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Vocabulary teaching and learning Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Selecting, recording, revising Guessing word meaning from context

Explicit teaching of vocabulary – using a range of methods

Assessing vocabulary knowledge

Metacognitive StrategiesMetacognitive StrategiesDiscuss: What would you consider when

deciding whether to learn or pass a new word that you encounter in reading / listening?

How do you (or your students) usually record and revise vocabulary?

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Which words should you skip learning? (Nation, 1990)

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Recording vocabulary Relate new words with old words

(e.g. words that look / sound similar, synonyms, antonyms

collocations Grammatical behavior (e.g.

prepositions, pos, c/unc, regular/irregular verb)

use a drawing Word cards? Portable devices?

Revising vocabularyRevising vocabulary Plan for “spaced repetition” Follow a particular topic reported in the media over a few

days, e.g. reading about the development of an issue on the Internet or in newspapers over a few days so that you keep meeting the same words or synonyms of these words

Use quizzes to test yourself regularly Revise the words recorded in your vocabulary notebook or

cards regularly (e.g. cover up the word or definition and test yourself)

Try to use the words you learnt before, e.g. by writing sentences or paragraphs using these words

Ask a friend to test you / practice using words you learnt before with a friend

Others??

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Guessing word meaning from Guessing word meaning from contextcontext

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How easy is it to guess the meaning of the How easy is it to guess the meaning of the underlined words?underlined words?

The Nanu region is famous for its wonderful scenery, ancient temples and, above all, the indigenous people of Sofa. In their remote village, reached after an arduous and dusty drive, live the Sofans, with their welcoming smiles and warm affability. Few visitors, however, make this trip as it is not on the normal itinerary of most tour groups.

As I sauntered through the village, I stopped for a few moments on a bridge to watch the boisterous children splashing each other with water. School hours are short here and many of the teenagers seem to squander their daylight hours riding around the square on noisy old motorcycles.

Groups of local women spend their days weaving coloured silk into stunning fabrics. Their remuneration is only a few dollars although they may have worked for several days to create each one. As dusk approaches, the men return from the fields where they have been toiling all day, hungry and ready for a quiet evening with their families.

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Guessing strategies1. Study the word itself (what pos?

any word parts?)2. Examine immediate context3. Examine wider context4. Make a guess5. Verify your guess by using a

dictionary

Strategies for guessing Strategies for guessing word meaning from context word meaning from context

(Nation, 1990)(Nation, 1990)Step 1:Step 1: What What part of speechpart of speech is it? Is it a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb? is it? Is it a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb? Step 2:Step 2: Does it contain any Does it contain any familiar partsfamiliar parts? ? (e.g. (e.g. in-digest-ible)in-digest-ible) Does it look Does it look similar to another wordsimilar to another word you already know? you already know? Step 3:Step 3: Examine the Examine the immediate contextimmediate context. If the unknown word is a . If the unknown word is a NounNoun What adjectives describe it? What adjectives describe it? What verb does it go with? What verb does it go with? What does it do and what is done to it? What does it do and what is done to it? VerbVerb What nouns go with it?What nouns go with it? Does an adverb tell you more about it?Does an adverb tell you more about it? AdjectiveAdjective What noun does it go with?What noun does it go with? AdverbAdverb Which verb does it go with? Which verb does it go with?

Step 4:Step 4:Examine the Examine the wider contextwider context. Look at the relationship between the . Look at the relationship between the

clause or sentence containing the unknown word and other clause or sentence containing the unknown word and other sentences or paragraphs. sentences or paragraphs. 1.1. Sometimes this relationship is signalled Sometimes this relationship is signalled by a linking word, by a linking word,

e.g. e.g. but, because, ifbut, because, if,, when when, , however, as a resulthowever, as a result. . 2.2. Word like Word like this, thatthis, that and and such assuch as provide useful information. provide useful information. 3.3. Look for a Look for a definitiondefinition or or synonymsynonym in the wider context. in the wider context.4.4. Make use of Make use of that / which clausesthat / which clauses that give further that give further

information.information. 5.5. LookLook at at punctuationpunctuation for clues. for clues.

dashesdashes - - brackets brackets ( )( ) colonscolons : : semi colonssemi colons ; ; Step 5Step 5:: Guess the meaningGuess the meaning.. Step 6:Step 6: Substitute your guess. Does the sentence make sense? Substitute your guess. Does the sentence make sense? If If

you’re still unsure, look it up in a dictionary.you’re still unsure, look it up in a dictionary.

Answers Arduous – difficult / tiring Affability – friendliness Saunter – walk slowly Boisterous – noisy / energetic Squander – spend in a wasteful way Weave – make cloth Remuneration – payment Dusk – early evening Toil – work very hard

Presenting words in cotextPresenting words in cotext

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 Revenue / income; afford

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Implicit vocab learning (e.g. thru extensive reading)

Explicit vocab learning

For revisiting learnt words to deepen word knowledgeLearning low-frequency wordsLearning grammatical and collocational patternsUnderstanding the actual meaning of the word / different senses of a wordVery little deliberate attention on the words > low retentionStudents may not be able to guess meaning from context

Focusing students’ attentionLearning high-frequency words (e.g. the GSL or AWL words) (Nation, 1990)Learning difficult, confusing words (Sokmen, 1997)Some research shows students can learn a large amount of vocab using word lists with L1 translations in a short time (Nation, 1990), so perhaps list-learning is good for initial acquisition of high-frequency wordsTakes up class time

Helping students with Helping students with confusing wordsconfusing words

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Confusing wordsConfusing words Complimentary vs complementary Principal vs principle

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Sökmen (1997): Explicit teaching of vocabulary Build a large sight vocabulary (e.g. GSL, AWL) Integrate new words with old (e.g. gradable antonyms on a

scale; more precise words to a general word; semantic maps) Promote a deep level of processing** Provide a number of encounters with a word (5-16 times;

successful recall leads to longer retention) Facilitate imaging (e.g. mental pictures; mind maps) Making new words “concrete” by connecting them to

student’s world in some way (e.g. personal feelings, personal examples, current issues, pictures, videos, real objects & situations)

Use a variety of techniques** (e.g. dictionary work, word parts activities, using rhymes, semantic grids, semantic maps, ...etc.)

Encourage independent learning strategies

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Sight vocabulary Words that students can recognize

instantly in reading Do not need any decoding or

pictorial clues children with a large sight

vocabulary can read more fluently and comprehend texts more easily

For very young / elementary For very young / elementary learnerslearners

The most basic / frequent words should be taught by sight

Repeated encounters in reading / wall postings

E.g. McNally & Murray’s 200 High Frequency words ((http://abcprimaryteachingresources.co.uk/downloads/104http://abcprimaryteachingresources.co.uk/downloads/104

6-200-high-frequency-words-mcnally-murray.html6-200-high-frequency-words-mcnally-murray.html))

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The Ladybird Key Words The Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme (Peter and Reading Scheme (Peter and

Jane books)Jane books) E.g. The first book uses the 12 key

words repeatedly ("Here is Peter", "Peter is here", "Here is Jane", "Jane is here", "I like Peter", "I like Jane").

http://www.theweeweb.co.uk/ladybird/key_words_reading_scheme.php

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Using a variety of techniques in explicit Using a variety of techniques in explicit teachingteaching

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Learning Word PartsLearning Word Parts

1.1. Prefix: Prefix: added to the frontadded to the front2.2. Root: Root: carries main meaningcarries main meaning

3.3. Suffix: Suffix: changes part of changes part of speechspeech

Trans / port / ationprefi

xroot suffix

How many words can you How many words can you make?make?pre-

re-re-

inter-

omni- -scient

-cede

-tain

-scribe

-vene

bene-

con- -fit

sub-

Some word parts and their Some word parts and their meaningmeaning

Reference: www.prefixsuffix.com

Some common suffixes Some common suffixes that form adjectivesthat form adjectives

Some common suffixes Some common suffixes that form nounsthat form nouns

Resources for learning Resources for learning word partsword parts

www.prefixsuffix.comwww.prefixsuffix.com Roots of English – downloadable Roots of English – downloadable

softwaresoftware

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Rhyming words in Rhyming words in songs / poemssongs / poems

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Rhyming words in Rhyming words in songs / poemssongs / poems

Emphasize the combination of Emphasize the combination of wordswords

PEOPLE ACTION OBJECT PLACE

doctor examine patients health centre

restaurant

train station

park

Emphasize the Emphasize the combinability of wordscombinability of wordsPEOPLE ACTION OBJECT PLACE

doctor examine patients health centre

customerswaiters

dineserve customers

restaurant

train driver pull up train train station

gardener grow / trim plants park

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

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To sum up… Teach and consolidate the 2000

most frequent words Encourage students to become

independent learners Provide students with a variety of

vocabulary building activities Encourage students to read widely Train students on using vocabulary

learning strategies … …

Vocabulary Assessment Vocabulary Assessment ToolsTools

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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Peer Discussion of Peer Discussion of AssignmentAssignment

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