Teaching Vocabulary

Goals: Provide you own definition of the term vocabulary Distinguish the different types of vocabulary (high frequency, academic, technical, low frequency) and describe how a teacher should deal with them. Describe the strands of a well-balanced course and the conditions they require to be effective for vocabulary learning. Help learners apply a range of effective vocabulary learning techniques and strategies across the four learning strands in a language course (meaning-focused input, deliberate learning, meaning-focused output, and fluency development).

Overview Definition of vocabulary Background to the teaching of vocabulary Principles for teaching vocabulary Procedures of vocabulary teaching Classroom techniques and tasks Vocabulary in the classroom Assignment

What is vocabulary? Multiword units Word families Core meanings Discussion: What does knowing a word involve?

Background to the teaching of vocabulary The four strands in a language course: Learning from meaning-focused input Deliberate language-focused learning Learning from meaning-based output Developing fluency

What needs to be taught? Denotative meaning Connotative meaning Collocations Synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms Receptive and productive vocabulary

Principles for teaching vocabulary Focus on the most useful vocabulary first Focus on the vocabulary in the most appropriate way Give attention to the high frequency words across the four strands of a course Encourage learners to reflect on and take responsibility for learning.

Discussion: How can vocabulary be taught? Presenting new vocabulary Consolidating vocabulary Developing vocabulary building strategies

Presenting new vocabulary Suggested procedure: l) prepare examples to show meaning; 2) ask students to guess the meaning first; 3) show the meaning of a word with related words (synonyms, antonyms etc.); 4) check students' understanding; 5) relating newly learned language to the context in real life; 6) point out possible misunderstandings or confusions;

Consolidating vocabulary In-class consolidation activities: 1) labeling 2) spotting the differences 3) describing and drawing 4) memory test 5) using word thermometers 6) using word series 7) word bingo 8) brainstorming-word association 9) synonyms and antonyms 10) using word categories

Developing vocabulary building strategies 1) review regularly 2) guess meaning from context 3) organize vocabulary 4) use learned vocabulary

Classroom techniques and tasks Meaning-focused input activities Deliberate learning activities Meaning-based output activities Fluency activities

Vocabulary in the classroom Focus on the most useful vocabulary first Focus on the vocabulary in the most appropriate way Balance attention across the four strands Learning from output Fluency development

Assignment Choose a lesson from Go for It and practice teaching the vocabulary in the lesson.