Teaching Vocabulary and Pronunciation

Instituto Guatemalteco Americano

Teacher Training Course

Teaching Vocabulary

What is Vocabulary? • Vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the words

we teach in the foreign language. However, a new item of vocabulary may be:

• Individual words

• More than a single word

• Multi-word idioms

• A useful convention is to cover all such cases by talking about vocabulary “items” rather than “words”

Reflecting on your own language learning... • Think of a new word you’ve learned recently…

• Where did you encounter it?

• What helped you clarify its meaning, spelling, pronunciation or how to use it?

• Did you use any strategies to help you remember it?

• When and how did you notice it was becoming part of your vocabulary?

• What’s most challenging for you when learning new words?

Five Essential Steps in Vocabulary Learning

1. Having sources for encountering new words.

2. Getting a clear image, either visual or auditory or both, for the new word form.

3. Learning the word meaning

4. Consolidating word form and meaning into memory with strong connections.

5. Using the word.

Essential steps in vocabulary learning

• Sources for encountering new words

•Getting a clear image of the word

•Using the word

Presenting New Vocabulary

• Concise definitions

• Detailed descriptions

• Examples

• Illustration

• Demonstration

• Cognates

• Context

• Synonyms

• Opposites

• Translation

• Associated Ideas, collocations

There are many ways of presenting new vocabulary to students; here are some examples:

What needs to be taught?

• Meaning: what the word stands for and how to make explanations appropriate to context • Aspects of meaning

• (1): denotation, connotation, appropriateness • (2): meaning relationships

• a. Synonyms: same or nearly the same meanings. • b. Antonyms: items that mean the opposite.

• Form: how to write the word and spell it correctly • Word Formation

• Pronunciation: how to say the word and what might happen if they mispronounce it.

• Use/Appropriacy – when to use the word, with whom… • Collocation

Taking words apart!

• Married:

• Form: adjective, mar·ried

• Meaning: being in the state of matrimony, wedded

• Use: Appropriate in formal and informal settings

• Wife:

• Form: wife, noun, \ˈwīf\

• Meaning: a female partner in a marriage.

• Use: Appropriate in formal and informal settings

• Husband:

• Form: hus·band, noun, \ˈhəz-bənd\

• Meaning: a male partner in a

marriage.

• Use: Appropriate in formal and informal settings

• Single:

• Form: sin·gle, adjective, \ˈsiŋ-gəl\

• Meaning: not married

• Use: Appropriate in formal and informal settings, although more frequently used in informal situations.

• Grandchildren:

• Form: noun, grand·child·ren, \-ˌ chī(-ə)ld\

• Meaning: the children of one's son or daughter

• Use: Appropriate in formal and informal settings

What are we going to teach?

Challenge Points: What is the most challenging (F, M or U) and why?

• Form: Pronunciation of the vocabulary is a challenge some students may encounter. Especially “wife” because the /w/ could be a sound they haven’t encountered frequently. “Husband” will also be challenging because of the /u/ and there could be a tendency to drop the /d/.

• Meaning: Meaning shouldn’t be too difficult for learners because they have background knowledge about families and words are mostly lower concrete.

• Use: Since all words are appropriate, both in formal and informal situations, clarification of “single” will possibly be needed.

Teaching Pronunciation

“Pronunciation is a key to gaining full

communicative competence.”

What is our objective?

• The Communicative Approach holds that since the primary purpose of language is communication…

This approach puts all aspects of English pronunciation into the perspective of a communicative, interactive, whole language view of human speech.

• Our goal as teachers of English pronunciation should therefore be realistically focused on clear, comprehensible pronunciation and not on accent-free speech that is indistinguishable from that of a native speaker.

Factors within the Learners which affect Pronunciation

• Native language

• Age

• Exposure

• Innate phonetic ability

• Identity and language ego

• Motivation and concern for good pronunciation

Phonemes

• Vowels

• Schwa

• Long and short vowels

• Elision of vowels

• Consonants

• Voiced

• Unvoiced

Stress

• Word stress

happy intelligent

record (v) record (n)

address (n) address (v)

• What are some ways learners might mispronounce these words?

Sentence Stress

Helen was born in Liberia

• Who was born in Liberia?

• Where was Helen born?

• What happened to Helen in Liberia?

Intonation

• I DIDN’T SAY HE STOLE THE MONEY…

• 1. I didn't say he stole the money, someone else said it.

• 2. I didn't say he stole the money, that's not true at all.

• 3. I didn't say he stole the money, I only suggested the possibility.

• 4. I didn't say he stole the money, I think someone else took it.

• 5. I didn't say he stole the money, maybe he just borrowed it.

• 6. I didn't say he stole the money, but rather some other money.

• 7. I didn't say he stole the money, he may have taken some jewelry.

What’s happening in each situation?

Conversation A

A: Locked?

B: Locked.

A: Key?

B: Key?

A: Key.

B: Oh-oh.

Conversation B

A: Single? B: Double. A: Double? B: Yes. A: Cone B: Cup.

Conversation C

A: Good? B: Delicious. A: More? B: Please.

Rhythm and Fluency

Old MACDONALD had a farm E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a cow E-I-E-I-O

With a moo moo here

And a moo moo there

Here a moo, there a moo

Everywhere a moo moo

Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O