You Hear It, You Understand It, You’ll Never Forget It!

You Hear It, You Understand It, You’ll Never Forget It!

Sharon Chen, Anna Chung, Richter Kuo, C. Y. Huang

Outline Introduction Literature Review Research Question Rationale Methods

Phonemic Awareness Activities Words in Context Activities Productive Activities

Assessment Expected Results

Background Information Without grammar very little can be conveyed,

without vocabulary NOTHING can be conveyed. (Wilkins, 1972)

Vocabulary retention is hard for Chinese English learners because the difference in language systems.

Students need to develop sound-form connection.

Learning words in context facilitates the receptive and productive use of the word (Nation, 2010).

Purpose of the action plan to seek the solution to strengthening the

vocabulary retention of Taiwanese high school students through emphasizing on phonemic awareness, teaching words in context, and implementing reproductive activities.

Literature Review English is an alphabetic language while

Chinese is a logographic language (Allcock, 2005)

The instruction of phonetic awareness enables students to learn words more quickly and with better retention (Chang, 2006)

Teaching words in context helps students develop word skills so they can use words correctly and accurately (Chang, 2006; Nation, 2010).

Higher involvement in vocabulary production processing can greatly contribute to vocabulary retention (Nemati, 2008).

Design Rationale Raise Ss’ phonemic awareness

--to build up sound-form connection Put words in meaningful contexts

--to give words good “nests” Let Ss learn by doing

--to make happen empirical experiences

Analysis of Participants--250 intermediate EFL learners

Academic Performance

High-achievers

Intermediate -achievers

Low-intermediate-achievers

Number of Ss

90 70 90

PR 98 88-90 70

Time Frame & Material Mid October to the end of December, 2012 Textbook, High School English,

Book 1, Lessons 5-10

Comparison Model A pre-test and a post-test, dictation

Composed of 10 level-7 words (LTTC list, frequency 7000), and 5 simple complete sentences.

Regular dictation quizzes after vocabulary teaching

Final questionnaire on learning experience

Step Description (1) Weeks 1-2, building up phonemic awareness

Dictionary work Syllabification Teacher modeling Games

Step Description (2) Weeks 3-8, expose Ss to words in contexts, via

Word cards Worksheets Games

Step Description (3) Weeks 9-10, let Ss learn by doing

Skit Story making

Building students’ phonemic awareness Dictionary checking

Words in this lesson

Longman English Dictionary

OxfordEnglishDictionary

CollinsCobuildDictionary

Your Dictionary

global glob.al glob-al glob/al

Building students’ phonemic awareness Teacher Modeling Telephone numbers Running dictation

Instruction in meaningful context Mystery sentence Keeping vocabulary cards Vocabulary stations

Vocabulary Stations-1Station 1Gap-fill with synonymsalbeitconsultationequivalent The mechanic found that the engine was running within its

normal _________________ (limits, restrictions). Many people feel that moral development is a(n)

__________________ (essential, fundamental) element of education.

Vocabulary Stations-2Station 2Changing word form  1. Communication is one area in which there have

been amazing developments in technology. Technologically advanced methods of growing

food have still not prevented hunger in some parts of the world.

Vocabulary Stations-3Station 3Correcting word formHomeowners can improve the secure in their

own areas by participating in Neighborhood Watch programs. __________________

Vocabulary Stations-4Station 4Gap-fillalbeit corresponds equivalent integral convinced

deviations index parameters  THE SCIENCE OF SOUND Sounds are all around us; some we can hear and some are not

within the (1)______________________ of human hearing (20-20,000 Hz).

Humans typically perceive sound through air, but sound can travel through any

medium, (2) ____________________ not in a vacuum. However, sound travels

at different speedsdepending on the degree of density of the medium. …

Vocabulary Stations-5Station 5 Collocation matching

clarifysupplementaryensurefluctuating

1. _______________prices productionmarketexchange

2. _______________ a positiona point a situationan issue

Vocabulary Stations-6Station 6Collocation deletionBright idea green smell child day roomClear attitude need instructions alternative

day conscience roadLight traffic work day entertainment suitcase rain green lunch

Productive Activities The use of visual representations can promote

vocabulary retention. Task-based vocabulary-learning through

various activities can promote vocabulary learning.

Higher involvement in vocabulary production processing, such as creating a composition task or retelling a text using the learned vocabulary, can greatly contribute to vocabulary retention.

Productive Activities Still image

Short conversations from the example sentences

Skit in paragraph

Story writing

Questionnaire-1

Expected Results Participants in this study will perform

significantly better in the post dictation test. Participants will show progress in the regular

dictation tests. Participants will respond positively to the

vocabulary instructions in the questionnaire.