eob enhancing vocabulary teaching
TRANSCRIPT
Enhancing the Teaching
of Vocabulary
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New equipment – new possibilities
The new equipment allows for the introduction of lexical items The new equipment allows for the re-entry of lexical itemsThe new equipment allows for the review of lexical itemsThe new equipment allows for the manipulation of lexical items
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Vocabulary Instruction in Context
Contextualized vocabulary instruction: should be a component of language instruction (just as vocabulary is only a “component” of language) and not be treated as a separate entity.
should be incorporated to suit the particular context of the classroom, of the students and their needs, of the unit of instruction and of any given lesson.
includes the teaching of individual and multi-unit lexical items.
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Wouldn’t it be better just to let the pupils read and discover vocabulary items for themselves?
Not according to the research - Research has shown that vocabulary knowledge is enhanced by incidental learning, however in EFL settings vocabulary needs to be explicitly taught.
Not according to the research - Students should be taught specific strategies for accessing vocabulary items. Strategies include the use of context clues, such as embedded definitions, pictures, and charts that appear in a text and can be used to enhance reading comprehension; use of the dictionary and/or thesaurus when writing their own text.
Can’t students figure out ways for learning vocabulary by themselves?
Why spend time on teaching vocabulary?
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To determine the target lexical items consider the following: • curricular benchmarks • specific aims of the lesson
To determine the aspects of knowledge of selected lexical items consider the following: • intended use of items by the students
(receptive and / or productive)
How should targeted lexical items be determined?
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Knowing a Word / Lexical Item
The knowledge of a word* includes knowing:
• its form (pronunciation, spelling, recognizable parts);
• its meaning (conveyed by accepted meaning, form, and associated items);
• its use (collocations, frequency and register).
What does knowing a word involve?
* Read a detailed description of these aspects of knowing a word in Nation (2006)
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Lexical items are usually acquired through the following: noticing – the process of acquisition begins with the learner noticing that the item is new in some wayrecognizing – the learner accesses information about the lexical item (receptive knowledge)producing – the learner can both recognize and produce the lexical item (productive knowledge)
How are lexical items acquired?
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Teachers ensure vocabulary acquisition by:recycling and reviewing – Most new words are forgotten in the first 24 hours after class. To retain learned vocabulary, learners must “meet” the words in a variety of contexts, from 5-16 different times.
contextualizing – Learners best remember words when they have manipulated them in different ways and in different contexts.
limiting number of items – No more than 10-12 new words should be presented at a time.
How to ensure acquisition of lexical items?
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Using the IWB, teachers may do any or all of the following: annotate, capture and edit – teachers highlight relevant vocabularymark, drag objects, use color – teachers move vocabulary around, contextualize vocabulary hide and reveal – teachers present vocabulary items in context
In all the above you can relate to form, meaning , and use (see slide 6)
IWB suggestions for working on vocabulary
You may wish to refer to “Two dozen tips and techniques” for teaching vocabulary from the following URL before continuing on.
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Remember – Previewing activities will depend on the purpose , i.e., answer the question as to why the students need the vocabulary. For example, is it key for understanding the main ideas of a text?
Before reading a text, the IWB can be used to:introduce the vocabulary from the text by showing– a relevant picture or video clip– a short piece of the text
review key vocabulary by – listing words previously learned
IWB suggestions for previewing lexis
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While reading a text, the IWB can be used to model the relevant strategies for understanding lexis– guessing from context– analyzing parts of speech, affixes and roots – using a dictionary* and/or thesaurus
offer insight into the lexis by providing a: – paraphrase or synonym– sentence exemplifying the use
IWB suggestions for reviewing lexis
*You may want to try out WORDIA the visual dictionary where anyone can upload their definition and talk about it [http://www.wordia.com/]
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Noticing and analyzing:Draw students attention to a vocabulary item, and analyze the visual elements asking such questions as:
– Does it have a prefix? – Does it have a suffix? – Are you familiar with the root form? – With what does it collocate?
.
Sample IWB activities for working on lexis
The following activities are only “snippets”, and as such are only a part of a lesson. Try them out in class as they are, but they should be incorporated coherently into your lesson plan.
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Sample IWB activities for working on lexis
Recognizing:Sample practice activities include the following:
• True/false• Categorize the words• Matching (open and closed types of exercises.)
• Matching the word to its definition, L1-L2, opposites, adjectives and nouns, verbs and adverbs, word to the picture, match two words that go together
• Multiple choice• Drawing the word• Bingo games• Circle word heard
.
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Sample IWB activities for working on lexis
IWB activities for recognizing:
Vocabulary Activity 1 – Matching items to definitions:
Version 1A Key vocabulary and scrambled pictures/definitions are on the board. Pupils drag the words to the pictures/definitions.
Version 1B Individual items from the key vocabulary are presented as multiple-choice, with 3-4 optional definitions to choose from. Students ‘vote’ for the correct definition.
.These sample activities can be found on the course site under “Classroom Activities.”
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Sample IWB activities for working on lexis
Producing:Sample activities include the following:
• Dictation• Categorize the words• Guessing games, e.g., I’m thinking of....• Picture description• Miming• Producing a piece of writing
.
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Sample IWB activities for working on lexis
IWB activities for producing:
Vocabulary Activity 2 – Recalling words from a song
Version 2A The refrain of the song with key words missing is on the IWB. The key words are in a box on the screen. Pupils drag and drop the words into place.
Version 2B The refrain of the song with key words missing is on the IWB. Each missing word opens as a text box with a number of options. Students ‘vote’ for the appropriate option.
.
These sample activities can be found on the course site under “Classroom Activities.”
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