1. English Vocabulary for Architecture & the Built Environment
Presentation by
FET Librarians

2. Session aims and outcomes
To learn techniques to understand the vocabulary used in architecture and the built environment.
At the end of this session you will be able to:
Identify which words are important to understand
Use strategies to help you understand what specific words mean
Use words in the right context
Use a technique for remembering words in future
Go through session aims and ask if there is anything the class would like us to go over again.

3. Understanding vocabulary
Prepare – read recommended reading and lecture materials ahead of class. Identify any words you don’t understand.
ACTIVITY 1
Read the paragraph on the handout.
Identify any words you do not understand
Mark which of these words you need to
understand.
Important?
If not knowing the word stops you understanding the meaning of the sentence, it is important.
It is important that you prepare for any lessons you may be attending by reading any lecture materials, or recommended reading before the class, so that you are more confident about the topics that will be discussed.
This session will give you an opportunity to look at how you might go about identifying any words and vocabulary used in that reading that you are unsure of.
ACTIVITY 1
The first activity is to read the paragraph on the handout and to identify any words you do not understand. We have provided a table on the handout for you to use to note these down. Work alone on this. [5 mins]
______
Next, place a tick in the box to indicate which of these words are ones you NEED to understand. [5 mins to read again]
The words that are important are the ones that stop you from understanding the general meaning of the sentence.

4. Understanding vocabulary
Discuss the words that are important on your tables.
Can your fellow students help you understand?
Now, compare lists with other people on your table and think about the words you have marked as important.
Do you all have the same words? If not, can someone else on the table help you to understand a word on your list?
Don’t worry if there are some words that neither of you know. We will look at some more techniques next.

5. Understanding vocabulary
What strategies can help you to understand the meaning?
Explained elsewhere in the text
Guess from the context
Word form
Use an English-English dictionary
Oxford Living Dictionaries
What other things can you do to help you to understand the meaning?
Here are some techniques to help you understand those words.
Is it explained elsewhere in the text?
for specific vocabulary you might find that the words are explained in the text if you just keep reading.
Can you guess what is meant, by the context in which it is used.
e.g. “… tenement houses.”
If we look at the rest of the sentence the text compares it to “late-modernist towers” so we can probably guess that tenement houses are not towers, but are buildings for multiple occupation.
Can you work it out based on the word form. Consider prefixes and suffixes.
e.g. post-catastrophic – if we know that a catastrophe is a disaster or a big, negative event, then ‘post-catastrophic’ might mean that it was after a big, damaging event – in this case, the end of the second world war. If you had access to the full article, you will find that this had been explained in an earlier paragraph.
Look it up in a dictionary. This will give you an explanation in English, along with other word forms and pronunciation notes, and often examples of the word in use.

6. What does it mean? An injury to a muscle caused by stretching
ACTIVITY 2
An injury to a muscle caused by stretching
A change in length/shape caused by force
Strain
Creating or developing something over a period of time
A structure with a roof and walls
Building
A deceptive outward appearance
The principal front of a building, that faces on to a street or open space.
Facade
Before we move on to look at what our words mean, we need to consider Some words have specific meanings when used in the context of specific disciplines.
ACTIVITY 2
Here are some common words used in architecture and built environment topics, with definitions related to other disciplines.
Can you describe what it means when used in the architecture/built env context?
STRAIN – in medicine, this would mean to injure a part of the body by stretching it. What could it mean if you thought about it in terms of construction materials? CLICK FOR ANSWER
BUILDING – the verb “to build” tends to indicate we are talking about creating or developing something over a period of time. We could be building confidence in our ability to speak English, for example However, what could we mean when we are thinking about it in terms of architecture? CLICK FOR ANSWER
FAÇADE – when we are talking about people, a façade might mean the ‘face’ they put on, perhaps to look brave when they are feeling nervous, or happy when they are sad. What might the word mean when thinking about the built environment? CLICK FOR ANSWER
Do you have any other examples where there are more than one meaning for a word?

7. What does it mean? Strategies Ask a friend
Is it explained elsewhere in the text?
Guess
Look at the word form
Use an English-English dictionary
ACTIVITY 3
Look back at the list of words you don’t understand.
Using the strategies, write – in English – what you think they mean
Pick ONE word you previously did not understand and prepare a new sentence.
Discuss your sentence with the person next to you.
ACTIVITY 3:
Using the strategies we spoke about, see if you can have a go at writing down what you think they mean.
Try NOT to use a dictionary as your first option, but instead use it to check if you are right.
_____
Pick ONE of those words, and see if you can prepare a whole sentence, using that word in the proper context.
Discuss your sentence with the person next to you. Did they use the word properly? Can they think of a different way of phrasing it?

8. Learning the vocabulary
ACTIVITY 4
Go to
Pick a word and write it on a card
On the back, give an example and a definition
Draw a picture that will help you understand the word’s meaning
Use this technique to create a set of flash cards throughout your course. They will also help with revision.
We’d now like to show you a way to learn the words that your find difficult.
On your tables, go to the ebook on the slide. (Illustrated dictionary of architecture)
Pick a word from the list and write it on one side of the cards (CARD STOCK available from Emma)
On the back, give an example of how it might be used, or the kind of thing it describes and a definition. You might want to draw a picture that helps you understand the word’s meaning.
You can use this to create a set of the difficult words you come across that you can use for revision, or when you get stuck. You can add examples of how those words are used, when you come across them again.

9. Summary In this session, you have learnt to:
Identify the words you need to understand
Use strategies to find the meaning of words
Make sure you use those words in the correct context
Create Flash Cards as a revision technique to build a collection of words you find difficult

10. Further help Reading and note taking workbook
Online advice and tutorials: Reading and note taking
Audio recording lectures and seminars
Assistive software
Books and ebooks: Study skills
Ask a Librarian

11. How to workshops
How to make notes from your reading and lectures
How to reference and avoid plagiarism
How to plan and structure your writing
How to put your reading into your writing
How to get started with critical writing
How to improve your critical writing
How to stand up and be heard
How to search effectively
Visit study skills events to find out about the workshops you can attend and to book your place.