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

Free association by focus word WWhy? WWhen? HHow? 1. W eekly 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 baconHomemadeHomebodyHome countryHome and abroad

On the house Bring down the house House-sit (Pets) be housebroken Under house arrest HOUSE

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

3. Animals pig, beef, horse, bird, fish pig out oneat like a horseeat like a birdsmell sth. fishy

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

5. VERB AS FOCUS WORD

Make Make or break 4 Make believe 51 Make sense 2 Make a difference 11 Make the most of 3

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

Go For here or to goGo DutchGo fifty-fiftyGo off with a bang

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

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

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

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

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

6. Color words as focus

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

White White sale White-collar worker White elephant White lie

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

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

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

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

THANK YOU!