Comparing Texts For Word Choice
Prior Knowledge
Students will have already used LexTutor to compare texts and make inferences to synonyms between two texts. Also students will be asked to generate a keyword list of each text to compare similarities between their text and the article they have chosen. By taking prior experience of comparing texts, students will take their own writing and compare it to a peer reviewed article of their choosing for word choice to make connections between word choice and find synonyms that they may not have thought of.
Reading
Hsieh, W. (2008). A Case Study of Corpus-Informed Online Academic Writing for EFL Graduate Students. Calico Journal 26(1), 28-37.
TLWBT
Materials
Activity Development
Prior to this activity students should have a copy of their own writing in electronic form and have already chosen a peer reviewed article that is on the same topic as their paper. In this activity students will be looking a key word list from their paper and see how it compares to the peer reviewed article.
By looking at their own keyword list students should see where their writing compares to the text by seeing how many of their top ten keywords are unique to their paper and how many are shared. In making this comparison students should be able to analyze how accurate they were in choosing an article and also begin to decipher the proficiency of their own writing. If they have a number of similar tokens that are the shared they should understand that the content is similar. On the contrary the more keywords that are unique to their own writing should signify a difference in thesis/arguments.
Students will also be looking for synonyms between the two papers. This should help build the students vocabulary as they look at words of their own and search for synonyms between the two texts. Finally students will take prior knowledge of their own writing and search for new words that may be applicable to their own writing to build a stronger vocabulary. Upon completion of the activity students will have a list of synonyms to use in their own writing as well as a list of words that they may be able to use in their own writing and chose not to.
Reflective Notes:
Looking at ones own writing compared to a peer reviewed article on the same subject is a great way to see where ones own writing level is and build upon vocabulary. This activity would easily transfer to a TESOL classroom. By locating keywords that are shared between the texts, students should be able to identify how accurate the article they choose was and the unique keywords to their paper should identify the students thesis or topics. The main goal was for students to build a stronger vocabulary and work on finding words that could be used in their paper or changing up word choice to get deeper meaning in their own text
Every writer is different and texts are not going to match up exactly, but comparing your text to another helps to identify where you are as a writer, especially when the other text is written for publication. I could have added one more section to this activity that would have students pair up and compare papers using the same practice, but I did not have another paper on the same topic to build a student example. This easily could be done following the same worksheet.
Students will have already used LexTutor to compare texts and make inferences to synonyms between two texts. Also students will be asked to generate a keyword list of each text to compare similarities between their text and the article they have chosen. By taking prior experience of comparing texts, students will take their own writing and compare it to a peer reviewed article of their choosing for word choice to make connections between word choice and find synonyms that they may not have thought of.
Reading
Hsieh, W. (2008). A Case Study of Corpus-Informed Online Academic Writing for EFL Graduate Students. Calico Journal 26(1), 28-37.
TLWBT
- Compare and contrast keyword list between two texts
- Locate Synonyms between two texts
- Strengthen Vocabulary
- Compare strengths of own writing to one written for academic intent
- Have fun.
Materials
- Access to LexTutor (http://www.lextutor.ca/text_lex_compare/)
- Access to electronic copy of paper
- Access to peer reviewed article of students choosing
- Use of individual Computers
- Comparing texts for word choice Worksheet
Activity Development
Prior to this activity students should have a copy of their own writing in electronic form and have already chosen a peer reviewed article that is on the same topic as their paper. In this activity students will be looking a key word list from their paper and see how it compares to the peer reviewed article.
By looking at their own keyword list students should see where their writing compares to the text by seeing how many of their top ten keywords are unique to their paper and how many are shared. In making this comparison students should be able to analyze how accurate they were in choosing an article and also begin to decipher the proficiency of their own writing. If they have a number of similar tokens that are the shared they should understand that the content is similar. On the contrary the more keywords that are unique to their own writing should signify a difference in thesis/arguments.
Students will also be looking for synonyms between the two papers. This should help build the students vocabulary as they look at words of their own and search for synonyms between the two texts. Finally students will take prior knowledge of their own writing and search for new words that may be applicable to their own writing to build a stronger vocabulary. Upon completion of the activity students will have a list of synonyms to use in their own writing as well as a list of words that they may be able to use in their own writing and chose not to.
Reflective Notes:
Looking at ones own writing compared to a peer reviewed article on the same subject is a great way to see where ones own writing level is and build upon vocabulary. This activity would easily transfer to a TESOL classroom. By locating keywords that are shared between the texts, students should be able to identify how accurate the article they choose was and the unique keywords to their paper should identify the students thesis or topics. The main goal was for students to build a stronger vocabulary and work on finding words that could be used in their paper or changing up word choice to get deeper meaning in their own text
Every writer is different and texts are not going to match up exactly, but comparing your text to another helps to identify where you are as a writer, especially when the other text is written for publication. I could have added one more section to this activity that would have students pair up and compare papers using the same practice, but I did not have another paper on the same topic to build a student example. This easily could be done following the same worksheet.