Vocabulary

This series of lessons aims to help learners improve their vocabulary by understanding where words come from, how they are made up and how to differentiate between them. The series explains the origins of English and also shows how code switching and borrowing words from indigenous languages have given South African English its own unique character. We also discuss synonyms and antonyms, words that are commonly confused and different varieties of English. If this knowledge is put into practice, it will help learners to improve their writing. They will have a wider choice of words to draw from, and will be able to use these words correctly and appropriately. Although the series of lessons defines words such as homonyms, prefixes, code switching and jargon, the most important outcome is for learners to understand when it is appropriate to use different types of language.