The powerpoint outlines the importance of considering frequency and examples that connect to the communicative outcomes (spoken or written/ productive or receptive) you want for your students. It also argues that we need to get over the need to grade grammar so strongly, especially at low levels, to allow for appropriate voacbulary development.

1. Choosing vocabulary to teach
Andrew Walkley
CELT at University of Westminster

2. Grammar and vocabulary
"... it seems obvious that, at least after elementary level, the largest part of
a language learner's task is to build up an adequate stock of high-priority
words and lexicalised phrases."
http://www.mikeswan.co.uk/elt-applied-
linguistics/language-teaching.htm

3. How many words do we need?
Text coverage Vocabulary size
50% 100
72% 1000
80% 2000
90% 6000
97% 15000 (academic texts)

4. How good are you at judging frequency?
Top 100 get Top 1000 Top 2500 Top 5000 Top 7500 Over 7500
have pass meat clay chair (v) pear
been provide countryside silk banana yoga
long book mood undermine purple chilli
said chair (n) insist component garlic medium-sized
were contain sad exam kind (adj) skinny
is small failure apple curly moody
tell economy fun cinema blonde sunburnt
go test (n) recommend lamp thriller electrician
bus list (v) poster romance civil servant
red relief carbon tan salmon
list (n) policy allegation bad-tempered
serious coal pleased
sort (n / v) gold upset
bored
short term
medium
relieve
potato
sue

5. Vocabulary choice:
grammar as words / phrases at low levels
Have you been to Brighton?
Can you help me?
I'll be there in 10 minutes.
Maybe we should go now.
I must buy some water.
I have to go to the bank.
Where / what time shall we meet?
We could ask, if you want.
If you want to go shopping, I'd go / I wouldn't go to Oxford street.

6. Vocabulary choice:
numbers and unrestricted grammar
How much is it?
What time shall we meet?
When does it start?
What time does your flight leave?
What time do we have to be at the airport?
So what time (do you think) we should leave here?
How long will you be?
How far is it?
How old is he?
How many people were there?
How many people are unemployed?
How long have you been here?
What's the average wage?
age people leave home?
age people get married?
age people retire? (1000-2000) any other ideas
(die)

7. Vocabulary choice:
Academic word list and usage
The apartment will be available on June first
Your continued lateness for class indicates to me that you are not really a
very serious student.
The young popstarof the readily available still in high school after winning a
The determination became famous while phosphorus of soils
contract with a major record brief visual presentations.
The information available in label.
Rate of cell death in parkinsonism indicates active neuropathological
process
Native American mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that the Amerind and
the Nadene populations were founded by two independent migrations.
Trust and breach of the psychological contract
Contract enforceability and economic institutions in early trade: The Maghribi
traders' coalition

8. Vocabulary choice:
How good examples can get more out of low frequency
coursebook vocabulary
When the ambulance arrived he'd stopped breathing, but the paramedics got his
heart going again before they rushed him to hospital.
Our little boy has been ill a lot, but our doctor isn't sure why, so he's been referred to
a paediatrician.
There's been a scandal because the nurses were found to be neglecting patients.
Some had even died because of the lack of care.
The nurse said the surgeon's very good, so I'll be in safe hands when they operate.
The surgeon said the operation had gone well and he expects him to recover well.
What's happening?
>I'm waiting for the nurse to take some blood.

9. Questions about your examples and your choice
Have you heard of anyone who needed a paramedic? Why what
happened?
Do you know anyone who's had a referral?
Who to? What for?
Have you ever had to consult someone? What about?
Have you heard of any cases of neglect? What of? What
happened?
Have you heard of any scandals? What happened?

10. Vocabulary choice:
dealing with lexical sets
- simple grammar – "random" words and using students
- start from a 'function' or phrase rather and limit the 'set'
- develop a set from a word (not as superordinate)
- stories / texts / conversations rather than sets

11. No set: simple grammar with "random" words
The US government is bad. They don't do anything.
The government
His new flat is good. It's big.
My flat school is OK. He's happy there.
His son's
My school good
Our science teacher is good. She explains things well.
Our teacher is OK
The food here is bad. It doesn't taste nice.
The food bad
The area near the station is bad. There's a lot of crime.
The area
This coffee is good. It's nice and strong.
This
The economyeconomy is bad. There's a lot of unemployment.
The French
That restaurant
That French restaurant is OK. The food's nice, but it's expensive.
In general we not only underestimate the frequency of 'serious' words but also the
interests and abilities of low level learners

12. Limiting sets: start from a 'function' or phrase.
Who was the blonde man in the suit? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man in the suit? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the young man in the suit? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the short man in the suit? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the big man in the suit? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man in the white shirt? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man in the red jumper? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man in the black jeans? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man next to you? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man next to Greg? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man in the front row? I haven't seen him before.
Who was the blonde man in the suit? I've seen him (somewhere) before.
And responses…

13. Different kinds of set: develop a set from a word
staff: exploring collocations
recession: exploring co-text
When there's a recession what happens?
- unemployment goes up / soars*
- people lose their jobs / get made redundant*
- companies close / go bankrupt*
- the government (everyone) makes cuts
- sell the car / get rid of any luxuries*
- get into debt
- lose their house / get repossessed*
- have difficulties / struggle*
- don't spend money / people tighten their belts*

14. New sets or no set?: Stories / texts
unemployment
When the recession started, the company he was working for closed
down. He's been unemployed for 6 months.
He's getting by on his unemployment benefit and he's been using some
of his savings, but I don't know how long he can survive like that.
He's beginning to get depressed because he's been looking for a job,
but there's so much competition. He's applied for 20 and he hasn't had
one interview. It's hard to maintain your motivation and not just sit at
home all day feeling sorry for yourself.

16. Vocabulary choice:
What to choose and focus on in texts
- frequent words and meaning (adjusted for level)
- phrases and patterns which offer opportunities to
'slot in' limited sets
- collocations around very frequent words (still at
high level)
- words which may generate a lot of associated
(frequent) language and stories
- word families (and collocations)

17. Revision and recyling
vocaroo and dictations
May I open the window? becausefresh air
air get some I want to get some fresh air.
The strange man suddenly grabbed me by the arm on the
grabbed me by the arm
arm
street,so I ran away soon.
suffers from back pain
back
I suffered from back pain becausebadly
burnt it quite I bought heavy bag.
burn up his girlfriend, he threw the her picture into
After he broke had to cancel
cancel
fire,and burnt it quiet badly. chest
a bad
carry
My schedule was changed because of trouble of my customer so
take something for your cough
chest
I have to cancel my fright. me the day off
gave
I have acough
bad chest pains today.
my left foot
Take some thing for your cough,If you need,I have paracetamol.
day off fresh vegetables
My boss gave me the day off.because my son took a could.
foot
My left foot called a A golden left leg when I was a high school
students. fresh
I like fresh vegetables,It's good for healthy.

18. Flashcards and rote learning
Vocabulary showers
Act or draw.
Make connections / write stories
NOT just meaning / expand on what students did /
ask about collocation etc.

19. Outcomes
blog.westminster.ac.uk/celt/
Lexical Teaching conference May 11th
University of Westminster