Teaching Vocabulary

The body of words used in a particular language or the body of words known to an individual person.(Oxford Dictionary)

The vocabulary of language is all the words in it.(BBC English Dictionary)

A collection or list of the words or phrases of a language, generally arranged in alphabetical order and present definitions.

The vocabulary of a particular subject is the group of words that are typically used when discussing it. (BBC English Dictionary)

Standard Definitions of Vocabulary:

“Vocabulary is the glue that holds stories, ideas and content together… making comprehension accessible for children.” (Rupley, Logan & Nichols I31)

Importance of Vocabulary Described by Eminent Authors:

“If language structures build, the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary that offers that vital organ and flesh”.(Harmer)

Importance of Vocabulary Described by Eminent Authors:

Importance of Vocabulary Described by Eminent Authors:

“Vocabulary is critically important because a word is an instrument for thinking about meanings which it concerns”.(John Dewey)

Misconceptions Rote Learning Insufficient knowledge of using Dictionaries Connotations and Denotations Homophones Cognates Collocations Idioms

Problems of Vocabulary Teaching & Learning:

Students problems may be of two types:

Lack of knowledge Lack of understanding

Misconceptions

Rote learning is a memorization technique. In rote learning repetition of target language items either silently or aloud or sometimes writing them down is involved. Students focus on rote learning and neglect meaningful learning which results in forgetting.

Rote Learning

Rote learning takes into account the mental storage of items having slight or no connections with prevailing cognitive structures; it is the process of acquiring material as distinct and relatively secluded entities.

Meaningful, on the contrary, may be referred to as a process of linking the new material to cognitive entities.

Difference between Rote Learning &Meaningful Learning:

Insufficient knowledge of using Dictionaries “Although dictionary use is

a main feature of most vocabulary instruction, many students don’t receive suitable kind of instruction they need to learn how to use dictionary effectively”.(Collier,1989).

Connotations and Denotations

Denotations refer to dictionary meanings, i.e

‘Catastrophe’ means ‘destruction’ or ‘Crisis’

Connotations refer to associative or affective meanings that are culturally embedded . For example, Red color connotes violence, bloodshed, terror, danger or love

Homophones are words that have same pronunciation but different spelling and different meanings.

For example: Cell /Sell Berth/Birth Fowl/Foul Meet/Meat Week/Weak

Homophones

Cognates are words that have similar form and meaning in L1 and L2 like music, kitchen, burger, taxi, pilaf, hijab, restaurant etc .

False or deceptive cognates are similar in form but different in meaning. For example,

‘sympathetic’ means ‘understanding’ in English but in Hungarian ‘szimpatikus’ means ‘appealing’ In French ‘Librairie’ means ‘book shop’ and not ‘library.’

Cognates

Collocations are two or more words which co-occur, or are used together repeatedly.

“If learners want to use language fluently and want to sound like native speakers, they need to be able to put words together quickly in typical combinations”.(Pawley and Syder).

That’s why, we typically say , ‘There’s no answer’ rather than ‘There isn’t an answer’, ‘heavy rain’ rather ‘severe rain ‘and ‘take medicine’ rather than ‘have medicine’ or ‘drink medicine’

Collocations

An idiom is a succession of words which functions as a single semantic unit and it’s meaning can’t be inferred from an understanding of parts, i.e ,never mind, hang on, under the weather, get the sack, raining cats and dogs, etc.

Idioms

Providing Definitions Repeated Exposures to words Multi words Units Key word Method Word Maps Root Analysis Make up as many associations as possible Use Mnemonics Translation Eliciting Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition Context Skills Using Games Extensive Reading

EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR VOCABULARY TEACHING:

Providing Definitions Definition is a suitable

method for upper beginners and relies on giving definition of a given word. It can be simple, precise and scientific definition given by the teacher .It may be a dictionary definition.

Students should be given multiple opportunities to use a new word in its written and spoken form to reinforce their understanding of it.

Researchers have found that word meanings are retained longer when they are included in numerous classroom assignments.

“In order to really know a word, students must be able to use it in more than one context; it must be used in writing, speaking, and listening”. (Rupley & Nichols, 2005).

Repeated Exposure to Words

Multi- word units

Words should be learned as units in order to attain fluency and build native like expressions.

“The most fundamental guiding principle for those who are anxious to be proficient in foreign conversation …is this: Memorize perfectly the largest number of common and useful word-groups”. (Palmer)

For example, Portable TV, Star-lit-night,

United States of America.

Keyword method takes place before a student reads a particular text. Students are introduced to unknown words before teacher uses word clues to help them understand and doesn’t provide definition.

This keyword might be a part of the definition, an illustrative example or an image that the student relates to the word to retain the meaning when reading it

in context. Key words : vocabulary, teaching, synonyms ,antonyms, O ’levels.

Keyword Method

Word Maps The word map is considered as a

great method for building and improving learners vocabulary. A graphic organizer is introduced by a teacher for the word. The vocabulary word is placed at the top or center of the organizer. Branching technique is employed by categorizing the word: classification (what class or group does the word belong to), qualities (what is the word like) and examples.

Root Analysis Many of the words in the

English language are derived from Latin or Greek roots. They either contain a “core” root or use prefixes or suffixes that hold meaning. For example, in, un, dis etc are prefixes and able, ment , ish are suffixes.

In + active=inactive(prefix) Punish +ment=punishment

(suffix)

In order to activate the auditory memory, the teacher should ask the student to say a word aloud. Teacher should relate the word to the familiar words .For example, the word ‘Gargantuan’ (very large) is synonymous with the words gigantic, huge, large etc. The teacher could make the sequence: small medium, large, very large, gargantuan .In this way, the meaning of a new word will be fixed to student’s memory.

Make up as many associations as possible

Use Mnemonics Consider the word

EGREGIOUS(extremely bad).Think EGG REACH US- imagine that we’ve committed such a blunder that people are throwing egg at us and a rotten egg approaches us. Students will never forget the meaning of a word after establishing such a funny picture.

Translation in students mother tongue saves the time during explanation of a new vocabulary item, if you could not find synonym for a particular word. It can be very effective way of conveying meaning.

Translation

Eliciting

Teacher can elicit various responses to estimate the schema of learners. Eliciting can take place by asking students to recall the context they have met the word, giving a synonym or antonym, telling rhyme, leading it to a lexical field (e.g. ‘It is not an orange, but a….?). The learner calls out or writes the target word.

Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition

It is a vocabulary learning strategy, defined as the learning of new words as a by-product of a meaning-focused communicative activity, such as reading, listening and interaction. It happens through numerous exposures to a word in various contexts. Extensive reading, communicative interactions and exposure to natural input such as movies and television are great sources of vocabulary acquisition.

Context skills

Research shows that the vast majority of words are learned from context skills. Students have to pay more attention to how words are used in order to improve their context skills. Context instruction should require students to make hypotheses about what a word is based on, what they already know and the context within which the word is found. Students should then be able to cross check these hypotheses with other information (Blachowicz, 1993).

Using Games Language learning is a difficult

target which can sometimes be tiresome for learners .Games provides entertainment and fun for students, thus making it easier to learn and retain new words . With the use of games, the teacher can create various contexts in which students have to use the language to communicate, exchange information and express their own opinions . For example, hang man, cross word puzzles , word bingo etc.

Extensive Reading Extensive reading means

practice of reading a large amount of text for extended periods of time. Students should be encouraged to come across a wide range of authentic texts because meeting a word in different contexts increases our understanding and consolidates in memory (Celce- Marcia 35)