Activity 2.2

Discovering the meanings of vocabulary using context, technical dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia

(a) Read the following story and complete the activities that follow.

Cyberbullying

Before I tell you my story, let me introduce myself. My name is Ngapona, which literally means: ‘not yet healed.’ My paternal aunt gave me this name because she felt it suited me for my mother had lost a child before I was born. I have been told that people believed I would die because I was so skinny and weak at birth. This name has been a thorn in my life as I have been facing many challenges. However, this is a story for another day.

One fateful day, I woke up with a heavy feeling in my heart. I could not tell what was wrong with me. I took a long time to prepare myself for school. As a result, I arrived at school later than usual. Fortunately, nobody stopped me at the school gate. That was unusual since the teacher on duty would always be at the gate. I dragged my feet towards the classroom, which was at the far end of our school. A level students’ classrooms were separated from the other buildings. I could hear my classmates speaking. When I entered the classroom, there was deafening hush; one could hear a pin drop. The teacher said, “Ndele and Deeja came up and hugged me, tears rolling down their cheeks. “Did you guys miss me this much?” I joked smilingly. Ndele could not hold it any longer; she sobbed uncontrollably. Deeja wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and looked at me in silence. “What’s wrong?” I asked, looking at them in a perplexed manner. “Mtuolowe is no more,” Deeja managed to say. “What? How? When? Who?” I exclaimed. “She is dead, Ngapo,” explained Ndele.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. My head started spinning like I had received a heavy blow at the back. Mtuolowe and I had been as thick as thieves since primary school. I looked at everybody’s sombre face. I could not hold it any longer. Here, I let out the most piercing cry ever; the whole class joined in. We mourned our friend, a classmate who had gone too soon. From a distance, teachers could hear our cries. They rushed into our classroom. Our confused, class teacher, and three others, whom I cannot remember. After ten minutes, we had all stopped crying, but one could hear some sniffling. “Would someone … anyone … tell me what has exactly happened?” I inquired. “Ngapo, Mtuolowe committed suicide because of cyberbullying. She left a note,” Ndele said.

“What is cyberbullying?” Asked Deeja.

“Cyberbullying is sending, posting or sharing negative, harmful, false or mean content about someone else via SMS or social media. It also includes sharing personal or private information about someone to embarrass or humiliate them. In our friend’s case, someone video-recorded her in the school uniform in a compromising situation with someone and posted it online. Mubitole was also a victim of doxing, where someone had maliciously exposed her private information, such as her home address and phone number, online. This was just the beginning of a series of cybercrimes against her. It made the rounds and ultimately reached her parents. Upon seeing the video and knowing that the behaviour is unacceptable in our society, her mother refused a massive stroke. She was thus rushed to the hospital. Out of sheer panic, one family member severely beat up Mubitole without listening to her side of the story first. The rest is history." Nela said.

“It seemed it became worse because a group of trolls had been orchestrating a flame war against Mubitole using fake accounts to spread rumours. To make matters worse, they had also been catfishing unsuspecting students, manipulating them into divulging sensitive information about her.” Another student added.

It was said that Mubitole pleaded with the perpetrators to stop what they were doing. However, they continued with their campaign of harassment and even disrupted the school's online platforms. Feeling frustrated and helpless, Mubitole gave up.

“What a tragedy! We would be better off without social media, frankly speaking.” One student remarked. “I agree! Social media are detrimental to our generation. Let’s consider our relationship with online friends. Do our friends care about our lives?” Asked another student.

Our class teacher, Ms. Lupakyo, who had been silent all this time said, “I feel that social media have made people lose their ability and interest in face-to-face interaction. This has led us to grow up learning to communicate with others by looking at the screen, not in another person’s face. We are missing out on the interaction that made many generations before us more mature and sensitive.” “You’re right, My sister always chats with lots of friends on Twitter and Facebook. However, I’ve never seen them together and she acknowledged that they have never met. They end up chatting only on social media. In my opinion, this is not appropriate.” Ndele added.

“I beg to differ with you. Your sister doesn’t have face-to-face interaction with the majority of her friends because she is pressed for time. You need to know that scheduling in-person meetings can be too challenging, especially if you live far apart. Besides, if everyone has a tight schedule, it might be difficult to schedule in-person interaction. As a result, they opt to interact via social media,” said Pyana.

I looked around and most of my fellow students nodded their heads. I cleared my throat to get their attention. “Guys, I know you are sad, but it is not all doom and gloom with social media. I see your point, but through social media, my connection and interaction have particularly been broadened. I’ve learnt to appreciate different perspectives and increase my knowledge of various things. Through social media, I share many ideas with various people.” Some of the students agreed with me.

“I agree. To tell you the truth, I was very shy to look someone in the eye, but social media helped me communicate with them while hiding behind my screen. Besides, I interact with people beyond borders. I connect with others who share my ideas and interests,” Tuma said.

“I hear you, but how do we prevent another tragedy from happening?” Tuma who had been silent until this time said.

“We need to put an end to the cyber chaos by raising awareness about the dangers of cyber manipulation and the importance of safeguarding their digital footprint. Together, we can organise workshops on online safety and privacy learning how to recognise and report cybercrimes. The school should also implement strict protocols to prevent cybercrimes and provide support services for students affected by online shaming and cyberbullying. This will empower us to reclaim our digital space and protect ourselves from harm” I said.

After a long discussion, we concluded that social media has its pros and cons. If used properly, they can serve as social, economic, educational, and political platforms. On the other hand, if used inappropriately, they may cause tragedies like the death of our friend. As the dust settled, I reflected on the valuable lessons I had learned throughout the ordeal. I realised that while the digital world offered endless opportunities for connection and learning, it also harboured hidden dangers. By staying vigilant and proactive, I could help create a safer online environment for myself and my peers, one where everyone’s digital footprint is respected and protected. Mubadala was a good friend. I wish she had spoken with me what she was going through. Maybe, we would have saved her. She is gone, but I will always remember her. I am not yet healed; her death has had a devastating impact on my life.

Adapted from Fetish for Advanced Level Form 6 (2023)

1. Write the meaning of each of the words/phrases in bold in the story.

2. What similar words/phrases can be used to replace each of the words/phrases in bold without altering the original meaning of the story?

3. Construct one sentence for each of the following words extracted from the above story.

4.Identify all cyber-related terms in the text.

5.Drawing on the story, explain how you can deal with social media ethically and responsibly.

(b) Use the context, technical dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia to find the synonyms for the italicised words in the following excerpt of cyberbullying story.

One joyful day, I woke up with a heavy feeling in my heart. I could not tell what was wrong with me. I took a long time to prepare myself. As a result, I arrived at school later than usual. Fortunately, nobody stopped me at the gate. That was unusual since the teacher on duty would always be at the gate. I dragged my feet towards the classroom, which was at the far end of our school. A-level students’ classrooms were separated from the other buildings. I could overhear my classmates speaking. When I entered the classroom, there was a deafening hush; one could hear a pin drop. Two of my classmates, Ndele and Dondai, came up and hugged me, tears rolling down their cheeks.

(c) Rewrite the passage in Activity 2.2 (b) by replacing the italicised words with their antonyms. You may need to change some of the words, phrases, and sentences to maintain logic and flow.

Activity 2.3 Forming new words through word-formation processes

(a) Complete the following sentences by filling in the gaps with the words in brackets after applying the appropriate word formation process.

1. How long is the ____________ from Dar to Mwanza? (FLY)

2. We offer free ____________ for purchases over 100 000 shillings. (DELIVER)

3. My best friend has a great ____________. (PERSON)

4. You need a lot of ____________ to write a good story. (IMAGINE)

5. I have to hold a ____________ at my brother’s wedding. (SPEAK)

6. I have no ____________ in finding the right shoes. (DIFFICULT)

7. ____________, I was invited to watch the new film. (LUCKY)

8. My mother spent her ____________ in Musoma. (CHILD)

9. The party turned out to be a huge ____________. (DISAPPOINT)

10. The county is facing a population ____________. (EXPLODE)

Role-play the drama about the Case of Mr Tuli vs Mr Ngaf and complete the tasks after it.

The trial is being presided over by the Honourable Judge Madugi in front of a packed room. Attorneys for the prosecution and defense lawyers are ready to present their cases. Mr Ngaf, the accused, is seated intently as Tuli, the accuser, observes intently from the plaintiff’s bench.

Prosecutor: Your Honour, esteemed members of the jury, the case being considered before you today is one of egregious land theft. Mr Ngafu, the defendant, is accused of unlawfully obtaining land rightfully owned by the plaintiff, Mr Tulli. We will establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr Ngafu committed fraud and trespassed Mr Tulli’s property with knowledge.

Defence Attorney: Your honour, I object! The prosecution is accusing my client without evidence.

Judge: Sustained. Prosecutor, please continue presenting your evidence.

Prosecutor: Your honour, thank you. Mr Tulli, please take the stand.

[Mr Tulli takes the stand, swearing to speak the truth.]

Mr Tulli, can you describe the events leading up to the alleged land theft by Mr Ngafu?

Mr Tulli: Certainly. I own the land in question and I have legal documents to prove it, having bought it over a decade ago. But Mr Ngafu started building structures on my land and claimed it as his own without any legal right or permission.

Prosecutor: And did you confront Mr Ngafu about this trespass?

Mr Tulli: Yes, I did indeed. I demanded he stop what he was doing and leave the area right away. But he refused, pointing to forged documents purportedly proving his ownership.

Defence Attorney: Your honour, objection! The witness is making speculative statements regarding the documents without proper authentication.

Judge: Overruled. The witness has the right to recount his experiences.

Prosecutor: Mr Tulli, did you file a lawsuit against Mr Ngafu?

Mr Tulli: Yes, I did file a complaint with the local authorities and hired a lawyer to represent me in court.

Prosecutor: Thank you, Mr Tulli. No more inquiries.

Defence Attorney: Your Honour, I request the opportunity to cross-examine the witness.

Judge: You may proceed.

Defence Attorney: Mr Tulli, isn’t it true that you failed to sufficiently fence or demarcate your property, leaving it open to encroachment?

Mr Tulli: No, that is not true. I have preserved proper boundaries, as outlined in my land title deed.

Defence Attorney: Yet, there are no physical barriers to prevent unauthorized access, are there?

Mr Tulli: While there may not be physical barriers, the legal boundaries are clearly defined.

Defence Attorney: Thank you, Mr Tulli. No further questions.

[The defence calls Mr Ngafu to the stand.]

Mr Ngafu, can you explain your side of the story regarding the land in question?

Mr Ngafu: Certainly. I acquired the land through a leal transaction with a third party who claimed to be the legitimate owner. I did not know any prior ownership by Mr Tulli.

Defence Attorney: Were you aware that you were on Mr Tulli’s land?

Mr Ngafu: No, I thought I was acting within the bounds of the law based on the information provided to me.

Defence Attorney: And did you falsify any documents to support your claim of ownership?

Mr Ngafu: No, I trusted that the documents that the seller provided to me were authentic.

Defence Attorney: Thank you, Mr Ngafu. No further inquiries.

[After both sides present their cases and closing arguments, the jury deliberates. They return with a verdict of guilty against Mr Ngafu.]

Judge: Mr Ngafu, you have been found guilty of illegally obtaining the land legally owned by Mr Tulli. The court hereby sentences you to restitution of the land to Mr Tulli and pay him a fine for damages you have caused. You are also ordered to complete community service as penance for your bad deeds

[The courtroom erupts into murmurs as the trial concludes, bringing a sense of closure to the long-standing dispute between Tulli and Ngafu.]

1. Using the context, technical dictionary, thesaurus or encyclopedia find the synonyms of the words in bold print.

2. Construct ten sentences using any ten synonyms from (1).

(c) Create a court case of your interest. Then act it out in class, with one person playing the judge, another the accused, a third person the accuser and two more people as lawyers. When writing the script for the court proceedings, show your competency in word formation processes (such as conversion, compounding, coinage and borrowing.)

(d) Complete the following worksheets by filling in the gaps in each sentence with an appropriate form of the word in brackets.

Worksheet 1

1. The __________ of the novel is set in $19^{th}$ -century England. (begin)

2. She __________ her grandmother’s old recipes to create her unique dishes. (use)

3. The athlete’s __________ dedication to training paid off when he won the championship. (relent)

4. The __________ of the crime scene was collected and analysed by forensic experts. (evidence)

5. The __________ to the company’s success lies in its innovative products and dedicated employees. (key)

6. The __________ of the new building was completed ahead of schedule. (construct)

7. The __________ of the storm forced residents to evacuate their homes. (intense)

8. The __________ of the river provided a picturesque backdrop for the wedding ceremony. (flow)

9. The __________ of the project required careful planning and coordination. (success)

10. She __________ her hand to signal the start of the race. (wave)

Worksheet 2

1. The __________ cat climbed up the tall tree to catch the bird. (agility)

2. We had a __________ dinner party last night with delicious food and lively conversation. (delight)

3. Despite his __________ appearance, he had a warm and friendly personality. (scare)

4. A __________ building stood out among the other skyscrapers in the city. (majesty)

5. The __________ river flowed gently through the lush green valley. (meander)

6. She wore a __________ dress to the formal event, looking elegant and sophisticated. (glamour)

7. The __________ athlete trained hard every day to prepare for the upcoming competition. (dedicate)

8. Their __________ house was filled with laughter and joy during the holiday season. (beauty)

9. He had a __________ personality, always making others laugh with his witty jokes. (humour)

10. The __________ road stretched for miles through the picturesque countryside. (wind)

(e) Choose a topic of your interest related to your field of study or current events. Then, explore it in detail using the following guidelines.

1. Use encyclopedia, online resources, and other reference materials to learn more about your topic.

2. Compile a list of key vocabulary words related to your topic and find their synonyms using technical dictionaries and thesauruses.

3. Prepare a presentation or report on your topic by using topic-specific vocabulary to convey meaning.

4. Present your findings to the class