Hitting a Wall with Vocabulary? Teach Affixes to Unlock Word Power
Do your students hit a wall when trying to express themselves in English? You're not alone. A limited vocabulary is one of the most common and frustrating challenges in the language classroom. But there's a simple and powerful strategy that can break down this barrier: teaching prefixes and suffixes.
Affixes are an excellent way to expand vocabulary quickly and meaningfully. By showing students how to form word families by adding prefixes (at the beginning) or suffixes (at the end) of base words, you can help them unlock dozens of new words from just one root.
Many learners struggle to grasp the meaning of unfamiliar words, especially when they try to memorize vocabulary in isolation. But when they understand affixation, they begin to see the patterns in language. Suddenly, words aren’t just random; they make sense.
A Simple Example:
Start with the base word comfort (a noun).
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Add the suffix –able: it becomes comfortable (an adjective).
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Add the prefix un–: it becomes uncomfortable, flipping the meaning to its opposite.
With just one root word, students now have three new vocabulary items—and a clearer understanding of how English words are built.
By teaching affixes, you're not just helping students learn more words; you’re teaching them how to learn words. And that is a skill they will use far beyond your classroom.
