‘Word Taxonomies’ EAL Strategy: Explanation and Rationale

Taxonomies are a way of dividing information into ordered groups or categories.

They are a method of systematization in which similar things are collected together into different strata in a hierarchy.

Each item within a particular taxonomy has two types of relationship.

First, a relationship of similarity to the things with which it shares its group.

Second, a relationship of difference, allied to either dominance or subjugation.

A dominant difference exists between an item in the hierarchy and those things collected beneath it.

A subjugated difference exists between an item in the hierarchy and the things collected above it.

Here are three levels of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, which we can use as an example to illustrate these points:

• Analysis (Examining, Investigating, Testing)
• Application (Applying, Choosing, Demonstrating)
• Comprehension (Classifying, Describing, Translating)

‘Examining’ has a relationship of similarity with ‘investigating’ and ‘testing’. They are all words that are examples of analysis.

It also has a relationship of dominant difference to all those words in the application category.

And vice versa, with the words in the application category having a relationship of subjugated difference to those above.

The word ‘taxonomy’ also refers to a sub-discipline of biological science.

Taxonomists classify organic life-forms according to criteria like species and genus.

It is from this original discipline that the concept of taxonomy has migrated.

Taxonomies have many benefits.

Classifying items according to criteria helps you develop a sense of where those items ‘fit’ in the overall structure.

This notion of ‘fit’ is based on the relationships between items.

These are dependent on where the item is classified.

The order that comes from such classification is conducive to developing an understanding of the things contained therein.

Returning to Bloom’s taxonomy, we can see that without the individual words being collected into general categories, it would be far more difficult for a teacher to ascertain the relationships between these words.

Therefore, taxonomies store information about items.

If we see Bloom’s Taxonomy, we instantly know that all analysis words are grouped together in the category of ‘analysis’.

And we instantly know that these words sit above ‘application’ and below ‘synthesis’.

The taxonomy, by providing a structure, gives us more information than if we just see the words on their own.

Using Taxonomies with EAL Learners

Classifying words according to their relationships can help our EAL learners to understand their meanings more easily.

We can use taxonomies to do this.

For example:

• We might classify words according to their functions. For example: nouns, adjectives and verbs.
• Or we could classify words in a science lesson according to size. For example: smaller than a human; about the size of a human; larger than a human.

Whatever you are teaching, there is the potential to identify some categories and to use these as a tool for classification.

Sometimes there will be a hierarchy – like in the science example.

Sometimes there won’t – as with nouns, verbs and adjectives.

This is not a problem as there is still a visible difference between items in one group and items in another group.

For example, nouns are clearly different to verbs, despite not being in a relationship of dominance or subjugation.

You can create word taxonomies for your EAL learners, ask them to make them as they learn new words, or provide them with a sheet they fill in over time.

Learners can use what they create as reference tools to help identify the correct use of words, both in terms speaking and in terms of writing.

The central point is that by helping EAL learners to classify words, you help them to see and understand relationships between words.

Which is hugely beneficial in supporting their English language development.