Play with Words - Palindrome - a Method to Make English Vocabulary-learning Interesting

Sep 28, 2026

English vocabulary courses often face low student motivation due to boring content, dull classroom atmosphere, and belief that vocabulary learning is unnecessary and should be done independently. Many teachers simplify vocabulary teaching to mere recitation, overlooking how guidance supports language competence. Effective instruction should use engaging, interactive content and well-chosen linguistic phenomena. Palindrome, as an interesting linguistic pattern, offers definitions, origins, and functions that help transform vocabulary lessons into vivid, exploratory classroom activities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time9 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Definition and Origin of Palindrome

Play with Words——Palindrome: a Method to Make English Vocabulary-learning Interesting Peng Yu1 School of Foreign Languages, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, 140\# Longshun Road, Yibin City, Sichuan Province (644000), China. Correspondence: E-mail: [807681933@qq.com](807681933@qq.com) [Project Number: JG-1862](Project Number: JG-1862) Received: September 7, 2018 doi:10.5430/wjel.v8n2p31 Accepted: September 20, 2018 Online Published: September 21, 2018 URL: [https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v8n2p31](https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v8n2p31) Abstract It is commonly believed that one of the unpopular English courses is vocabulary course, because the content is boring, the classroom atmosphere is dull and the students’ enthusiasm is low. Moreover some people think that English vocabulary course is unnecessary and it should only be learned by students themselves. Worse still, some teachers just give up the teaching of vocabulary for they think vocabulary lesson is to recite words and that is the students’ business. But in fact, it is not right, because teacher’s guidance in students’ learning is crucial, and the teaching of vocabulary is important for students’ language competence. English vocabulary learning belongs to the category of basic knowledge, and the basic knowledge of students is a necessary condition and foundation for practical use of English, no matter for oral English competence or English writing and reading ability. It is the responsibility of teachers to think such a question why students have little enthusiasm and weak interest in vocabulary course, and why the classroom atmosphere is dull instead of active and interactive. It is the task of teachers to design a vocabulary course with interesting content and interactive parts to make the lesson vivid and to improve the students’ enthusiasm and interest. Actually, in English vocabulary there are many interesting and meaningful phenomena, such as spoonerisms, oxymoron, malapropisms, palindrome, etc., which leave a “space” for language-leaners to find out secret and surprise, and to actively explore and discover something different instead of negatively reciting words. They make the boring vocabulary lesson be changed into the interesting and interactive practical course, which is one of the sources of interest for students. The author in this paper intends to give a brief introduction to one of these interesting linguistic phenomena, palindrome, including the definition, origin and function etc., for teachers to use for reference so as to make their course more vivid and effective. Keywords: English words, vocabulary course, Palindrome, teaching methods 1. Introduction When creating, famous writers like to use English words cleverly. For example, in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream there is such oxymoronic words as follows: "A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus And his love Thisby; very tragical mirth. ' Merry and tragical! tedious and brief! That is hot ice and wondrous strange snow. " How shall we find the concord of this discord? 1 Fund Information Project Source: 2018 Research Project of Teaching Reform of Sichuan University of Science And Engineering Project Name: Cognitive Errors and Strategies of English Practical Teaching from the Perspective of University’s Transformation and Development Project Number: JG-1862 Published by Sciedu Press 31 ISSN 1925-0703 E-ISSN 1925-0711 In this poem,“Merry and tragical”, “tedious and brief”,“hot ice”, “wondrous strange” and “the concord of this discord”, all of the collocations are contradictory and antonyms. Used together, those apparently contradictory words produce a special effect: to profoundly reveal the inner conflict and complex emotions of the speaker, which enhances the literariness of the poem. There is a famous saying by Napoleon when he was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, which is “Able was Iere I saw Elba”. The sentence

FAQs

Why are English vocabulary courses often considered unpopular by students?

They are often seen as boring, with a dull classroom atmosphere and low student enthusiasm. Some students also believe vocabulary learning is unnecessary and should be handled by learners themselves.

What is the role of teachers in vocabulary learning according to the paper?

Teachers’ guidance is crucial for students’ vocabulary growth and overall language competence. Teachers should design interactive lessons with interesting content to improve enthusiasm and interest.

What is a palindrome, and how is it used to enhance language learning?

A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward. It can create rhythmic emphasis and emotional impact, offering learners a way to explore meaning beyond simple recitation.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin