This document summarizes a presentation about using technology to teach English language learners civics vocabulary. The presentation discussed defining what it means to know a word, suggested exposing students to words 5-20 times for retention, and outlined a six-step process for teaching vocabulary: explain, restate, show, engage, discuss, and play. A variety of free digital tools were presented that can be used for each step, like online images, videos, flashcards, games, and discussion forums. The key points stressed the importance of contextual practice, review and recycling vocabulary over time for memory.

1. Annual
Integrated EL Civics
Conference 2017:
Teaching EL Civics Vocabulary
with Technology
KRISTI REYES
MIRACOSTA COLLEGE
NONCREDIT ESL

2. Slides and Resources
mccesltech.wikispaces.com/EL+Civics+Conference+2017
or
goo.gl/K02GBm

3. Warm-up
1.What does it mean to “know” a word?
2.How many exposures to a word are necessary
for a language learner to acquire and retain
it?

4. Pairs
Introduce yourself: Name + what, where, who you
teach.
Compare your answers to the questions
1. What does it mean to “know” a word?
2. How many exposures to a word are necessary for a
language learner to acquire and retain it?

5. What does it mean to “know” a word?
Receptive knowledge
v.
Productive knowledge

6. Productive Knowledge =
form, meaning, use
Pronunciation
Spelling
Word parts (prefixes, suffixes) and forms (singular, plural, inflections) and family
Associations and synonyms
Denotative v. connotative (polysemy – different meanings in different contexts)
Grammatical function / part of speech
Collocations
Register
Frequency
Source: Nation, I.S.P. (2014). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

7. What do we need to teach?
Vocabulary Preview/Self-Rating
See also “Vocabulary Self-Rating Chart”

8. How many exposures to a word are necessary
for a language learner to acquire and retain it?
 One exposure = typical student’s retention rate 5 – 14%
 5 – 20 or more exposures / repetitions (depending on several
factors, including age of student)
 Repeated exposures =
New word  receptive knowledge  productive knowledge

9. Pairs Again
What is your one best / most effective technique or activity
to …
teach vocabulary?
OR
have students learn/study vocabulary?
OR
get students to use target vocabulary?

10. Six-Step Process for Teaching Vocabulary
(Robert Marzano)
RestateExplain Show
Engage Discuss Play

11. Vocabulary Notebook or Index Cards
Image mnemonics

12. Printable Vocabulary Notebook
ThePocketMod

13. Step 1: Explain
Provide a student-friendly description, explanation, or example of
the new term
◦ Online images or photos taken with cell phone
◦ Picture dictionary Web sites
◦ Graphic Interchange Format (GIFS) – search for or make your own
by cutting an online video
◦ Comic strips or slideshows
◦ Anecdotal story or a current event

14. Explain
Interactive Images: Thinglink
◦ Vegetables
◦ House
◦ Professions

15. Explain
Videos
◦ narrated PowerPoint slideshows
◦ Jing, Screencast-o-matic - screencasting software
◦ video combined with slideshow at Present.me

16. Step 2: Restate
Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in
their own words. (linguistic)
• Cell phone videos with voice recordings or video
• Slideshow
• Poster
• Audio recording

17. Restate
Thesaurus.com
Merriam-Webster
Learner’s Dictionary

18. Restate
Word Wall
◦Padlet , Lino
Source: http://bcudl.pbworks.com/f/WordWallNedralFlickrCC.jpg

19. Restate
Interactive Concept Map Sites and online picture dictionaries
◦ Instragrok
Grok for “immigrant”

20. Step 3: Show
Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic
representation of the term (nonlinguistic)
• Sketchpads: Pencilapp
• Google apps: Shared Google slideshow, Google Drawing
• Formative - designed for instant polling / formative assessment
(like Kahoot) but students draw

21. Step 4: Engage
Engage students in activities that help them add to their knowledge
of the terms
◦ Print flashcards
◦ ESL Flashcards, ESL Games Plus, ESL Library*
◦ Word, PowerPoint/Google Slides, Excel/Google Sheets
◦ Digital flashcards
◦ Quizlet: Academic Word List Sublist 1
◦ Memrise: English Visual Dictionary course

22. Engage
QR Codes – QR Voice (audio)

23. Engage
Compare/contrast, Categorize/classify, Label, Diagramming

24. Engage
Cloze - Learnclick Cloze Quiz Creator – 7 question
types with app
Text source: http://resources.marshalladulteducation.org/reading_skills_hme.htm
Cloze on PDF with Learnclick free account / $29/yr subscription for online quizzes and tracking

25. Engage
Worksheets - Wizer.me (like a hyperdoc)

26. Engage
Word-of-the-Day (or week) presentations (PowerPoint, Google Slideshow,
Prezi, Animoto, Powtoon, poster, other visual aide)
Source: New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary, 2014 edition, TESOL Press, pp. 5 – 9 (with rubric).

27. Engage
Dialog Writing
◦ Comic strips, digital movies, PowerPoint or
Google Slideshow with callouts, videos
Sample comic strip made with StoryBoard That
North Orange County CC Health Video
I hope this finishes
soon! I need to get
my lesson plans ready
for Monday!
Responsibility is my
strongest soft skill!

28. Step 5: Discuss
Ask students to return to discuss the vocabulary with each other
◦ Conversation Questions – Teacher or student-composed questions
using target vocabulary words sent via QR code or on a shared Google
Doc
◦ Students must reply to questions using full sentences and target vocab
1. What is a good method for looking for a job?
2. What is your preferred method for studying vocabulary?
3. What is the best method for learning another language?
4. What is a recommended method for preparing for a job interview?

29. Discuss
◦ Survey and graph results (Excel, Google Sheets, Create a Graph)

30. Discuss
◦ Written discussions - Discussion Boards (LMS or Forumotion), Blog or Wiki
(Blogger, Wikispaces), Google Hangouts (video, phone, chat), Zoom video conference

31. Discuss
Lingt for individual spoken or written responses to video or written
or audio prompts

32. Step 6: Play
Involve students in games that allow them to play with words
◦ Board games, races, Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,
Password, etc.

33. A Vocabulary Review Activity:
Soft Skills

34. Ready to play?

35. adaptability
The is…

36. empathy
The is…

37. initiative
The is…

38. Step 6: Play
◦ Jeopardy and gameshow sites: eQuizShow, FlipQuiz , Jeopardy
Labs, Jeopardy Rocks, SuperTeacher Tools
◦ Individual or competitive live-play (like Kahoot, Socrative): Quizziz,
IQuizalize, Quizlet Live!

39. Step 6: Play
Sugarcane – 18 individual game types – Immigrants’ Rights

40. Step 6: Play
◦ Educaplay – 17 game / activity types

41. Some key points from research
◦ Use direction instruction for teaching vocabulary
◦ Help students develop strategic communicative competence
◦ paraphrasing & expressions such as What is the word for…?
◦ Present vocabulary in context
◦ Practice activities: controlled practice (listen and repeat, matching, cloze) to
activities that allow students to use the target words in meaningful,
personalized ways
◦ Make time for review in a systematic way with repetition (remember 5 – 20
or more exposures) and recycling
◦ Forgetting occurs soon after learning – review soon after teaching
◦ Competitive fun review (games) – motivational, forces faster retrieval
◦ Writing vocabulary in own sentences strengthens memory of target
vocabulary through generative processing

42. Promote Vocabulary Study Beyond Class
Word-of-the-Day Web sites (Learners Dictionary)
Apps (Illustrate – vocabulary learning through animated videos,
others – see Web site)
Email Subscriptions (A.Word.A.Day at WordSmith.org, Merriam-
Webster's Word of the Day, Word Central Daily Buzzword, L10)
Provide list of Web sites/apps for supplementary vocabulary practice
(Learning Chocolate, General Academic Vocabulary, and Vocabulary
Exercises for the Academic Word List)

43. Wrap-up: The “Take-Away”
What is one new activity or technology tool
that you are going to try in your vocabulary
lessons to prepare students for EL Civics
assessments?

44. Questions? Comments?
Handout, PowerPoint slides, and many resources online at
mccesltech.wikispaces.com/EL+Civics+Conference+2017
or
goo.gl/K02GBm
Thanks for attending!
Happy Vocabulary Teaching!