5 steps to communicative vocabulary teaching Una
Cunningham
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Traditional vocabulary teaching
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Explicit explanation in target language or L1: leading light an
important and respected person or group in a particular field world
record the best achievement in the world in a particular field
bulbs sealed glass devices which produce light light up illuminate
electricity bill payment made to a power company for the energy
used
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1.Meeting a new word in context 2.Applying strategies to
understand the words significance 3.Meeting the word in other
contexts 4.Guided practice and feedback 5.Communicative practice
and feedback 5 steps
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Step 1 Meeting a new word in context In whatever material you
have for your students there will be texts of some kind. They are
made up of words in meaningful contexts. Web texts are available in
many languages Use e.g. BBC Learning English for examples of texts.
For example Words in the news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learninge
nglish/language/wordsinthenews/.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learninge
nglish/language/wordsinthenews/
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Step 1 Meeting a new word in context Listening
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Step 1 Meeting a new word in context Video
http://bbc.in/1aVt6G1http://bbc.in/1aVt6G1
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Step 2 Applying strategies to understand the words significance
From Gibbons 2009 p. 95
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Step 2 Applying strategies to understand the text Notice the
title. What is the text about? This is an introduction to a person
Even if the expression leading light is new, you might know what a
leader is What does this tell you about the world record? What
other words could you use instead of power company What word could
you use instead of property?
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Step 3 Meeting the word in other contexts Exercise 1. Tell your
partner about which of the following ways of lighting up a room you
have experienced? a)Candle light b)Open fire c)Torch or flashlight
d)Light bulbs e)Strip lighting 2. Light bulbs come in many shapes
and sizes. Which of these kinds of bulbs have you seen? 3. The text
above this picture mentions electricity bill and also power bill
http://www.energywise.govt.nz/tools/lighting
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Step 3 Meeting the word in other contexts Exercise: Use one of
the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from
news reports. Note that you may have to change the form of a word
to complete the sentence correctly. leading light / world record /
bulbs / light up / electricity bill 1. An eruption from Mount Etna
__________ the night sky over much of eastern Sicily late on
Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday. 2. Mr Sietas did
hold another free-diving __________ for the longest underwater swim
on one breath until that was broken by Goran Colak from Croatia who
swam 273m during a 2011 competition in Italy.
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Step 3 Meeting the word in other contexts Answers: 1.An
eruption from Mount Etna lit up the night sky over much of eastern
Sicily late on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday.
Source: Mount Etna eruption lights up Sicily skies
http://bbc.in/1ayVm0X 1.Mr Sietas did hold another free-diving
world record for the longest underwater swim on one breath until
that was broken by Goran Colak from Croatia who swam 273m during a
2011 competition in Italy. Source: Man v seal: How we compare with
our marine cousins http://bbc.in/1bLvDQY
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Step 3 Meeting the word in other contexts
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Step 4 Guided practice and feedback World record There are
records in all kinds of things. The Guinness Book of Records keeps
track, and has a lot of material online. You can see a video of the
world record in toilet roll unravelling
http://challengers.guinnessworldrecords.com/challenges/216-fastest-time-
to-unravel-a-toilet-roll-one-hand
http://challengers.guinnessworldrecords.com/challenges/216-fastest-time-
to-unravel-a-toilet-roll-one-hand or most sticky notes on the face
in one minute
http://challengers.guinnessworldrecords.com/challenges/220-most-sticky-
notes-stuck-on-the-face-in-one-minute/attempts/3359
http://challengers.guinnessworldrecords.com/challenges/220-most-sticky-
notes-stuck-on-the-face-in-one-minute/attempts/3359 Look at the
Challengers page
http://challengers.guinnessworldrecords.com/challenges
http://challengers.guinnessworldrecords.com/challenges and choose a
world record you would like to break. What would be difficult for
you? Tell your partner about it.
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Step 5 Communicative practice and feedback Free, non-controlled
production in speaking and writing Imagine that you are one of the
people in this family and you have a world record. What is the
record in? a)Write a few sentences about your world record, and
then read it to your partner. b)In pairs, interview your partner as
though s/he was the holder of the world record about the record
attempt.
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Step 5 Communicative practice and feedback Free, non-controlled
production in speaking and writing Your city is trying to improve
its energy efficiency and your class has been asked to make a 30
second radio ad to show how changing to low energy lighting will
save electricity and money. In pairs, write a manuscript for the
ad, including the words bulb, electricity bill and light up. You
can change the form of the words to suit. Record yourselves reading
the manuscript and share it with your classmates.
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References BBC (2013) Words in the News available at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language
/wordsinthenews/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language
/wordsinthenews/ Gibbons, P. (2009) English learners, academic
literacy and thinking. Portsmouth NH, Heinemann. Nation, Paul &
Hamilton-Jenkins, Alison (2000). Using communicative tasks to teach
vocabulary. Guidelines 22 (2) 15-19. Available online at
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/staff/publications/paul-
nation/2000-Hamilton-Jenkins-Communication.pdf
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/staff/publications/paul-
nation/2000-Hamilton-Jenkins-Communication.pdf Photos from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhartwig/3270351385/ and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/3585168626/. Creative Commons,
some rights reserved
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhartwig/3270351385/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/3585168626/