BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ENGLISH LEARNERS’ ACADEMIC VOCABULARY SKILLSProfessor Melanie Gonzalez, Salem State University

mgonzalez@salemstate.edu

What does the research say?1. ELs need vocabulary – years and years worth of words in a just matter of months!

~2,000+ words to hold a conversation ~5,000+ words to read basic texts ~10,000+ words (98% known words) to read academic texts

(Laufer & Ravenhorst-Karlovski, 2010; Schmitt, 2000)

2. Knowing a word is much more than recalling a definition – there are nine dimensions of depth of word knowledge (see Appendix A: Nation, 2001, p. 27).

3. Number of encounters with a particular word is crucial – how many times does an EL “retrieve” the word and apply it to a linguistic event (Folse, 2006).

What are the best ways to develop ELs’ academic vocabulary?1. Select the right words to teach.

Item Example(s)single words Settlement; pioneerset phrases In other words; back and forth; time and time againvariable phrases It has come to ___ attention that + subject + verbphrasal verbs Come up with; put awayidioms Case of the Mondays;

2. Teach multiple dimensions of each word – mid-frequency and low frequency words often contain multiple shades of meaning and use.

Dimension Example(s)polysemy tabledenotation/connotation slim vs. skinnyfrequency blue vs. lapisusage synonyms for dyingcollocation commit*

3. Avoid the traps of vocabulary “myths”.

Myth 1: ELs will learn vocabulary implicitly. Teach words explicitly: use tiered word lists (AWL), quizzes, drills, keep word walls, vocabulary notebooks, etc.

Myth 2: Present vocabulary in semantic sets. Thematic presentation of words in context facilitates retention.

Myth 3: Don’t know a word? Use context clues. Using CCs is a reading strategy, not a vocabulary-learning tool.

Resources:VocabProfiler http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/COCA http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/Quizlet http://quizlet.com

APPENDIX A:

Nation’s Aspects Involved in Knowing a Word (Nation, 2001, p.27)

Form Spoken Receptive

Productive

What does the word sound like?

How is the word pronounced?Written Receptive

Productive

What does the word look like?

How is the word spelled?Word parts Receptive

Productive

What parts can we recognize in this word?

What word parts are needed to express meaning?

Meaning Form and meaning Receptive

Productive

What meaning does this form signal?

What word form can be used to express this meaning?

Concept and referents

Receptive

Productive

What is included in this concept?

What items does the concept refer to?

Associations Receptive

Productive

What other words does this make us think of?

What other words are possible to use instead of this one?

Use Grammatical functions

Receptive

Productive

In what patterns does this word occur?

In what patterns is this word required to use?

Collocations Receptive

Productive

What other words or types of words occur with this one?What words or types of words must we use with this one?

Constraints on use (register, frequency, etc.)

Receptive

Productive

Where, when, and how often would we expect to encounter this word?Where, when, and how often can we use this word?

APPENDIX B:

Selected Readings

Folse, K.S. (2004). Vocabulary myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan University Press.

Nation, I.S.P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

APPENDIX C:

Academic Passage 1: Sample English course text (From “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald).

I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house, I was one of the few guests who had actually

been invited. People were not invited — they went there. They got into automobiles which bore them out to

Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door. Once there they were introduced by somebody who

knew Gatsby, and after that they conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with

amusement parks. Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a

simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.

Vocabulary to teach:__________________________ __________________________ __________________________

__________________________ __________________________ __________________________

__________________________ __________________________ __________________________

__________________________ __________________________ __________________________

Academic Passage 2: Sample Science course text (From life sciences textbook).

A biome is a large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, which are adapted to that

particular environment. The climate and geography of a region determines what type of biome can exist in that

region. Major biomes include deserts, forests, grasslands, tundra, and several types of aquatic environments.

Each biome consists of many ecosystems whose communities have adapted to the small differences in climate

and the environment inside the biome.

All living things are closely related to their environment. Any change in one part of an environment, like

an increase or decrease of a species of animal or plant, causes a ripple effect of change in through other parts of

the environment.

________ Tier 1 _________ Tier 2 ________ Tier 3