Words to Describe People
by Scott Miles
The vocabulary in this supplement is commonly used to describe people.
They are words that appear in the 2000 most commonly used vocabulary in the English language, so they are essential for students at the basic to intermediate levels.
- First, review the words and circle the words that you do not know. You can underline the words that you think you might know, but aren’t sure.
- Next, with a partner (or partners), ask about the words you do not know.
What does _______ mean?
To explain the words in English, the following sentences might be helpful:
- It’s the opposite of __________.
- It’s almost the same as ___________.
- This is the kind of person who always ________
- This is the kind of person who never __________.
After listening to the explanation, guess the translation of the word in your first language. Later, you can look up the words in a dictionary to see if your guess is correct.
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Busy Careful Childlike Cold Fearless Interesting Perfectionist Quiet Realistic Serious |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
Talk about the vocabulary. Which words describe you? Which words do not? Use the following sentence patterns.
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Now We’re Talking Textbook Activity Supplement
Book 1-Unit 1-Vocabulary: Describing People
This is a lesson plan that can complement the vocabulary activities on page 7 of Now We’re Talking Book 1, Unit 1.
Lesson Plan
- Distribute the handout (see above). Have the students look at the list of words and circle the ones they do not know. They can underline words they are not sure about, but have an idea of what they might mean. Tell the students to refrain from looking up words they do not know yet.
- In pairs or small groups, students then ask their partners about the words they circled and underlined. If another student knows the word, the student should try to explain the meaning. This is not an easy task for basic and even intermediate level students, but the given structures in the handout can be helpful. Do a few of the examples as a class before having the students try on their own.
If students have trouble finding a meaning (for example, they get stuck on a word that none of them know), they should call over the instructor to help with an explanation.
Once the word is explained, the student can write down their best guess of the translation of the word. Finally, after this part of the activity is over (or for homework), students can look up the words in a bilingual dictionary to see if their understanding was correct.
- In pairs or small groups, the students can discuss the vocabulary as it relates to themselves. If needed, review the sentence structures for this part of the exercise.
False Cognates
There are many words in English that native Portuguese (and sometimes Spanish) speakers may think they recognize, only to be completely misunderstood.
These are known as “false cognates” or linguistically “false friends”. They may sound pretty close to familiar words, but these false cognates mean completely different things in English. Here are a few examples:
1) Costume (English) X Costume (Portuguese).
In English, a “costume” is an outfit or clothing that someone would wear to play a character in a movie or play, or for a party or special event. For example, “I’m wearing a Carmen Miranda costume for Halloween this year,” or “The actress wore a beautiful costume for her role in the movie.” The best translation for the Portuguese “costume” is CUSTOM or TRADITION in English.
2) Actually X atualmente
In English, the word “actually” means “in truth” or “as a fact”. For example, “I thought that it would take three hours to travel there, but it actually took five hours!” “Atualmente” means “currently” in English. For example, “I am CURRENTLY working on my master’s degree.”
3) Educated X educado
In Portuguese, “educado” has to do with good manners and not necessarily with formal education. In English, “educated” has everything to do with schooling, and nothing to do with manners. For example, “He was educated at Harvard.” If you want to refer to someone’s good manners in English, you should use the word “POLITE”. For example, “He is very POLITE and would never use bad language.”
4) Enroll X enrolar
To “enroll” means to sign up or register for a course or school. For example, “She enrolled in the Algebra class” or “He will enroll in the university classes this semester.” If you are trying to say “enrolar” in English, you need to use “WIND UP” or “ROLL UP”. For example, “Please ROLL UP the maps when you are done with them” or “Do you mind WINDING UP the cord?”
5) Cord X corda
When it comes to the last example above, don’t be fooled by the word “cord”. While it can mean something long and used for tying things, a “cord” usually means an insulated cable used for carrying electricity. For example, “She pulled on the telephone cord.” When trying to say “corda” in English, the best translation is ROPE or STRING.
6) Fabric X fábrica
These two words could not be more different in meaning. “Fabric” in English has nothing to do with building things. “Fabric” is a noncount word that means the type of material that clothes are made of. For example, “She bought some fabric to make her own dress,” or “That fabric will make a lovely shirt.” If you are trying to say “fábrica”, you probably mean “FACTORY”.
These are just some of the “false cognates” or “false friends” that native Portuguese speakers will come across. Be careful next time you use them!