We can learn language in small increments - word for word and phrase by phrase, making connections for a deeper understanding of rich language patterns. Teachers experienced in communicating the language of the curriculum know that teaching vocabulary is valuable for many, and for some pupils it proves critical to their success. 

When we consider vocabulary instruction, we typically leap to ideas about explicit vocabulary instruction. This makes sense. Science teachers need to teach complex words like ‘osmosis’, whereas geography teachers need to teach tricky phrases like ‘divergent boundary’ and ‘convergent boundary’. Teachers of younger children need to access a rapidly increasing wealth of words to help unlock the stories they read. 

But every teacher knows that you cannot teach all the words! Pupils need to read, read, read, and be exposed to lots of new and unfamiliar words in their classroom talk. They learn implicitly from talking and reading lots and lots. Ultimately, they’ll meet a lot of the new words they learn outside of being taught those words directly. 

What do we mean by word consciousness?

This is where the powerful concept of ‘word consciousness’ comes in. Coined by researchers, Stahl and Nagy, word consciousness describes how pupils develop an interest and awareness of words they encounter each day. 

"Word consciousness refers to the knowledge and dispositions necessary
for students to learn, appreciate, and effectively use words."
Scott and Nagy (2009), 'Developing Word Consciousness'

Stahl and Nagy describe the pupil dispositions that characterise word consciousness: 

Feel for how written language works.
Sensitivity to syntax (the structure of sentences.
Awareness of word parts (morphology).
In depth knowledge of specific words (such as meanings, word families etc).
Activities for promoting word consciousness.

This sensitive awareness of language can help pupils activate their prior knowledge. For instance, when pupils hear or read the word 'crust', they may quickly relate morphologically related words, such as 'crusty' and 'crusted' (or even 'encrustation'!). They are likely to connect it to the geography of the earth in geography, or the more everyday appearance related to food, like pie crusts and toast. Of course, it will be rare that they know the Latin derivation - 'crusta', meaning 'hard outer covering or shell' - or easily relate it to other tricky terms like 'continental crust' or 'lithosphere'.

For many pupils who read well in particular, when they encounter new or less familiar words, like 'encrustation' or 'lithosphere', they can develop this sensitivity to words and phrases seemingly naturally. Like having an ear for melody or when music is off key, pupils can better notice interesting words and phrases, which offers them a strategy that can be used independently of being taught new words. 

It can prove particularly helpful in the classroom, given so many of the words pupils need to know have multiple meanings (they are 'polysemous'). Words like 'bleeding', 'cardinal', or 'factor', can mean one thing in the 'real world', another in the maths classroom, and other in history. These words and phrases are like a moving target for many pupils. 'Word consciousness' proves a helpful language detection device for pupils. It can help them better notice connections between words, phrases and ideas, as well as help them to detect anomalies or apt analogies when it comes to language choices.

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Cultivating a richer array of connections can happen spontaneously, but even better if it is supported, rewarded and, where possible, taught. Many of our multilingual pupils will draw upon their language knowledge and spy cognates (words with the same origins across languages, such as 'Inteligente' in Spanish is the equivalent of 'intelligent' in English). 

In daily classroom talk, teachers (and pupils) can make vital connections and develop word consciousness. Some strategies can include:

  • Word Hoards: Encourage pupils to keep a journal of interesting or unfamiliar words they encounter (this can be on bookmarks, electronic or in special A5 books). They can define the words, note their origins, and write sentences using them. For example, a pupil reads the word serendipity in a book and writes: 'Serendipity means a happy accident. I experienced serendipity when I found met my best friend in town by chance.'
  • Structured word inquiry: Pupils investigate word origins, meanings, and related words through etymology (word roots and their history) and morphology (root words, prefixes and suffixes). For example, exploring the word transport: trans- (across) + port (carry), whilst noting the other uses of 'trans'. 
  • ‘Word mapping’: Pupils are familiar with using graphic organisers in all sorts of guises, from Venn Diagrams to Fishbone diagrams. ‘Word mapping’ borrows specifically from concept maps, in that they are organised hierarchically, connecting words with the head word proving the main topic. For example, with ‘geothermic processes’ as a head word in geography, this would be followed by ‘endogenic’ and ‘exogenic’ processes. 
  • ‘Connect 4’: is a simple way to isolate and emphasise key vocabulary to connect. For example, in history, you could select the four words, ‘continuity’, ‘monarchy’, ‘power’ and ‘conservatism’ to prime a given topic. Then you ask students to make as many connections between the words as possible – the more the better. 

It is important to recognise that most activities that promote word consciousness happen in the to and fro of classroom talk. Pupils ask a question about a word or phrase, and we explore it. They may notice a word part and we research it. The more we model and cultivate this curiosity, the more we establish an independent habit for our pupils. 

Word consciousness may just matter in the exam hall, as pupils unpick an unfamiliar word in a tricky exam question, or they may tell a fun story about the history of a word or phrase over dinner. Whatever the context, word consciousness can matter, and it can offer memorable learning and gift access to the tricky language of school. 

Related reading: 

  • My 'Three pillars of vocabulary instruction' blog shows how word consciousness works alongside explicit instruction - READ MORE HERE. 
  • Bradford Research School have written brilliantly on 'Building Word Consciousness' - READ MORE HERE.