Basics of Teaching Vocabulary Erin Lowry, Senior English Language Fellow, June 2009

Overview Teaching new vocabulary and grammar in context Eliciting techniques Creating interaction in the classroom

Teaching new vocabulary and grammar in context

Eliciting techniques

Creating interaction in the classroom

What is Scaffolding? Giving contextual supports for meaning through the use of: simplified language teacher modeling visuals and graphics cooperative learning hands-on learning Ovando, Collier, & Combs, 2003, p. 345

Giving contextual supports for meaning through the use of:

simplified language

teacher modeling

visuals and graphics

cooperative learning

hands-on learning

Effective Scaffolding for Language Learners Simplifying the language By shortening selections, speaking in the present tense, and avoiding the use of idioms Asking for completion, not production Students choose answers from a list or complete a partially finished outline or paragraph Using visuals Present information and ask for students to respond using graphic organizers, tables, charts, outlines, and graphs

Simplifying the language

By shortening selections, speaking in the present tense, and avoiding the use of idioms

Asking for completion, not production

Students choose answers from a list or complete a partially finished outline or paragraph

Using visuals

Present information and ask for students to respond using graphic organizers, tables, charts, outlines, and graphs

Teaching Vocabulary

What is vocabulary? Vocabulary refers to words or multiword units (like idioms and phrasal verbs) that have a common meaning.

Vocabulary refers to words or multiword units (like idioms and phrasal verbs) that have a common meaning.

5 Types of Vocabulary Single words Set phrases Variable phrases Phrasal verbs Idioms

Single words

Set phrases

Variable phrases

Phrasal verbs

Idioms

Other Aspects of Vocabulary Polysemy Connotation and usage Part of speech Frequency Collocation

Polysemy

Connotation and usage

Part of speech

Frequency

Collocation

Important Goals Focus on the vocabulary Multiple retrievals Develop successful vocabulary learning strategies

Focus on the vocabulary

Multiple retrievals

Develop successful vocabulary learning strategies

Principles of Teaching Vocabulary Keep teaching simple and clear. No complicated explanations. Relate the present teaching to past knowledge by showing a pattern. Use both oral and written presentation - write it on the board and explaining. Give most attention to words that are already partly known. Tell the learners if it is a high frequency word that they should remember. Don’t bring in other unknown or little-known related words (like synonyms or opposites).

Keep teaching simple and clear. No complicated explanations.

Relate the present teaching to past knowledge by showing a pattern.

Use both oral and written presentation - write it on the board and explaining.

Give most attention to words that are already partly known.

Tell the learners if it is a high frequency word that they should remember.

Don’t bring in other unknown or little-known related words (like synonyms or opposites).

4 principles for teaching and learning vocabulary Recycling New vocabulary must be regularly recycled/revised for students to remember it Motivation Evaluation & assessment Communication In order to communicate clearly and effectively a good range of vocabulary is needed

Recycling

New vocabulary must be regularly recycled/revised for students to remember it

Motivation

Evaluation & assessment

Communication

In order to communicate clearly and effectively a good range of vocabulary is needed

Some Techniques for Teaching New Words Say the word clearly and write it on the board Get the class to repeat the word in chorus Translate the word, or ask students to translate Draw a picture to show what the word means Give an English example Ask questions using the new word Say an opposite of the word Collocation (e.g. to apply for a job) Use visual aids

Say the word clearly and write it on the board

Get the class to repeat the word in chorus

Translate the word, or ask students to translate

Draw a picture to show what the word means

Give an English example

Ask questions using the new word

Say an opposite of the word

Collocation (e.g. to apply for a job)

Use visual aids

Showing Meaning Visually watch window elbow How could you most easily show the meanings of these words?

Showing Meaning Visually tree tractor cow How could you most easily show the meanings of these words?

Showing Meaning Visually sneeze dig jump How could you most easily show the meanings of these words?

Using a New Word The teacher has just presented the word market . Now she is asking questions using the new word. What is the purpose of this? Does your mother go to the market? What do they sell there? Do you live near a market? When does she go there? What does she buy?

Meaning-focused Input Learning from listening and reading Learning vocabulary this way isn’t always enough: The amount of vocabulary learning that occurs during the reading of a text is rather small. It depends greatly on the learners' control of the reading skill. The type of reading done influences vocabulary learning.

Learning from listening and reading

Learning vocabulary this way isn’t always enough:

The amount of vocabulary learning that occurs during the reading of a text is rather small.

It depends greatly on the learners' control of the reading skill.

The type of reading done influences vocabulary learning.

Meaning-focus Output Learning through speaking and writing Learners’ attention is on communicating meaning Research indicates that by carefully designing and monitoring the use of handouts for spoken tasks, instructors can have a major influence on their students' internalization of vocabulary

Learning through speaking and writing

Learners’ attention is on communicating meaning

Research indicates that by carefully designing and monitoring the use of handouts for spoken tasks, instructors can have a major influence on their students' internalization of vocabulary

Vocabulary Strategies 3 effective ways for students to learn vocabulary: Guessing unknown words from context Learning the meanings of unknown words Studying word parts and mnemonic devices

3 effective ways for students to learn vocabulary:

Guessing unknown words from context

Learning the meanings of unknown words

Studying word parts and mnemonic devices

Where is it?        Where is the circle? It’s ______ the square.   Where is the  ? It’s ______ the  and the  .

Eliciting

What is eliciting? Getting information from people as opposed to giving it to them

Getting information from people as opposed to giving it to them

Why elicit? Focuses students’ attention and makes them think Can be used to present new language as well as reviewing Encourages students to draw on previous knowledge Gives the teacher the opportunity to see what students know and don’t know

Focuses students’ attention and makes them think

Can be used to present new language as well as reviewing

Encourages students to draw on previous knowledge

Gives the teacher the opportunity to see what students know and don’t know

Getting Students to Guess Telling vs. eliciting new vocabulary Important part of language learning is developing the ability to make guesses Language follows rules, so we’re often able to guess things we’ve never been taught

Telling vs. eliciting new vocabulary

Important part of language learning is developing the ability to make guesses

Language follows rules, so we’re often able to guess things we’ve never been taught

Eliciting from Pictures Often best to ask fairly general questions that allow a variety of response Encourages more students to respond and say more If questions show that no one knows a new word, the teacher will present them

Often best to ask fairly general questions that allow a variety of response

Encourages more students to respond and say more

If questions show that no one knows a new word, the teacher will present them

Creating Interaction

Resources Brown, H.D. (2000). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. (2 nd Ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education. Folse, K.S. (2008). Six vocabulary activities for the English language classroom. English Teaching Forum , 46(3). 12-20. Gower, R., Phillips, D., & Walters, S. (1995). Teaching Practice Handbook . MacMillan Heinemann. Grundy, P. (). Beginners . Oxford. Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching . Pearson Longman. Spratt, Pulverness & Williams. (2006). The TKT Course . Cambridge: CUP. Thornbury, S. (2002). How to Teach Vocabulary . Edinburgh: Pearson Education.

Brown, H.D. (2000). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. (2 nd Ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Folse, K.S. (2008). Six vocabulary activities for the English language classroom. English Teaching Forum , 46(3). 12-20.

Gower, R., Phillips, D., & Walters, S. (1995). Teaching Practice Handbook . MacMillan Heinemann.

Grundy, P. (). Beginners . Oxford.

Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching . Pearson Longman.

Spratt, Pulverness & Williams. (2006). The TKT Course . Cambridge: CUP.

Thornbury, S. (2002). How to Teach Vocabulary . Edinburgh: Pearson Education.

Resources for Images Time Magazine www.timemagazine.com Newsweek www.newsweek.com New York Times www.nytimes.com National Geographic www.nationalgeographic.com

Time Magazine

www.timemagazine.com

Newsweek

www.newsweek.com

New York Times

www.nytimes.com

National Geographic

www.nationalgeographic.com