Reading: Vocabulary in Context: A2 Lesson 1: Guessing Meaning of New Words from Pictures & Simple Sentence Context
CEFR Level: A2 (Elementary)
Target Reading Sub-skill: Vocabulary in Context
Specific Focus: Guessing Meaning of New Words from Pictures & Simple Sentence Context
What You Will Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand how to use picture clues to guess the meaning of a new word.
- Understand how to use the other words in a sentence (context) to guess the meaning of a new word.
- Practice guessing the meaning of new words using these strategies.
Hello Cambodian Learners!
When you read in English, you will often find new words. Don't worry! You don't always need a dictionary. Often, you can guess the meaning of a new word by looking at the picture next to the text, or by looking at the other words in the sentence. This is like being a detective and finding clues! This is a very useful skill when reading stories or signs, perhaps even at the Old Market (Phsar Chas) in Battambang!
How to Guess Word Meanings
1. Use Picture Clues: Look at the image. What does it show? How does it relate to the sentence or the new word?
2. Use Sentence Clues (Context): Read the words around the new word. Do they give you an idea about what the new word means? Does it seem like a person, a place, an action, or a describing word?
Example: Click the sentence to hear it.
Sokha uses a telescope to look at the stars at night.
Clue: The picture shows something to look at stars. The sentence says he uses it to look at stars.
What do you think "telescope" means?
The best guess is B. Something to see far away things.
Practice Time!
Activity 1: Guess the Meaning!
Read the sentence. Look at the picture. Click the best meaning for the highlighted word.
Quick Quiz!
Great Job!
You are learning to be a word detective! Using pictures and sentence clues to guess the meaning of new words is a very important skill for reading more fluently.
How do you feel about this lesson?
Note for Educators/Platform Development: This lesson introduces strategies for guessing word meanings from context (pictures and sentences). Activities involve selecting the best meaning from options. Ensure Web Speech API is supported. Use clear images and sentences where the context strongly suggests the meaning of the target A2-level vocabulary. Placeholder images are used.
