DOD Entries Spring 2008
English for Academic Teaching Purposes
Entry #1
Week of February 12
Compiled by Jennifer (with the help of Karin Hellat)
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| “spoonfeeding” (n) | Explaining in too easy and/or too detailed way In teaching: not giving a chance for students to think themselves | In Estonian: “puust ette ja punaseks!” |
| Slipshod (adj) | When doing things in a sloppy, unplanned, or inaccurate way | |
| Mindset (n) | Attitude, understanding | |
| “Carved in stone” | Absolutely fixed opinion or way to view to something | Some ideas and standpoints in pedagogy are carved and stoned for centuries! |
| To cope (with) (v) | To deal with | Every teacher has to cope with students attitude towards the subject he or she is teaching |
| Awkward (adj) | Clumsy or unskillful; difficult to handle | |
| Ill-prepared (adj) | Badly (poorly, hardly) prepared for the seminar, lecture, lab, etc | I was wondering about the usage of the preposition of “ill” – it was funny how many interesting words are coming out with it (ill-office – karuteene, ill-boding – kurjakuulutav) |
| Flounder (n) | Flutter, struggle | Interesting use in the text: to put much effort into “taking notes at the lectures but not getting good overview (the whole picture) about the topic." |
| Node (n) | A unit or element of a study course | |
| Meticulous (adj) | Very precise, pedantic, too correct | In teaching context: meticulous way of organizing studies need a precise management of study process |
Entry #2
Week of February 19
Compiled by Jennifer
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| rubric (n) | a tool used to systematically grade something using several marked criteria | used often for grading purposes but also for judges at events like the Olympics |
| chewy (adj) | soft and sticky; an adjective to describe American-style cookies | this quality of a cookie appears not to be highly rated amongst Estonian cookie fans |
| crispy (adj) | brittle and slightly hard; crunchy | a more favorable Estonian cookie preference |
| raw (adj) | not fully cooked | |
| invigorating (adj) | energizing | we will look at several invigorating activities for lectures. to invigorate (v) |
| conundrum (n) | a complicated problem or puzzle without any easy solution | |
| refute (v) | to prove something wrong that has been earlier stated or publish | However, the earlier 1991 study, which was not peer reviewed, has since has been refuted |
| dexterity (n) | skill and grace of movement, especially with the use of both hands | |
| adroit (adj) | clever, skillful in performance, well-done | She was an adroit leader! |
| slight (v) | to give inadequate attention to someone/something; to neglect or give unequal treatment | Left-handed people have been slighted for centuries |
Compiled by Tamara
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| Attitude of mind | Manner of thought | Smb‘s attitude to life |
| Implicit structure | The organization of an activity, lesson, or element of the class that is not directly stated or written down, such as planning | In teaching |
| To wreck the process | To loss control over the process | In teaching |
| A feeling in the bone | Inner feeling, intuition, conscience | We also say a feeling in your gut or stomach with the same meaning |
| Bring sb to his senses | Bring sb. to common/good/round sense | To develop sb’s understanding |
| See (or think) fit | deem something appropriate | |
| Beat the clock | To do something faster than the time allotted | Be in a hurry to leave work |
| Wide awake | aware or conscious of something | literally, to be in a very alert or conscious state, i.e., I am only wide awake after three cups of coffee in the morning. |
| Besides the point | As a digression to what I am currently talking about; In addition |
Entry #3
Week of February 26
Compiled by Heli
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| Coerce (v.) | To force; To restrain by force, especially by law or authority; to repress; to curb | Coerce sb into (doing) sth |
| Gauge (v.) | To measure the capacity, character, or ability of; to estimate; to judge of. | I looked at him, trying to gauge his next reaction. |
| Sake (n.); for your sake (idiom) | 1. Final cause; end; purpose of obtaining; cause; motive; reason; interest; concern; account; regard or respect; 2. A reason for wanting something done; 3. Japanese drink | used chiefly in such phrases as, for the sake of, for his sake, for man's sake, a reason for wanting something done; "for your sake"; "died for the sake of his country"; "in the interest of safety"; "in the common interest" |
| Despicable (adj.) | 1. Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; 2. Morally reprehensible; | as, a despicable man; despicable company; a despicable gift; "would do something as despicable as murder"; |
| Invigorate (v.) | 1. To give vigor to; to strengthen; to animate; to give life and energy to. 2. impart vigor, strength, or vitality to; "Exercise is invigorating" | Invigorating lectures; The cold water invigorated him. |
| Allotment (n.) | 1. The act of allotting; assignment. 2. That which is allotted; a share, part, or portion granted or distributed; that which is assigned by lot, or by the act of God; anything set apart for a special use or to a distinct party. 3. The allowance of a specific amount of scrip or of a particular thing to a particular person. | Allotted time; syn: allocation; The language centre has already spent more than its allotted budget. The budget allotment for each county is below what is needed. |
| Gain (v.) | To get, as profit or advantage; to obtain or acquire by effort or labor; as, to gain a good living. to be successful in | Knowledge is gained |
| Abdication (n.) | 1. The act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder; commonly the voluntary renunciation of sovereign power; as, abdication of the throne, government, power, authority. 2. the act of abdicating syn: stepping down | |
| Jigsaw (n.) | 1.Puzzle; a picture cut up into many pieces that you try to fit together 2. A very complicated situation 3. Fine-toothed power saw with a narrow blade; used to cut curved outlines | As he explained another piece of the jigsaw fell into place. |
| Allocate (v.) | 1. To distribute or assign; to allot. 2. To localize | You should allocate the same amount of time to each question. |
| Fuzzy (adj.) | Confused and not coherent; not clearly thought out | unclear fuzzy problem; a vague and fuzzy idea of the world of finance; Some of the photos were so fuzzy that it was hard to understand who was who. |
Entry #4
Week of March 2
Compiled by Kats
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| Slant (v) | 1) diverge from the vertical or horizontal; slope or lean; 2) present or view (information) from a particular angle, especially in a biased or unfair way. | A teacher may unwittingly slant the choice of reading materials or the direction and form of class discussion. Origin: Scandinavian. |
| Subside (v) | 1) become less intense, violent, or severe. 2) (of water) go down to a lower or the normal level. 3) (of a building) sink lower into the ground. 4) (of the ground) cave in; sink. 5) (subside into) give way to (an overwhelming feeling). | Origin: Latin subsidere, from sidere ‘settle’. |
| Hedge (v) | 1) surround with a hedge. 2) limit or qualify by conditions or exceptions. 3) avoid making a definite statement or commitment. 4) protect (an investor or investment) against loss by making compensating contracts or transactions. | Origin: Old English. |
| Walk of life (n) | the position within society that someone holds | Synonyms: class, status, rank, sphere, arena, profession, career, vocation, job, business, trade, craft, field. Origin: Old English. |
| Vernacular (adj) | 1) spoken as or using one’s mother tongue rather than a second language. 2) (of architecture) concerned with domestic and functional rather than monumental buildings. | The use of vernacular dialects is not encouraged. Origin: from Latin vernaculus ‘domestic, native’. |
| Decorum (n) | 1) behaviour in keeping with good taste and propriety. 2) prescribed behaviour; etiquette. A certain classroom decorum is expected. | Origin: Latin, ‘seemly thing’. |
| Reconcile (v) | 1) restore friendly relations between. 2) make or show to be compatible. 3) (reconcile to) make (someone) accept (a disagreeable thing). | Can the differences be reconciled? Origin: Latin reconciliare, from conciliare ‘bring together’. |
| Limelight (n) | 1) (the limelight) the focus of public attention. 2) an intense white light produced by heating lime in an oxyhydrogen flame, formerly used in theatres. | Putting the students in the limelight in a smaller setting may release them from the fear of public speaking. |
| Turn the corner (idiom) | to pass the critical stage; to get by the worst point; hence, to begin to improve, or to succeed. | I wonder if the country has really turned the corner in this crisis. |
| Prolepsis (n) | 1) anticipating and answering objections in advance 2) the anticipation and answering of possible objections (Rhetoric) 3) the representation of something as happening before it actually does, as in he was a dead man when he entered. | Also known as teaching philosophy. Origin: Greek, from prolambanein ‘anticipate’. |
Entry #7
Week of March 4
Compiled by Katre
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| Implicit | absolute and unreserved; unquestioning | You have implicit trust in him |
| To pitch | to set the level, character or slope of | The students pitched a high level in this course |
| Bewilderment | being confused, puzzled, lost | Student`s faces showed the bewilderment, they did not understand the part of a lecture … |
| Vagueness | being not clearly or definitely established or known | … so, lecturer should stop the vagueness! |
| Apt | suitable for the circumstance or purpose; appropriate | The use of apt examples can generate interest |
| Delineate | to trace the shape or outline of; sketch | Just delineate your thoughts in this paper! |
| Akin | having similar characteristics; properties; related by blood | teaching is akin to learning yourself |
| Merely | nothing more than something specified | Merely using one way of teaching is not enhance learning |
| Pre-empt | to acquire in advance of or to the exclusion of others, to occupy, in order to acquire a prior right to purchase | Practical work is pre-empted the reading by boys |
| To invent | to create or devise (new ideas, etc) | I asked students to invent examples in hospital ergonomics |
| Courteous | polite and considerate in manner | Be as courteous with your students as you are with your colleagues |
Entry #8
Week of April 15
Compiled by Rahel
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| serenity (n.) | Tranquility and peace of mind; state of mind free of storms or adverse changes; clarity | Example: I admired her serenity in the midst of so much chaos; Serenely (adv.) Serene (adj.) |
| gravel (n. or v.) | 1. Loose fragments of rock or small stones, often used to surface roads and paths 2. To cover or spread (a surface, e.g. a road) with gravel | |
| dump (n. or v.) | 1.To unload or deposit (sth unwanted); to deposit or drop carelessly or heavily; to get rid of unceremoniously or irresponsibly 2.To sell (goods) in quantity at a very low price, esp abroad at less than the market price at home 3. To copy (computer data) to an external storage device 4. Informal: to suddenly end a romantic relationship you have been having with someone 5. An accumulation of discarded materials; a place where such materials are dumped 6. An accumulation of military materials or the place where they are stored 7. An instance of dumping data stored in a computer 8. Informal: a very unpleasant and untidy place | |
| a pitcher (n.) | 1. A large jug 2. The player who pitches the ball in a baseball game | e.g. a pitcher of water |
| brim (n. or v.) | 1. The top edge or rim of a cup, glass etc. 2. The edge of a hat 3.To be or become full to the brim | Brimful (adj.) – full to the brim, about to overflow |
| mincing (adj.) | Affectedly delicate; describes a way of speaking that is not direct enough | e.g. Without mincing matters - mitte „läbi lillede”, ilustamata |
| lose face (v.) | To lose one´s dignity or reputation | |
| covenant (n.) | A formal agreement, a contract between two or more people or parties; a promise | |
| clench (v.) | To close or hold sth (fists, teeth etc.) together very tightly, often in a determined or angry way | |
| snigger (n.) | To laugh at someone or something in an unpleasant manner, e.g. at someone else´s misfortune |
Entry #9
Week of April 22
Compiled by Renate
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| earthy adj., | worrying about the Earth | usually used with a noun meaning ‘human being’, e.g. earthy person |
| endangered adj., | something in danger | e.g. endangered language, endangered species |
| eager adj., | showing strong desire | |
| hug verb, | put the arms round tightly, usually to show love | treehugger ‘environmentalist’ |
| venue noun, | the place of a meeting | |
| impact noun, | strong influence or effect | |
| furrow noun, | wrinkle on the forehead | |
| stare verb, | look fixedly | stare at his teacher |
| reinforce verb, | make stronger by adding something | |
| slurp verb, | eat or drink with noise |
Entry #10
Week of April 29
Compiled by Mari
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| Surmise (v) | to guess something, without having much or any proof | It is surmised that the term treehugger is related to Chipko movement. |
| Prank (n) | a trick that is intended to be amusing but not to cause harm or damage | When I was at school we were always playing pranks on our teachers. |
| Beware (v) | used to warn someone to be very careful about something or someone; used on signs to warn people of something dangerous | You should beware of undercooked food when staying in hot countries. Beware of the dog. |
| Unsubstantiated (adv) | not yet confirmed or proved to be true, | unjustified, groundless unsubstantiated rumours |
| Inappropriate (adv) | unsuitable, esp. for the particular time, place, or situation | Inappropriate comments, jokes, etc |
| Invasive (adv) | moving into all areas of something and difficult to stop | Invasive species displace native species, disrupt ecosystems, and affect citizens’ livelihoods and quality of life. |
| Inference (n) | educated guess | to form an opinion or guess that something is true because of the information that you have |
| Proficiency (n) | expertise, ability, skill, | It said in the job ad that they wanted proficiency in at least two languages. |
Entry #12
Week of May 13
Compiled by Marika
| Word (Part of Speech) or phrase or idiom | Definition | Special Notes or Context |
|---|---|---|
| assume (v) | To speculate; suppose; surmise; to make a guess. | Pirot assumed that the murderer was the lady with the hat in the dining room. |
| conjecture (n or v) | Hypothesis; A hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence). | Dr. House dismissed the syndrome as a mere conjecture. |
| sneaky (adj) | Furtive; surreptitious; marked by quiet and caution and secrecy. | Squirrels are sneaky, because they don’t keep all their nuts in one place, but make various holes and hiding places for their food stash. |
| incredulous (adj) | 1. Skeptical; disbelieving, distrustful, yellow 2. disbelief | Jimmy was incredulous of stories about flying saucers until he was abducted |
| foreigner (n) | 1. A person from a foreign country 2. An outsider, alien. | An Englishman is an illegal foreigner in New York. *note, we would most usually say "illegal alien" *Using the term "foreigner" can sometimes be offensive |
| implementation (n) | The act of accomplishing some aim or executing some order; carrying out, execution. | The agency was created for the implementation of the policy. |
| sheltered (adj) | 1. Protected from wind and rain 2. Protected from unpleasant or upsetting experiences: a sheltered childhood 3. Specially designed to provide a safe environment for the elderly, handicapped, or disabled. | George W. Bush had a sheltered childhood. |
| crib (n or v) | Noun: 1. A bed with high sides for a young child or baby. 2. A small building, usually with slatted sides, for storing corn. 3. Slang One's home. Verb: 1. To plagiarize (an idea or answer, for example). 2. To steal. | Most of Eurovision songs are usually cribbed. *note: does this mean that most Eurovision songs are stolen? |
| relevance (n) | The relation of something to the matter at hand. | The relevance of everything is relative. |
| reliance (n) | 1. The act of relying or the state of being reliant. 2. The faith, confidence, or trust felt by one who relies; dependence. 3. One relied on; a mainstay. | He wrote the paper with considerable reliance on the work of other scientists. |
| conjure (v) | 1. To summon (a devil or spirit) by magical or supernatural power. 2. To influence or effect by or as if by magic: tried to conjure away the doubts that beset her. 3. To call or bring to mind; evoke. | Marika tried to conjure away the doubts that beset her. |
page revision: 24, last edited: 20 May 2008 08:14
