A01_RICH4603_04_SE_A01.QXD

(Chris Devlin) #1
(i.e. words they understand) of up to 100,000 words, but a productive
vocabulary(i.e. words they use) of between 10,000 and 20,000 words.
In language learning, an active vocabulary of about 3000 to 5000 words,
and a passive vocabularyof about 5000 to 10,000 words is regarded as the
intermediate to upper intermediate level of proficiency.

productive skillsn
see language skills


productivityn
in morphology, if a process is fully regular and actively used in the
creation of new words, this process is considered productive. For example,
the English suffix -nesscan be attached to any adjective to make a noun (e.g.
happiness, niceness, gloriousness). This can be contrasted to unproductive
suffixes, such as –th, which only applies to a handful of words (health,
wealth, stealth).
see also accidental gap, blocking


product-process distinctionn
(in language teaching and second language acquisition research) a
distinction is sometimes made between completed acts of communication
or language output (products) and the underlying abilities and skills used in
producing them (processes).
For example: in writing, letters, compositions, and long essays are examples
of the products of writing. But in order to write a long essay, a number of
processes are involved, such as collecting information, note-taking, outlining,
drafting, and revising. These are among the processes of writing the essay
(the product). Language teaching and the study of language learning are
concerned both with products, and with underlying processes.


professionalismn
in teaching, the status of teaching viewed in relation to its functions, their
status and the quality and skill of teachers’ work. While characterizations
of a profession differ, common among them are:
1 Professionalism refers to an occupation that performs an important
social function.
2 It is based upon a high degree of skill.
3 The work and practice involved is not dependent upon routine
behaviours.
4 It is based on a systematic body of theory and knowledge.
5 It is learned through education and training.


professionalism
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