News

On Monday, November 4, 2019, the Women's College Scientific Research Committee hosted a workshop focused on 'Colourful Semantics'. The event was facilitated by Dr. Sheila Simpkins, who shed light on the usage of this innovative technique in teaching writing classes.

The 'colourful semantics' technique, originally created by Alison Bryan, employs color codes to dissect sentence structures, assisting young learners in grammar development while simultaneously emphasizing the semantics, or meaning, of words. Dr. Simpkins initiated the workshop by tracing the roots of this approach and then elaborated on its implementation.

She explained that colourful semantics deconstructs sentences into their thematic components and then assigns them color codes based on their grammatical function. For instance, verbs are designated with the color orange, while nouns are highlighted in yellow or green.

"Primarily utilized with learners diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Condition, colourful semantics is an integral part of speech and language therapy aimed at bolstering language development in young learners," Dr. Simpkins elucidated. She also noted her own experiences employing this technique with students displaying low motivation, remarking on its success in enhancing their learning enthusiasm. "The essence of colourful semantics is to infuse fun into the process of sentence construction," she summed up.

This approach brings numerous advantages, such as fostering a more extensive vocabulary, encouraging longer and more detailed sentences, and aiding students in formulating responses to questions while developing their usage of nouns, verbs, prepositions, adverbs, and adjectives.

The workshop served as a hands-on demonstration of applying colourful semantics to introduce students to sentence structure in writing classes. The event saw attendance from staff members and graduate students, further demonstrating the Faculty's commitment to innovative educational methods.