Spelling SAC 2015-16 - University Interscholastic League · PDF file ·...

Gail Herman UIL Spelling and

Vocabulary Sponsor

Sulphur Springs HS

The Power of Words: A Guide to Success

in UIL Spelling and Vocabulary, 2015-16

Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

Spelling

� Communication in writing is made possible by agreement on the symbols used.

� The agreed sequence of written symbols is called spelling.


The Importance of Correct Spelling

Why is being able to spell correctly important? As so many students say, why can’t we all just depend on our computers’ spell checkers to make sure we spell everything correctly?

Well, here’s one answer to this question:


Candidate for a Pullet Surprise


I have a spelling checker. It came with my PC. It plane lee marks four my revue Miss steaks aye can knot sea. Eye ran this poem threw it, Your sure reel glad two no. Its vary polished inn it's weigh. My checker tolled me sew. (first two stanzas of Dr. Jerrold Zar’s commonly cited “Spell Checker Poem”/”Ode to a Spell Checker”; see whole poem at www.bios.niu.edu/zar/poem.shtml)

The Importance of Correct Spelling


“When our spelling is perfect, it’s invisible. But when it’s flawed, it prompts strong negative associations.”

-- Marilyn vos Savant

Advice from Thomas Jefferson

“Take care that you never spell a word wrong. Always before you write a word, consider how it is spelled, and, if you do not remember, turn to a dictionary. It produces great praise to a lady to spell well.”

(in a letter to his daughter Martha)


Another Observation about Spelling

“Spelling counts. Spelling is not merely a tedious exercise in a fourth-grade classroom. Spelling is one of the outward and visible marks of a disciplined mind.”

-- James J. Kilpatrick, journalist and

grammarian


The Challenges of English Spelling

“If GH can stand for P as in Hiccough

If OUGH stands for O as in Dough

If PHTH stands for T as in Phthisis

IF EIGH stands for A as in Neighbor

If TTE stands for T as in Gazette If EAU stands for O as in Plateau

The right way to spell POTATO should be

GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU!”

(attributed to Oscar Wilde) Herman SAC TJC 2015-16


�  Then, there is this suggested spelling for “fish”: ghoti. The reasoning is as follows: “gh” can sound like “f” as in “laugh,” “o” can sound like “i” as in “women,” and “ti” provides the “sh” sound as in “action.” Popularly attributed to George Bernard Shaw, this facetious spelling suggestion, according to The New York Times, actually predates Shaw, going back to an 1855 letter in which the publisher Charles Ollier commented on his son’s idea for a new spelling of “fish.” (Actually, English orthography makes much more sense than this example suggests, but there’s still enough illogic to cause us problems!)



Why the English language is difficult to learn:

�  The bandage was wound around the wound.

�  He could lead if he would get the lead out.

�  The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

�  When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

�  The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

�  They were too close to the door to close it.


The Importance of Vocabulary

Knowing how to spell words correctly is important, but it is equally or more important to know what words mean and how to use them accurately and effectively. As Mark Twain famously remarked, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”



Knowledge of vocabulary “is an indication of [one’s] general knowledge. Vocabulary level is the best predictor of overall success in school and performance on the SAT-verbal and other similar tests. A large and exact vocabulary is also a characteristic of successful people in many occupations.”

FROM THE JOHNSON O’CONNOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION WEBSITE



“Vocabulary is the best single indicator of intellectual ability and an accurate predictor of success at school.” --W. B. Elley, education professor emeritus and literacy researcher

“Because each new word has to be studied and learned on its own, the larger your vocabulary becomes, the easier it will be to connect a new word with words you already know, and thus remember its meaning. So your learning speed, or pace, should increase as your vocabulary grows.” -- Johnson O’Connor, researcher Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

The Value of Spelling and Vocabulary

Correctly spelled words, coupled with precise and compelling diction, are two of the most important aspects of effective communication. Through participating in the UIL Spelling and Vocabulary Contest, you will have the opportunity to increase greatly your knowledge of and facility with words.


PART I. PROOFREADING AND

VOCABULARY

PART II. SPELLING FROM DICTATION

PART III. TIEBREAKER

Components of the UIL Spelling and Vocabulary Contest


Part I

Part I of the test contains 15 proofreading and 15 vocabulary questions. In previous years, Part I was divided into Part IA and Part IB. Because of this division, some students were confused about whether they should complete only questions 1 through 15 (Part IA) during the 15 minute period or continue with questions 16 through 30 (Part IB). For improved clarity, the “A” and “B” designations are being removed from the test for 2015-16.


Part I

The number and types of questions will remain the same, and students will still have 15 minutes in which to complete the 30 questions. Questions 1 through 15 will contain groups of five words, with one of the words spelled incorrectly. Students must identify which word is spelled wrong and write it correctly. Questions 16 through 30 are multiple choice questions based on the words identified for vocabulary study. Students must select the best answer for each question.


New Part I Answer Sheet

�  To facilitate accurate and efficient grading, students will now record their answers to Part I questions on a separate answer sheet, not on the sheets that contain the questions. Students will be given credit only for what they place on their answer sheets.

�  Also, directions have been rewritten to enhance clarity for students.


Here’s what the Proofreading questions will look like . . .

University Interscholastic League Spelling and Vocabulary 2015-16 Part I

Questions 1-15 test your ability to recognize and correct misspelled words. From each of the 15 sets, select the one misspelled entry; then write it correctly spelled in the corresponding blank on your answer sheet. Questions 16-30 test your knowledge of the meanings and origins of words. For each sentence, select the best answer; then, using a printed capital letter, write it in the corresponding blank on your answer sheet. You will have 15 minutes to complete questions 1-30, which are worth 1 point each. Credit will be given ONLY for answers placed on your answer sheet.

1. dejavu materiel primordial sea anemone demythologize

2. Shakespeariana Asparagus Osceola Z score Quattara Depression

3. hartebeest Bora Bora phocomelia rejevenscence waterdogging


Here’s what the Vocabulary questions will look like . . .

16. I can distinguish the heritage of some people through their mode of dress; for example, the _____ is a traditional headdress worn by someone from Saudi Arabia.

A. kaffiyeh B. ao dai C. huarache D. jaconet E. batik

17. One character trait to which Jacob was prone was his _____, which was his tendency toward hyperbole, rhapsody, or otherwise embellished exaggeration.

A. erysipelas B. megalomania C. mythomania D. protanopia E. psittacosis

18. Some oceanographers are generalists who know much about a wide range of aquatic life, while others are specialists, like the ones who have more specific knowledge of _____ life in the extreme depths of the ocean.

A. bathypelagic B. hydrarch C. limicolous D. rupicolous E. xerosere


New Part I Answer Sheet

Answer Sheet for Part I (30 questions, 15 minutes, 1 point each)

Grader:

Grader:

3 2 1 3 2 1

1 ________________________________ 16 ______

2 ________________________________ 17 ______

3 ________________________________ 18 ______

4 ________________________________ 19 ______

5 ________________________________ 20 ______


Reminders about Proofreading Questions

� Most of the words used in questions 1 through 15 are from Word Power.

�  Up to twenty percent of the words on this part of the test may be from other sources.


Reminders about Vocabulary Questions

�  Questions 16 through 30 test contestants’ knowledge of word origins and meanings.

�  The 350 words designated for this part of the test are marked in Word Power with a dot (●). Students are responsible not only for learning to spell these words correctly but also for knowing their etymologies and denotations.

�  No “outside words” appear on this part of the test.


Part II—Spelling from Dictation

70 points—seventy words, pronounced at a rate of four words per minute—one every fifteen seconds.

NOTE: This is a change from five words per minute. The additional time is needed to allow the pronouncer to read the definition of each word.


Part III—Tiebreaker

Twenty words—also pronounced at a rate of four words per minute.

With the exception of the State contest, this part is scored only in case of ties and then only those involved in the tie are scored.


Sources of Words

�  80% of the test words for Proofreading and Call-out come from Word Power.

Up to 20% come from •  Common Usage •  Words from school course materials, such as

textbook glossaries •  News and current events—words and proper names •  Vocabulary builders—roots and affixes which appear

in the list as other parts of speech •  Other words of interest. Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

How to Prepare for Those Dreaded “Outside Words”…

�  Study roots and affixes.

�  Read widely and PAY ATTENTION to words that are new to you.

�  Learn to spell the vocabulary words that your teachers present in class.

�  Go to the Internet and find lists of SAT or college vocabulary. For instance, quizlet.com has a list called “College Board Top 100 SAT/ACT Vocabulary Words.” Majortests.com also has helpful word lists. A great list of 5,000 words can be found at freevocabulary.com


The Official Dictionary

The official dictionary of this contest is

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd, 4th, or 5th ed.

This contest is based only on the definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and usages in this dictionary.

All contest words can be found in this dictionary.


In Case of an Error in Word Power

In case of an error in spelling on the Word Power list, a correction is announced in the Official Notices of the Leaguer, which can be found online at the UIL website (www.uiltexas.org). If corrections are published here, students are responsible for knowing the correct spelling(s).


Suggestions for how to prepare for the contest


It’s important to recognize that . . .

� Spelling is a very recent language skill.

� Before there was a written form of language, words existed, just in spoken form.

� The invention of the printing press made it necessary to come to agreement on how to present words in writing.


Sound-Symbol Correspondence

� In languages such as Latin and Spanish, a direct correspondence exists between sound and symbol: each sound is represented by a specific symbol.

� In other languages, including English, a speech sound may be represented by several symbols and a symbol may represent several sounds, depending on the letters around it.


Understand Diacritical Marks

If you do not understand diacritical marks, you will not be able to understand how to pronounce unfamiliar words correctly. Find the Pronunciation Key located near the beginning of The American Heritage Dictionary and study the different symbols used to express pronunciations. Simple, well-known words are used to demonstrate the correspondence between symbols and the letters in words that create certain sounds.


Sound out Words

Note

� Pure vowels

� Diphthongs (vowel pairs)

� Rules for long and short vowels

� Pure consonants and blends


The Schwa

The schwa, a symbol used to express an “uh” sound occurring in an unaccented syllable, can be represented in words by a number of different letters and combinations of letters.


Watch and listen for the schwa (ə) in these words…

acolyte (ăk´əә-līt′)

adenoma (ăd´əәn-o´məә)

babushka (bəә-boosh´kəә)

cacophonous (kəә-käf´əә-nəәs)

distensible (dĭ-stĭn´səә-bəәl)

indecipherable (ĭn´dĭ-sī ´fəәr-əә-bəәl)

pachydermatous (păk´ĭ-dûr´məә-təәs)

(These words are not from this year’s list.)


Problems in Pronunciation

Consonant Blends Consonant pairs (bl, br, ch, etc.) have

blended sounds that are different from that of the letters pronounced separately.

Diphthongs (Vowel pairs) such as ae, ai, au, ea, etc.) are the same issue.

Separating these pairs into their component sounds, exaggerating each sound, facilitates spelling.


One Solution

Sound Color = exaggerated “pure” letter-sound

Consonant/vowel blends can be more troublesome; they may sound the same but look different:

Precious > preshus

Contentious > contenshus

¡ precious > preceeus

¡ contentious > contenteeus

Speak the Spelling! Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

Pay particular attention to . . .

� Compound words

� Words with non-alphabetical marks

� Words with alternate spellings

� Capitalized words

� Words with optional capitalization

� Words where definition determines capitalization


Examples from this year’s Word Power

Two-word test items

� chaise longue

� Barbary Coast

� al dente

� sarus crane

� vox angelica

�  tai chi, Tai Chi

Non-alphabetic elements

� deep-six

� Reye’s syndrome

�  jalapeño

� cat-o’-nine-tails

� Sjögren’s syndrome


Alternate Spellings

� anapest or anapaest

� gaffe or gaff

� riata or reata

� miosis or myosis

� stymieing or stymying

� penology or poenology

Examples from this year’s Word Power


Capitalization

Capitalization Required

�  Eurasia �  Klondike �  Formica (trademark)

Capitalization Optional

� Fundamentalism, fundamentalism

� Pantheon, pantheon

Capitalization depends on the definition given �  forsythia=any

shrub of the genus � Forsythia = the

genus � waterloo= any

crushing defeat � Waterloo =town of

central Belgium


Root Words, Language History, and Spelling

Words can be put together from source words and root words to form words that never existed before:

Tele = distance

-metrics = measurement

-phony = sound

-graphy = writing

-vision = viewing


Television

Telephone

Telemetry

Telegraph

New Needs = New words from old parts


Root Words and Affixes

�  a- : without

�  angio- : pain

�  arterio- : artery

�  arthro- : joints

�  cardio-: heart

�  cranio- : skull

�  dys -: unhealthy

�  -ectomy : cutting out

�  eu- : healthy

�  -graphy: recording, writing

�  hemo- : blood

�  -itis: inflammation

�  laryngo- :throat

�  lipo- : fat

�  litho- : stone

�  meter : measure

�  myelo- : muscle



�  neuro- : nerve

�  -ology: study

�  oto- : ear

�  -otomy : cutting into

�  patho- : illness

�  -pathy : disease

�  peri- : around

�  -pneu : breathing

�  rhino- : nose

�  thoraco- : chest

�  thrombo- : clot

�  trauma- : damage or injury

And there are many more that you can find as they are used in Word Power.

Google Root Words for much more on this topic.



� oto- = ear

� -rhino- = nose

� -laryng- = throat

� -ologist = One who studies

Ear, nose, and throat doctor =

otorhinolaryngologist.



As you study the Word Power list, especially for vocabulary words, make lists of the root words, prefixes, and suffixes you identify.

That way you learn the pieces once and have them every time you need them, such as when you take the SAT.


Basic Spelling Rules

�  Words Ending in a Silent e

Before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel or y to a word ending in a silent e, drop the e (with some exceptions).

amaze + ing =amazing nerve + ous = nervous

juice + y = juicy

Exceptions: change + able =changeable;

courage + ous= courageous


Words Ending in a Consonant

In words of more than one syllable, double the final consonant when the word ends with one consonant preceded by one vowel AND when the last syllable of the word is accented

be GIN + ing = beginning

per MIT + ing = permitting

re FER + ing = referring

Note that in the new words formed with suffixes, the stress remains on the same syllable.


In the following examples the accent does not remain on the same syllable; thus, the final consonant is not doubled.

RE fer + ence = reference

CON fer +ence = conference

PRE fer + ence = preference


Prefixes and Suffixes in Spelling

�  When adding a prefix to a word, do not change the spelling of the base word. When a prefix creates a double letter, keep both letters.

ir + regular = irregular

il + logical = illogical mis + spell = misspell

�  When adding –ness to a word ending in n, keep both n’s.

sudden + ness = suddenness thin + ness = thinness


i before e???

�  Remember this rule learned in elementary school: i before e except after c or when sounded long a.

i before e: thief, relieve, grieve, niece, field

except after c: conceit, perceive, ceiling, receipt

sounded long a: skein, vein, feint, neighbor, weigh

Exceptions: either, weird, seize, leisure, counterfeit


-IBLE OR –ABLE?

When adding one of these suffixes, ask yourself: Is the root a complete word? If it is not a complete word, add –ible, as in visible, horrible, possible or edible.

If the root is a complete word, add –able, as in fashionable, laughable, suitable, or comfortable.

If the root is a complete word ending in –e, drop the final –e and add –able, as in advisable, desirable, valuable, and debatable.

As always, exceptions exist, as in contemptible, flexible, responsible, or irritable.


Organize for Learning

All of these features of words in the Word Power list can be used to organize the words to help you learn them.

Put words with similar features together in

word families.


Sample Word Families

�  Words with common or similar characteristics

�  Word forms

�  Words with non-alphabetic elements

�  Alternate spellings

�  Capitalization (Required, Optional, for Definition) �  Root words and Affixes

�  Contexts


Contexts and Word Families

�  Trademarks

�  Medical terms

�  Legal terms

�  Food terms �  Political terms

�  Musical terms

�  Words from the same language

�  Words with non-alphabetic elements


Non-Alphabetic Written Symbols

Some words which have come into English from other languages have non-alphabetic features which designate pronunciation. For example:

�  the tilde (as in piñata)

�  the circumflex (as in crêpe de Chine)

�  the cedilla (as in façade)

�  the dieresis or umlaut (as in cacoëthes)

�  the acute accent (as in lamé)

�  the grave accent (as in pietà)

These marks must be formed and placed correctly in order to spell the word correctly.


Ways to Study and Prepare: Create Study Materials

� Word Cards ¡ Look up each word.

¡ On a 3 x 5 card,

÷ Write the definition

÷ Write the derivation (root or origin)

÷ Write the pronunciation given and the pronunciation that reflects the “sound color" of the vowels in unaccented syllables.


Ways to Study and Prepare: Establish a Context

� Sentences with context clues Write sentences with the words, providing clues to

their meaning. That way, you remember the entire idea, the sound of the context sentence, and the clue to the meaning. This can help with vocabulary and proofreading questions.


� Pronounce the word and listen to the way it sounds; repeat it several times if it is a hard word.

� Say the word. Spell the word. Say the word.

� Say the word. Write the word. Say the word.

Ways to Study and Prepare: Establish a Context


Ways to Study and Prepare

� Source-of-Error Check: “How did I make that mistake?”

� Look up new words in your reading.

� Mix-and-Match Roots and Affixes – a New Game?

� Audiotape (purchased or teacher-made)

� Self-made pronounced list. Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

Ways to Study and Prepare: UIL Resources

The Spelling section of the UIL Website also contains a correlation of the Spelling Contest and the TEA requirements for spelling, as well as sample lessons for improving spelling.

�  URL for UIL Sample Spelling lessons:

http://www.uiltexas.org/files/academics/SpellingVocab-Sample-Lessons.pdf

URL for vendors of practice materials:

http://www.uiltexas.org/academics/resources/additional-resources


Make a Game of It: Word Wars

�  Lydia: You are such a tatterdemalion! Go rusticate!

�  Kendall: I hope you get the screaming meemies, you varlet!

�  Lydia: You wisenheimer! You think you’re a whiz-bang wonk but vox populi says you’re really just a boondoggling Walter Mitty!

�  Kendall: You are gauche and lack erudition! Go fall off a cuesta and catch kyphosis!

�  Lydia: Your floruit is over! I hope you become an old feme covert making feijoada and falafel!


Cautions for Practice

�  Speakers may omit sounds or add sounds in such words as different, leverage, surprise, temperament, recognize, history.

�  Speakers may transpose (switch) letters in pronouncing such words as irrelevant, hundred, realtor.

�  Make sure you are hearing the word as it is to be written.

�  Use Competition Rate of pronunciation

– four words a minute = 15 seconds per word Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

Practice writing legibly.

�  If graders question a letter, they isolate it from the rest of the word by placing their thumbs or cards on either side of it. If it is not legible in isolation, the word is deemed incorrect. Two of three graders must agree.

� Use standard handwriting or printing.

� Make a clear distinction between upper- and lower-case letters.

� Do not use all capital letters!

� You may use pencil or pen. Herman SAC TJC 2015-16

Legibility Challenges

�  Pay particular attention to uppercase and lowercase letters that are formed in the same or similar fashions. Take great care with the following:

C, c S, s

F, f U, u K, k V, v

M, m W, w

N, n X, x

O, o Z, z


Legibility Challenges

Also, keep in mind . . .

�  If letters have tails (for example, p or y), the tails should come below the line. (That’s why those extensions are called tails!)

�  Dot lowercase i’s and j’s. Do not omit the dot. Do not drag your pencil so that the dot looks like an accent.

�  Cross lowercase t’s.

�  Uppercase letters should appear clearly as uppercase letters—identifiable as such by both their size and the way they are formed.


Important

The UIL Spelling and Vocabulary Contest is not the place to get creative or fancy with handwriting. Everything you write should be clear; your letters should be formed in a standard way.

Many years ago, when this contest was called Spelling and Plain Writing, students were cautioned to avoid “freakish affectations” in their handwriting! That advice is actually still true today!


Further Advice

�  At the conclusion of a contest, use the time when the pronouncer and verifiers confer in the hall to check over your handwriting and make sure it is legible.

�  During the 15 minute verification period that occurs after the grading but before awards are presented, check your paper to make sure that it has been graded accurately and that your score has been computed correctly.


Contest Director

The director of the Spelling and Vocabulary Contest is Linda Berrey, a retired high school English teacher who was also a very successful UIL Spelling and Vocabulary sponsor. You can find her email address on the UIL website.


Final Words

Practice, Practice, Practice!

If you prepare,

you will be a winner!


Spelling SAC 2015-16 - University Interscholastic League · PDF file ·...

Documents

Transcript of Spelling SAC 2015-16 - University Interscholastic League · PDF file ·...