MAAL6018 Vocabulary Teaching And Learning Course Outline Session 1Building blocks and dimensions of vocabulary knowledge - What is a word? What is meant by knowing a word? - Some research in teaching vocabulary (John Read) Session 2 (Rm 632, Run Run Shaw Tower) Vocabulary size, frequency, word lists Computer applications – Are some words “more important” than others? - Websites for learning word lists, assessing vocab size and profile Session 3 Vocabulary teaching -Indirect vs. direct vocabulary teaching -Vocabulary assessment - the lexical approach to vocabulary teaching Session 4Vocabulary learning -Vocabulary learning strategies Session 5 (Rm 632, Run Run Shaw Tower) Use of concordancers Session 6The mental lexicon – How L1 and L2 speakers store and retrieve words in their brains Assignment due March 17

Course website Assignment Sessions and Readings List of Useful readings Dissertations in HKU Library Resources on the Web Password protected / copyrighted

Warming Up 1. How many words do you think there are in the English language? 2. How many words do you know? 3. What is the longest word you know? 4. What is the most frequently used word in the English language? 5. What do you think is the best way to learn vocabulary?

The longest word in English Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanocon iosis (45 letters; longest word in Oxford Dictionary) a lung disease caused by silica dust, mostly suffered by miners a lung disease caused by silica dust, mostly suffered by miners Or smiled

Why vocabulary learning is important and challenging “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (Wilkins, 1972:111) A finite number of grammar items (about 300 in English), but an infinite number of vocabulary items for a typical learner

Grouping words

Grammatical / Function words Lexical / Content words Multi-word lexical items InflectionsDerivatives because offamousraining cats and dogs bringoccasion whysingercatch upbringingoccasional cannotrainedday in and day outbroughtoccasionally theheavilynow and thenbrings

What is meant by “a word”? 1. Matching 2. Pair activity

Word Family Do you think speech and unspeakable should be included in the same word family as speak? How about bespoke?

How much do you know about the word “agree”? Again, agony, agonize, agonistic, age, aging, agent, agency, aglow, agile, aggressive, aggregate, aggravate 3. Both (intransitive: I agree; I agree with you on this issue) 4. No (It is agreed that…) 5. on 6. Agreement 7. Agreeable, agreed 8. Pleasant, acceptable 9. Yes (dis)

How much do you know about the word “agree”? 11. No 12. yes 13. No (We did not agree to go to the cinema) 14. Consent, concur, assent, accede, side with 15. Compromise (agree unwillingly) 16. Consensus (of a group of people) 17. Yes 18. She goes to school / much water 19. Accept that we have different opinions 20. More (totally agree); less (totally disagree)

Aspects of word knowledge 1. Knowing how to pronounce the word. 2. Knowing the meaning of the word either as an L1 equivalent or as defined in L2. 3. Knowing how to spell the word and how its spelling differs from words that are pronounced similarly. 4. Knowing the grammatical word class of the word. 5. Knowing the grammatical patterns in which the word is typically used. 6. Knowing the collocational patterns in which the word typically fits and its any constraints upon the use of the word (concerned with, e.g. frequency, register, formality). 7. Knowing the morphology of the word and the forms and meanings of its inflections and derivatives. 8. Knowing the different senses of the word (polysemy) and the senses of its derivatives. 9. Knowing the antonyms of the word. 10. Knowing the synonyms of the word. 11. Knowing how the sense and usage of the word differs from that of near synonyms. 12. Knowing idioms that consist of the word.

Pedagogical Implications?

The incremental nature of vocabulary acquisition our knowledge of a particular word is often partial & incremental our knowledge of a particular word is often partial & incremental Recycling of words is important Recycling of words is important Focusing on different dimensions of word knowledge at different times / when meeting the word in different contexts Focusing on different dimensions of word knowledge at different times / when meeting the word in different contexts

Pre-session One Reading: Research into vocabulary teaching and learning Referring to pp of: Read, J. (2004). Research in teaching vocabulary. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 24, What are some of the ways of conducting research into vocabulary teaching or learning? What conclusions can you draw from these studies reported by Read (2004) about the criteria for effective vocabulary acquisition?

Some research into vocabulary teaching and learning Dictionary use: look at how students use dictionaries look at how students use dictionaries whether they use dictionaries appropriately / whether they need training whether they use dictionaries appropriately / whether they need training whether dictionary use leads to better performance / proficiency whether dictionary use leads to better performance / proficiency what kind of dictionaries they prefer to use what kind of dictionaries they prefer to use

Some research into vocabulary teaching and learning Vocabulary in the classroom: Look at how students select, record and revise vocabulary in their independent study / whether training improves use of vocab learning strategies Look at how students select, record and revise vocabulary in their independent study / whether training improves use of vocab learning strategies Audio- or video- record classes and transcribe these clips. Study how the teacher teaches vocabulary, e.g. whether target words are repeated or recycled / whether vocabulary is taught in lexically rich context, i.e. target words repeated and embedded in easy-to- understand context Audio- or video- record classes and transcribe these clips. Study how the teacher teaches vocabulary, e.g. whether target words are repeated or recycled / whether vocabulary is taught in lexically rich context, i.e. target words repeated and embedded in easy-to- understand context

Some research into vocabulary teaching and learning Computer applications: Use a computer programme to make sure that target words are repeated in different sentences and texts, and see whether students have better retention of these words Use a computer programme to make sure that target words are repeated in different sentences and texts, and see whether students have better retention of these words Provide (glosses / pictorial clues / videos / L1 translations) via hyperlinks built into an online text, and measure students’ understanding and retention of these words Provide (glosses / pictorial clues / videos / L1 translations) via hyperlinks built into an online text, and measure students’ understanding and retention of these words

Criteria for effective vocabulary acquisition Students often use strategies inappropriately / need vocab strategy training Students often use strategies inappropriately / need vocab strategy training Better to repeat target words in texts / in the classroom Better to repeat target words in texts / in the classroom Better to present target words in lexically rich context (comprehensible input for students to guess meaning of the unknown words) Better to present target words in lexically rich context (comprehensible input for students to guess meaning of the unknown words) Deeper processing of the target words leads to better retention (e.g. mental imaging / studying sample sentences are better than only looking at L1 translations) Deeper processing of the target words leads to better retention (e.g. mental imaging / studying sample sentences are better than only looking at L1 translations)

Preparation for the next session (in Room 632, Run Run Shaw Tower) Please bring along a few pieces of your own writing of no less than 300 words each. We are going to do some analysis of word choice in different kinds of writing. Please print off handouts for Session 2 (all available on the course website – “Course Materials”) Go over the pre-session reading