure 1, this over 750 pages, which could be searched These lexicons had been constructed in
horizontal entry includes not only the manually like any other reference book. various ways: the larger ones were
headword (example) but also derivatives However, all of the items have been purely objective and were based on word
(exemplify), fixed formulae (for example) tagged so that the database can be frequency, while others were purely
and collocations (make an example of, searched online, enabling users to search subjective and were drawn up by panels
set an example), each aligned with one it in various ways to meet their teaching/ of teachers and linguists, and some
of the CEFR levels. It was found that learning needs. combined both objective and subjective
many useful items were off the A1–C2 criteria. These sources gave an initial
scale, and so an additional level – level What are the practical research database of over 25,000 items,
which were then aligned to the levels of
X (for ‘extra’) – has been included. features? the CEFR using the labels or the
Thus, unlike a conventional word list
or dictionary, the WFF is arranged in The WFF is available online from the frequencies given in the original sources.
word families, so that related words can British Council’s Teaching English website. These alignments were then compared.
be seen together, including those which When opened, it offers users a screen which Where there was agreement between
would normally be separated by looks like the one shown in Figure 2. sources, the level was accepted for the
conventional alphabetical order (witch/ This initial screen allows you to do WFF. When sources disagreed,
bewitch, example/exemplify). A word three things with the WFF: frequency was used to determine an
family may consist of various items: 1 You can search for any word, and
initial level, and an item was then given
a higher or lower level by consulting the
A headword or root word, eg bank. this will give the complete word
subjective sources. The result was that
However, many headwords belong to family to which that word belongs
many really useful words, such as lazy,
different, unrelated word families: (as in Figure 1).
punctual and belief, were promoted to an
bank1 = financial institution and bank2 2 You can download all the vocabulary earlier CEFR level. Marginal members
= river bank; bark1 = outer surface of items at any one level or any of word families with low frequency or
tree and bark2 = sound made by a combination of levels, if, for example, usefulness were allocated to level X,
dog. you wish to have a vocabulary syllabus beyond C2.
Derivatives are formed by a prefix for levels A1 and A2, or B1 to C2.
(witch/bewitch) or, more commonly, a
suffix (banker, banking). Suffixes may WORD FAMILY FRAMEWORK
include the so-called ‘zero suffix’,
which is often used to change a word 1 Enter search term here …
class in English (bank noun + ø suffix
bank verb). 2 Advanced options

Compounds in which the headword A1: A2: B1: B2: C1: C2: X: All:
may form the first element (banknote)
or the second (sandbank). Start search
Phrases and idioms, such as laugh all Show all words
the way to the bank or bark up the Download
3 Download a PDF file of all the terms within the WFF
wrong tree.
Collocations, such as set an example. Figure 2

• www.etprofessional.com • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • Issue 97 March 2015 • 61

Keeping it Knowledge Skills

in the family English core vocabulary consists of

base or headwords, from which word
Using structural clues which
determine parts of speech.
families are constructed.
Vocabulary-learning
strategies Base words may have different, Using morphological clues (prefixes,
unrelated meanings (polysemy) – suffixes, compounding, etc) to
The WFF lists a very large number of bank 1/bank 2, bark 1/bark 2. determine meaning.
items, and these can be searched and
selected for teaching and learning Derivatives are constructed by Recognising and using definitions
vocabulary lists or syllabuses. The word prefixes and suffixes. and glosses in a text.
family arrangement is believed to be a
Base words can combine to form Inferencing meaning from a word’s
more efficient format than the purely
compounds. context.
alphabetical arrangement of dictionaries
and conventional word lists. However, Words can change grammatical Ignoring ‘throw-away’ words which
there are several strategies, apart from function through the addition of the are not important to the meaning of a
simple rote learning, which may make ‘zero suffix’. text.
vocabulary learning easier and more
Words can change meaning through Using ‘semantic approximation’ to
efficient. These may be divided into
figurative use (crane 1 = bird determine the rough meaning of a
‘knowledge’ (knowledge about the
crane 2 = lifting device). word.
English vocabulary system which makes
it easier to understand how words are Words in the target language may Distinguishing between ‘friends’ or
constructed and related) and ‘skills’ sound or look like those in the mother Anglicisms and ‘false friends’.
(strategies which can be used to tongue – these may be ‘friends’ or
understand unfamiliar words in spoken ‘false friends’.
and written texts). These are
summarised in Figure 3. A monolingual dictionary contains Efficient dictionary use – being able
Here is a short activity to practise many resources apart from spelling. to find any word within 15 seconds.
some of these strategies. The students
should work in pairs. Figure 3

Pre-reading 5 Do you notice any other words in that it will prove valuable to both
this text that have several different teachers and learners, and the team that
1 What meanings can you think of for
meanings and functions? Which designed it welcomes comments and
these words: milk, waste and plant?
meanings are being used here? suggestions, either via the British
(Indicate the part of speech and
Council’s Teach English website or
arrange them into different word
Post-reading directly to me at the email address
families.)
6 Add all the words to your vocabulary below.
2 Find each word in your dictionary or notebook/computer folder. Can you
online dictionary. Time yourselves. add other members of each word Council of Europe Common European
How long did it take to find each family, using prefixes, suffixes or Framework of Reference for Languages:
word? Language, Teaching, Assessment CUP
compound words? 2001
3 Check the meanings you have given, 7 Do any of the words in the text look Trim, J L M, Richterich, R, van Ek, J A and
and extend your list. similar to words in your own Wilkins, D A Systems Development in
language? Are they ‘friends’ or ‘false Adult Language Learning Pergamon Press
While-reading 1980
friends’?
4 Look at the following extract from van Ek, J A and Trim, J L M Threshold
an authentic text about refrigeration. Level Council of Europe Press 1975/1991
Use the context to decide which van Ek, J A and Trim, J L M Vantage CUP
meanings are used for the words in 2001
The WFF has been designed as a
the list. resource to enable teachers and learners
Another application for the technology to make informed decisions about which Richard West lectured at
Manchester University,
is to milk additional energy from the words are worth learning, and whether UK, for 20 years and is
hot waste water produced by they are worth learning earlier or later in now a freelance ELT
consultant, specialising
conventional power plants. Even the one’s language-learning career. It is a in vocabulary, ESP and
most efficient plants today capture resource covering general English, and evaluation.
only 30 to 40 per cent of the energy in does not attempt to include ESP items.
the fuel, releasing the bulk of the While it is a resource produced by the
remainder in the form of heat – much British Council that is written in British
of it is hot water, with sometimes English, it also gives full prominence to
west46@btinternet.com
damaging environmental consequences. items of American English. It is hoped

62 • Issue 97 March 2015 • ENGLISH TEACHING professional • www.etprofessional.com •