Building word power through free association By Joyce

Building word power through free association By Joyce Lee

What is “free association”? A thought process in which ideas (focus words) suggest other ideas (phrases) in a sequence

Rationale Ø focus word → useful expressions point → chunks Ø short, familiar words → verb phrases → noun compounds

Free association by focus word Ø Why? Ø When? Ø How? 1. Weekly words as focus word + free association 2. Individual students volunteer to explain different items 3. Brainstorming 4. Group competition 5. Worksheet

Possible focus words Body parts Common nouns Common actions Common verbs Color words

1. Body parts head, face, hand, mouth, eye, back, lip from hand to mouth lip service mouth-watering save one’s face Two heads are better than one

2. Common nouns as focus word

Home Bring home the bacon Homemade Homebody Home country Home and abroad

e s u e n O th ho w o d g rin B t Ho HOUSE he t n se u ho (Pets i s e us brok e s u o h ) be en Under house arrest

Double On the double Double-cross Double-parking Double play Double scoop Double standard

3. Animals pig, beef, horse, bird, fish pig out on eat like a horse eat like a bird smell sth. fishy

4. Common actions talk, watch , fly, watch, eat talk sb. into Ving peace talk walk the dog talk back on the watch a walk-in closet Money talks. a watchdog fly kites

5. VERB AS FOCUS WORD

Make 1 Make a difference 1 2 Make sense 3 Make the most of 4 Make or break 5 Make believe

keep Keep up the good work Keep up with the Joneses Keep out of the reach of children. Keep one’s fingers crossed

For here or to go Go Go Dutch Go fifty-fifty Go off with a bang

Take charge of Take after Take to Take effect Take it out on

Come down with In years to come Come of age Easy come, easy go

Turn 1 Turn one’s back on 2 Turn out 3 A U-turn 4 Turn to sb. for help

Get 1 Get one’s idea across 2 Get it over with 3 Get even with 4 Get nowhere/ somewhere

CALL Be on call Call the roll Call it a day A close call Call sb. names

6. Color words as focus

Red Paint the town red See red In the red Red tape Red meat A red-carpet welcome A red-eye flight Red-light district

White sale White-collar worker White elephant White lie

Green peace A greenhorn Green Have a green thumb greenhouse effect greenback green with envy give someone the green light

Black black coffee black sheep black comedy a blackout put sth. down in black and white

pink get the pink slip to be in the pink-collar Shocking pink

Blue blue movie blue joke Monday blue a bolt from the blue out of the blue navy blue-sky thinking once in a blue moon

THANK YOU!