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The Iceberg Principle
The Iceberg Principle
Words I have mastered in every respect
Every speaker's vocabulary is like an iceberg. Some words are at the top; fully mastered and always accessible. Many more words lie beneath the waterline, or as we say "at the tip of your tongue."
Words I understand and have spoken many times
Words I have used
once or twice
Words I understand,
have spoken, but am unsure
if I can use them again
This is your classic "tip of the tongue" experience.
Words I can easily
understand, but have
never used; can't say.
Sea of Understanding
Words I can understand in a new context
The new context might be contextual or conceptual. For instance "belt" might first be learned as a clothing item. A new context might be "seat belt". A new concept might be "outer belt."
New Word
Words I understand
in repeated context
Encountered in a situation with enough context for listener to make some sense of it.
If I hear the word in the same situational and conceptual context that I first learned it, then I will recognize and understand it
Words I recognize but don't understand
I hear the word boundaries, and recognize that it's a word in my language, but I can't remember what it means or even what it might be related to.