Vocabulary

1. TEACHING
VOCABULARY

2. INCIDENTAL LEARNING
• It is exposing to vocabulary “randomly”
• To encourage incidental learning, teachers can do ‘extensive
reading’ (reading for pleasure) in their classes for
intermediate and/or advanced level students; for low-level
students, graded books could be used. Extensive reading can
make students be exposed to large volumes of vocabulary.

3. INCIDENTAL LEARNING (CONT’D)
-Write film reviews,
-Retell stories,
-Make role plays,
-Look up some words in a dictionary,
-Highlight some new words in a reading passage to create
awareness

4. INCIDENTAL LEARNING (CONT’D)
Teachers can also have their students:
-Listen to radio or TV in English
-Read extensively
-Guess new vocabulary from the context
-Keep vocabulary logs or diaries

5. INCIDENTAL LEARNING (CONT’D)
A vocabulary
log sample.
Source: http://www.nnetesol.org/2016/06/13/the-critical-vocabulary-of-the-common-core-and-7-things-i-
learned-from-using-it/

6. EXPLICIT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION
- It is teaching the vocabulary by providing meaning explicitly.
- It does not mean TRANSLATION!
- We should not apply to TRANSLATION frequently while teaching
words.

7. EXPLICIT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION
Teachers can:
-give a certain time in their lessons for explicit vocab. instruction,
-make their students be exposed to new words both in oral and written
contexts.
-provide different ways to learn new vocabulary through discussion,
writing and extended reading
-teach some strategies to their learners so that they could be
independent
vocabulary learners

8. VOCABULARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES
I. Demonstration: Words’ meaning can be given through visuals,
pictures, flascards, realia, drawings or miming and acting.
A flashcard sample: 

9. VOCABULARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES (CONT’D)
A sample for realia use: Teacher and students are engaged in real
materials.

10. VOCABULARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES (CONT’D)
A sample
demonsration:

11. VOCABULARY TEACHING TECHNIQUES (CONT’D)
II- Explanation: Providing the means of new words to the learners (without translation!!!)
through:
a) Definition
b) Cognates h) Providing the meaning in a context
c) Word-building /affixation
d) Synonym/Antonym
e) Superordinates
f) Hyponym
g) Mind-map

12. A) DEFINITION
• Learners are introduced the meaning of the word.

13. B) COGNATES
• 1- TRUE COGNATES: They are words in two languages that
are same in terms of meaning, spelling and
pronunciation. It can be efficient for language learners
know cognates between L1 and L2. For example, in
Turkish and English, ‘television’, ‘ambulance’ and
‘machine’.

14. 1) FALSE COGNATES
They are words that seem same but they do not share the same meaning
in L1 and L2. (e.g. complex, pasta…)
Pasta in ENGLISH Pasta in TURKISH

15. C) WORD BUILDING/AFFIXATION
Learners can make some derivations through being provided with prefix, affix and
suffix.

16. D) SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS
• A synonym of a word has the similar meaning. (e.g. Fast= Quick)
• An antonym of a word has the opposite meaning (e.g. Ugly x
Beautiful)
Teachers can give a list of synonyms and antonyms of a word to the
learners.

17. E) SUPERORDINATES
The words that describe the categories… (‘living things’ is the superordinate of
plants, creatures and so on.).

18. F) HYPONYM
Words that are the sub-categories of a general class… (e.g.
Apples, bananas are hyponyms of fruits)

19. G) MIND-MAP
With mind-maps, teachers can categorize the certain words under a topic/theme.
Look at the example:

20. H) EXPLAIN WORDS IN A CONTEXT

21. REFERENCES
• Coady, J. (1997a). L2 vocabulary acquisition: A synthesis of the research. In Richards, J.C. & Renandya W.A. (2002). Methodology in language
teaching.: An Anthology of Current Practice. NewYork: Cambridge University Press
• Dorf, A. (1988). Teach English trainer’s handbook: A training course for teachers. UK: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved on January 8, 2018 from
https://www.bookeryeducation.com.au/pdfsamples/9780521348645.pdf
• Ec san diego blog (n.d). Retrieved on January 19, 2018 from IES Practice Guide (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effetive classroom and
intervention practices. Retrieved on June 8, 2018 from https://www.ecenglish.com/en/social/blog/san-diego/2014/09/26/practice-english-prefixes-
suffixes
• How to use a mindmap to improve your vocabulary. (n.d). Retrieved on January 19, 2018 from https://www.italki.com/article/217/How-To-Use-A-
Mind-Map-To-Improve-Your-Vocabulary
• IES Practice Guide (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effetive classroom and intervention practices. Retrieved on June 8, 2018 from
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/adlit_pg_082608.pdf
• ÖABT İngilizce öğretmenliği konu anlatımlı (2015). Ankara: Pegem Yayıncılık
• NNETESOL (n.d). Retrieved on January 19, 2018 from http://www.nnetesol.org/2016/06/13/the-critical-vocabulary-of-the-common-core-and-7-
things-i-learned-from-using-it/

22. REFERENCES
• Richards, J.C. & Renandya W.A. (2002). Methodology in language teaching.: An Anthology of Current
Practice. NewYork: Cambridge University Press. In Wu, L.(2009). Incidental English vocabulary.:
Studying in L2 learning. Retrieved on June 8, 2018 from http://www.diva-
portal.org/smash/get/diva2:224699/fulltext01.pdf
• Space chimp life. (n.d) Retrieved on January 19, 2018 from http://spacechimplife.com/2015/03/
• Teaching English (ESL/EFL) to high beginners. Retrieved on January 19,2018 from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaQrSyNRJDk
• Woodinsky, M., & Nation, P. (1988). Learning from graded readers. Reading in a Foreign Language,
5(1), 155–161. In Richards, J.C. & Renandya W.A. (2002). Methodology in language teaching.: An
Anthology of Current Practice. NewYork: Cambridge University Press
• Wu, L. (2009). Incidental English vocabulary.: Studying in L2 learning. Retrieved on June 8, 2018 from
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:224699/fulltext01.pdf