Example from a section on Oceans and Coastal Environments
| General English | General Academic Vocabulary | Discipline-Specific Vocabulary |
|---|---|---|
| water | factors | salinity |
| heat | energy | bathymetry |
| cold | movement | intertidal |
| waves | structure | lithosphere |
| contain | process | phytoplankton |
| life | affect | biomass |
| keep | model | dissolution |
| waves | system | zooplankton |
| surface | research | estuary |
How to Classify Words:
- General English: These are words used in everyday speech and are not specialized for any particular subject.
- General Academic Vocabulary: These words are used across many academic fields. They're more specific than everyday language but not tied to a particular discipline.
- Discipline-Specific Vocabulary: These words are unique to the field of Earth Science and are essential for understanding the subject.