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Vocabulary teachingVocabulary teaching The Lexical ApproachThe Lexical Approach Teaching vocabulary in contextTeaching vocabulary in context

Vocabulary assessmentVocabulary assessment Vocabulary Learning Strategies Vocabulary Learning Strategies

(VLS)(VLS)

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THE LEXICAL APPROACHTHE LEXICAL APPROACH

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Teaching multiword units as individual Teaching multiword units as individual units units

(e.g. (e.g. Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992; Sinclair, Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992; Sinclair, 1996; 1996; Lewis, 1997Lewis, 1997))Give me a glass of wine now.

(Subject) + Verb + Object + Object + Adverb

#Pass me a cup of wine tomorrow.Take a walk in the countryside. Enjoy the cool breeze!#Make a walk in the countryside. Enjoy the cool wind!

Lexical chunks are socially sanctioned independent units (the units can be words or phrases or sentences)

Lewis advocates de-emphasizing teaching of grammar and vocabulary in favor of teaching of lexical chunks.

Lexical items (Lewis, 1997)

(1) Words (e.g. pen, ball)(2) Polywords (e.g. so to speak, at any rate, by

and large, by the way)(3) Collocations (hitch a ride, make a wish,

catch a bus, take a walk)(4) Institutionalized utterances (mainly

spoken, e.g. Long time no see! How do you do? If I were you, I’d…, Give me a break! As far as I know)

(5) Sentence frames and heads (mainly written, e.g. I think that …., not only…. but also…. , That reminds me of …).

Why is it useful Why is it useful to learn multilexical units?to learn multilexical units?

To improve fluency To recognize collocational patterns

(e.g. take a walk, make a wish, have dinner)

To sound more native-like / natural

Learning lexical chunks Learning lexical chunks (lexical patterning)(lexical patterning)

Topic: Health – SymptomsTopic: Health – SymptomsI’ve gotI’ve got a headachea headache

(a) backache(a) backache(a) stomach-ache(a) stomach-achetoothachetoothachea pain in my chesta pain in my chesta pain in my lega pain in my lega sore throata sore throata cougha cougha temperature (a fever)a temperature (a fever)

I feelI feel sicksickillillunwellunwell

I’m going to be sick!I’m going to be sick! faint!faint!

When recording When recording vocabulary, note vocabulary, note

collocation patterns…collocation patterns…Pattern ExamplesNOUN + VERB people - slip / cars – skid

VERB + NOUN abandon - ship, make – a wish, catch – a bus

ADJECTIVE + NOUN handsome – man, beautiful - woman

The Lexical Approach

Pre-session 3 Reading: Moudraia, O. (2001) Lexical approach to

second language teaching. Available: http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0102lexical.html

Post-session 3 Reading: Lewis, M. (1997) Pedagogical implications

of the lexical approach. In J. Coady and T. Huckin (eds.) Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 255-270.

Let’s try some of the tasks near the end of this reading

LEARNING VOCABULARY LEARNING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXTIN CONTEXT

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ContextContext

1. Co-text: words before and after the target word2. The real-world context that the text refers toWhat are the benefits of using decontextualized

word lists?What information can the context gives us that

cannot be given by decontextualised word lists? Learning grammatical and collocational patterns Understanding the actual meaning of the word /

different senses of a word

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Presenting words in contextPresenting words in context

Better show students: It was so stifling in the room that I could

hardly breathe. Rather than:

It was stifling in the room. Better say:

There’s a word in the first line that means “huge”. What word is that?

Rather than: “Enormous” in the first line means huge.

Provide rich contextual Provide rich contextual clues - answersclues - answers

Carnivorous Vehicles Huge / enormous Mean / stingy Cut Reduced / offset / compensated for Revenue / income / money; afford

Providing context rich in Providing context rich in contextual cluescontextual clues

Since plastic products are non-biodegradable, they are hard to be disposed of and are persistent environmental contaminants.

 To explain more clearly the data collection process, I append some samples of questionnaires used in the study.

It is time we stopped talking of elephants as if they were a commodity; they are not products / mechandise to be traded.

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VOCABULARY VOCABULARY ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

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Vocabulary Assessment Vocabulary Assessment ToolsTools

How do you (or your school) usually assess vocabulary?

What sorts of vocabulary knowledge are being tested in each of the tests?

Do you see any problems with some of the tests?

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Various vocabulary assessment tools

(available at http://www.lextutor.ca/tests/) Vocabulary Levels Tests (VLTs)

To check vocabulary size Tests of vocabulary of different levels of frequency

2000, 3000, 5000, 10000-word levels; AWL Aim at score of at least 80%

Word Association Test Meaning (different senses), collocations

Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) To check “quality” or “depth” of vocab knowledge

Vocab Profiler Lexical richness (type/token ratio) – more different

words More frequent words or more low-frequency words

Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS)

““retire”retire”

iii. I have seen this word before and I think it means iii. I have seen this word before and I think it means “stop working because of old age” “stop working because of old age” (3 pts)(3 pts)

iv. I know this word. It means “stop working because iv. I know this word. It means “stop working because of old age” of old age” (3 pts)(3 pts)

v. I can use this word in a sentence:v. I can use this word in a sentence:

He spent more time with his family after retire. He spent more time with his family after retire. (4 pts)(4 pts)

He spent more time with his family after he retired. He spent more time with his family after he retired. (5 (5 pts)pts)

He decided to retire. (? pts)He decided to retire. (? pts)

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VKS

Problems: Self-reported in nature Level V: ability to produce sentence

with target vocab = ability to use the word appropriately?

DiscussionDiscussion

Given what we have discussed so far Given what we have discussed so far about vocabulary learning and about vocabulary learning and teaching, would you do anything teaching, would you do anything differently next term? What would differently next term? What would you keep doing?you keep doing?

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To sum up… Teach and consolidate the 2000

most frequent words Provide students with a variety of

vocabulary building activities Encourage students to read widely Encourage students to become

independent learners, esp. for learning low-frequency words outside the classroom

Train students to use vocabulary learning strategies

VOCABULARY LEARNING VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES (VLS)STRATEGIES (VLS)

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Vocabulary learning strategies (VLS)1. Taxonomies of Vocabulary learning

strategies2. Memory strategies, e.g. the Keyword

technique, using mental images3. Guessing word meaning from the context4. Selecting, recording and revising

vocabulary5. Research studies on VLS of Asian

learners

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Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Important for independent learning of low-frequency words

It is important to use a range of strategies The quality of strategy use counts for more

than the quantity of strategies used It is important to choose strategies flexibly

and appropriately according to context Strategies can be taught and weaker

learners can benefit from strategy training

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Taxonomy of VLS by Schmitt (1997) Taxonomy of Language Learning Strategies (LLS) by O’Malley & Chamot,

1990: cognitive, metacognitive, socio-affective Oxford’s (1990) LLS taxonomy – direct strategies: involving the target

language directly and require mental processing of the language (memory, cognitive, compensation) and indirect strategies: (metacognitive, affective, social)

Nation (1990) – discovery vs consolidation strategies

Schmitt’s (1997) VLS taxonomy: (1) Discovery: discovering the meaning of unknown words

Determination strategies (finding meaning without recourse to others) Social strategies (consulting or working with others to discover meaning)

(2) Consolidation: remembering words once their meaning has been discovered Social strategies Memory strategies (mnemonics) Cognitive strategies (similar to memory, but without the use of mnemonics) Metacognitive strategies (planning, monitoring, evaluation of learning)

Find out about your use Find out about your use of VLSof VLS

Complete the questionnaire* developed based on Schmitt’s (1997).

* Adapted from Loong Y & Chan S W L, A Study of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Adopted by Dentistry Students in Hong Kong In Learning Specialized Dental Vocabulary, September 2012, Asian ESP Journal

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Preparation for Session 5 Preparation for Session 5 --

Studies of VLS by Asian Studies of VLS by Asian learnerslearners Form a group of 4 students.

Each student reads one of the readings research methodology results

Next Session – in CRT6.32 (use of concordancers)

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