4. One Level of the Standard Track
Pre-Intermediate English
Pre-Intermediate A : Four 95 min classes/week
Listening, Speaking, Writing, Grammar
Pre-Intermediate B: Two 95 min classes/week
Reading and Vocabulary
5. Two Frameworks
• Nation’s (2008) Four Strands of a Vocab
Course
• Structures from Differentiated Instruction
relevant to vocabulary acquisition
6. Four Strands of a Vocabulary Course
Nation (2008)
• (a) Meaning-focused input. Provide enjoyable listening and reading
activities in which there is no more than one unknown word in
every 50 running words.
• (b) Meaning-focused output. Provide opportunities for learners to
use less familiar (but not completely unfamiliar) items in speaking
and writing activities.
• (c) Language-focused learning. Provide learners with explicit
instruction in vocabulary strategies such as guessing from
context, using flash cards, analyzing word parts, and using
dictionaries. This strand puts intentional focus on both new and
previously met words.
• (d) Fluency development. Provide fluency-focused activities in which
there is no new vocabulary, but rather there is opportunity to
develop faster language processing speed while focusing on
meaningful communication in all four skills.
7. Structures of
Differentiated Vocabulary Instruction
• Formative/Diagnostic Assessment (Nation, 2008)
• Thematic, integrative units (Daniels and Bizar, 1998)
• Represent to learn
• Workshops with small groups
• Intelligences and learning styles
• Conferences and goal setting
– Individual projects
– Group projects
• Flipped mini-lessons (grouped by choice)
• Portfolios
• Wordplay
8. Program Design Issues:
Talk to your Neighbor
• On a piece of scratch paper, briefly describe
how your language program separates the
traditional four language skills (listening,
speaking, reading and writing).
• Does your program design incorporate and
balance Nation’s four strands?
• Is vocabulary a controlled component or
uncontrolled component of your program?
9. Differentiated Instruction
“Ensuring that what a student learns, how he or
she learns it, and how the student demonstrates
what he or she has learned is a match for that
student’s readiness level, interests, and
preferred mode of learning.” (Tomlinson, 2004)
10. Formative Assessment
(Diagnostic)
Formative assessment is commonly defined as
any assessment procedure employed by
teachers during the learning process in order to
enhance or promote learner attainment (Crooks,
2001)
11. Formative Assessment: Examples
Yes/No Tests (Individual purpose)
When giving a unit vocabulary list, have
learners check the list to see which items they
already know.
“Circle the words you already know (the words
that you can confidently translate in your
mind).”
Have the learners use this data to focus
individual learning efforts.
12. Formative Assessment: Examples
Yes/No Tests (Cohort level)
At the beginning of the semester, test an
incoming level of learners on common
course lists. (Sevigny and Ramonda, 2012)
13. Using Yes/No Test Data
• The high frequency instructional paradox
Nation (2008) advises us to teach high
frequency words, but most Japanese first year
college students already know a lot of high
frequency words.
Figure out which high frequency words
your learners don’t know first, and teach those
high frequency words well.
14. Use the VLT
• The Vocabulary Levels Test is a 30 item M-C
test that takes 10 minutes per 1K band to
administer. Learners can trade tests with a
partner and grade it in 1 more minute.
(Nation, 2008).
15. Pre-Intermediate Mean=23.6
787 of 1000 words in 2K band known
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
12-14 15-17 18-20 21-23 24-26 25-27 28-30
NumberofStudents
Score /30
Pre-Int. Student 2K VLT Scores
16. Un-graded Text
After their wedding, newspaper writers John and
Jennifer Grogan move to Florida. In an attempt to
stall Jennifer's "biological clock", John gives her a
puppy. While the puppy Marley grows into a 100
pound dog, he loses none of his puppy energy or
rambunctiousness. Meanwhile, Marley gains no
self-discipline. Marley's antics give John rich
material for his newspaper column. As the Grogans
mature and have children of their own, Marley
continues to test everyone's patience by acting like
the world's most impulsive dog.
17. Marley and Me
(Adapted from imdb.com)
After their wedding, newspaper writers John and
Jennifer Grogan move to Florida. In an attempt to
slow Jennifer's “biological clock,” John gives her a
puppy. While the puppy Marley grows into a 50
kilogram dog, he loses none of his puppy energy or
playful rudeness. Indeed, Marley gains no self
discipline. Marley's funny actions give John rich
material for his newspaper stories. As the Grogans
get older and have children of their own, Marley
continues to test everyone's patience by acting like
the world's most unpredictable dog.
K1 words, K2 words, AWL words, Off List words (K3, K4, K5…but not AWL)
(Cobb, 2006)
19. Mini-Conferences
Individual Vocabulary Goals
• Once you, as a teacher, have diagnosed your
students’ levels, profiled the common course
list and your materials, then you can have
constructive conferences with your learners
and prescribe vocabulary study plans.
• These plans could be for groups and
individuals.
21. My words about spring
My words about SPRING Frequency Band from Lextutor
Japanese Warbler Off List
picnic Off list
Barbecue sauce Off list, 2k
smoke 2k
22. Learning Styles
Low Tech or High Tech?
Why not let learners have some voice and
choice in the study method?
Examples:
Word Engine or Post it Notes
Evernote portfolio or Paper portfolio
23. Framework for Tech
Criteria for choosing technology support:
1. Low or no cost
2. Individual pace
3. Teacher oversight
4. Spaced repetition
5. Platform neutrality
6. Progress measurement and reporting
24. Flipped Mini Lessons
• Especially for the language-focused learning
strand, there are many sub-skills in vocabulary
learning that learners all master at different
rates and paces.
• This is an excellent place for a community of
teachers to work together to create video or
screencast tutorials.
25. Works Cited
Cobb, T. (2006). Web Vocabprofile [Computer program]. Accessed from http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/
Crooks, T. (2001, October 09). The validity of formative assessments. Retrieved from
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00001862.htm
Daniels, H., & Bizar, M. (1998). Methods that matter: Six structures for best practice classrooms. York:
Stenhouse.
Nation, I.S.P. (2008). Teaching vocabulary: Strategies and techniques. Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning.
Sevigny, P. (2012). Extreme Discussion Circles: Preparing ESL Students for " The Harkness Method".
Polyglossia (23) 181-191.
Sevigny, P., & Ramonda, K. (2013). Vocabulary: What should we test? In N. Sonda & A. Stewart
(Eds.), JALT2012 Conference Proceedings. Tokyo: JALT.
Tomlinson, C. (2004). Sharing responsibility for differentiated instruction. Roeper Review, v26 n4 p188.
