Vocabulary Vocabulary is commonly defined as "all

the words known and used by a particular person". 

Knowing a word, however, is not as simple as simply being able to recognize or use it. There are several aspects of word knowledge which are used to measure word knowledge.

Vocabulary Broadly there are two kinds of words: Content words Structural words/ Function words.

Content words A word that conveys

information in a text or speech act. Also known as a lexical word.

Content words--which include nouns, lexical verbs, adjectives, and adverbs--belong to open classes of words: that is, new members are readily added.

The italicized words in Hedberg's sentence are content words.

Function words A word that

expresses a grammatical or structural relationship with other words in a sentence.

In contrast to a content word, a function word has little or no meaningful content. Function words are also known as grammatical words.

Adapted from Teach Yourself Linguistics by Jean Aitchison (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

Objectives of teaching Vocabulary1. Pronounce each word correctly.

2. Apply pronunciation rules.

3. Spell each word correctly.

4. Apply spelling rules.

5. Give the meaning of a word in English and in Arabic.

6. Give the opposite of a word.

7. Give all the words that share the same meaning.

8. Group related words together.

9. Give the part of speech of each word.

10. Give the preposition the follows certain verbs.

11. Give the verb that is used with a particular noun.

12. Recognize phrases that are idioms and those that are not.

13. Identify the word that is different in a group of words.

14. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition.

15. Fill in the blanks with the correct verb.

16. Give the plural form of a noun.

17. Give the singular form of a noun.

Types of Vocabulary There are two

types of vocabulary.

They areActive VocabularyPassive Vocabulary

Active Vocabulary The words readily

used by an individual when speaking and writing.

Active vocabulary

is in contrast with passive vocabulary.

Passive Vocabulary

Words that an individual recognizes but rarely uses when speaking and writing.

Passive

vocabulary is in contrast with active vocabulary.

Techniques of teaching Vocabulary Listening

Carefully Careful listening to the

words may be a good option in teaching vocabulary items in a heterogenic classroom. "Let the students hear the word in isolation and in a sentence. If the sounds of the word have been mastered, the students will hear it correctly with two or three repetitions."

(Robert Lado: 121) Slow pronunciation

without distortion will help. Breaking the word into parts and building up to the whole word will also be helpful.

Techniques of teaching Vocabulary Pronouncing the

Word

Pronouncing the word enables the students to remember it longer and identify it more readily when they hear or

see it.

Techniques of teaching Vocabulary Methods of Grasping the

Meaning The teacher should try to get

the meaning to the class without using translation. This is not preferable on the ground that translation may or may not provide the meaning of the word accurately and precisely. It is advocated as it enables the class to go without grasping the meaning of a word that they have learned to pronounce rather than to depend upon the translation.

Techniques of teaching Vocabulary Passive vocabulary Showing objects. By procuring pictures, maps,

charts…. Actions, performances can be

shown. Drawing of figures, sketching… By illustrative use of a word in

easy sentences. By explaining in easy language. Word building games. Prescribing a dictionary.

Techniques of expanding Vocabulary

Vocabulary note book.

Word games should be encouraged.

Through reading and dictionary.

GrammarThe systematic study and

description of a language.

A set of rules and examples dealing with the syntax and word structures (morphology) of a language. Adjective: grammatical.

Approaches of teaching Grammar

Deductive ApproachInductive ApproachInducto-Deductive Approach

Deductive Approach

It contains definitions, rules, examples and exercises.

Rule Examples

Pupils commit these rules to memory.

Deductive Approach

Teacher tells a defintion or a rule.

Rule: “ A verb is word used to express an action or state.”

Teacher gives examples of verb.

Inductive Approach The child learns grammar incidentally. This

is called functional grammar.

Examples Rule

By giving many examples students arrive at the rule.

Inductive Approach

Examples:

Students arrive at the Rule “ A verb is word used to express an action or state.”

Inducto-Deductive Approach

It combines both inductive and deductive approach.

Examples Rule Examples

The approach is best suited for teaching functional grammar.

Inducto-Deductive Approach

Examples:

Rule : “ A verb is word used to express an action or state.”

Example:

Objectives of functional grammar

1. It helps to use the language effectively.

2. Knowledge of the underlying ‘rules’ of grammar is provided.

3. To develop students insight into the structure of English language.

4. To enable the students to assimilate the correct patterns of the language.

5. To teach grammar as a rule governed behaviour.

6. To develop the mental abilities of reasoning and correct observation.

7. To develop a scientific attitude in pupils