Targeting Vocabulary for Junior High School

Copyright © Wondershare Software

Chemda Benisty

ETAI InternationalJuly, 2010

• Sets numerical lexical targets

• Includes suggestions to facilitate

the transition from receptive


the transition from receptive

knowledge to productive use of

target vocabulary

• Some insights from the literature

• The situation in Israel

• Syllabus design


• Syllabus design

• Presentation of the syllabus

• Pedagogical recommendations

• Questions


• It is the basis of language and crucial

for the functioning of the four skills


for the functioning of the four skills

• It is closely tied to comprehension

• Vocabulary acquisition includes the

learning of lexical chunks


learning of lexical chunks

• Corpus linguistics provides support

for this claim

Two main complementary processes for acquiring new vocabulary:


• Explicit learning

• Implicit learning

Deliberate decontextualized attention:

• Establishes the form meaning link

(Schmitt 2008)

• Facilitates acquisition within a limited


• Facilitates acquisition within a limited

time

• Results in higher gains in acquisition

• Better for the most frequently used

words

Enhances vocabulary knowledge and

the acquisition of new vocabulary while

engaging in different language activities:

• Depends on 8-15 exposures


• Depends on 8-15 exposures

• Exposures must be in frequent

intervals

Nine aspects of word knowledge

• Form: spelling, sound, and word parts

• Meaning: concepts and referents, and


• Meaning: concepts and referents, and

associations

• Use: grammatical functions, collocations,

frequency and register

Nation 2005

• Each aspect impacts both receptive

knowledge and productive use

• Productive learning involves deeper

processing of vocabulary


processing of vocabulary

• Productive learning necessitates

deliberate attention

• Depth of knowledge is as important

as vocabulary size.

• Unfortunately, most learning stops


• Unfortunately, most learning stops

following the provision of a

translation (Schmitt, 2008).


The Israeli English Curriculum for All

Grades (2001) does not incorporate a

lexical syllabus.


lexical syllabus.

• Teachers make decisions about vocabulary.

• Teachers rely on textbooks.

• Textbooks don’t necessarily have clear


• Textbooks don’t necessarily have clear criteria for vocabulary selection.

• Vocabulary is often marginalized in favor of a focus on grammar.

• To set numerical goals for vocabulary instruction

• To standardize vocabulary instruction in Israel

• To inform and improve the quality of


• To inform and improve the quality of vocabulary instruction

• To enable the assessment of students’progress


Selection Criteria


Learning burdenLearning burdenUsefulness for

TEFL

Usefulness for

TEFL

Relevance to the

learners’ world

Relevance to the

learners’ world

Frequency

This basic lexis: 2000 word families for less

proficient students by the end of JHS

Note:


Note:

This basic high frequency lexis is essential for

a variety of spoken and written texts.

ADOPT

· adopted

· adopting


· adopting

· adoption

· adoptions

· adopts

1st list

• All inflections of verbs, adjectives

and nouns

• Items familiar to learners from


• Items familiar to learners from

elementary school

• Irrelevant items for Israeli students

Exclusions

• Divided into two lists

• American English spelling preferred

with references to British spelling


with references to British spelling

• Headwords alphabetized and bolded

• Other parts of speech underlined

• Examples italicized

• Verbs proceeded by to


• Multiple meanings differentiated by

the use of lower case letters

• Spoken language given special

attention

• Lexical chunks added to most entries


• Lexical chunks added to most entries

• On a disc


1st list 2nd list

(to) categorize (categorise), category:

divide sb/ sth into categories, group

sb/ sth under categories, put sb/ sth

in/ into categories, create categories,


in/ into categories, create categories,

categories of

(to) approve/ disapprove: (a) like sb/ sth: strongly/ very much approve of sth/ sb, (b) agree to sth: formally approve, approval/ disapproval:


approve, approval/ disapproval:need/ receive/ give/ show full/ final/ written/ formal approval


• Collocations- crucial for developing productive aspects of language


• Collocational competence contributes to fluency

Note: Not all can be explicitly taught; consider level (tracking)

• Allotting time to productive aspects

• Recycling


• Recycling

• Pushing learners to produce and

make use of newly taught lexical

items

• Production contributes to vocabulary

acquisition:


� The need

� The search

� The evaluation Hulstijn and Laufer, 1995, cited in Schmitt, 2008.

• Successful production increases the

likelihood of memorization


likelihood of memorization

• Successful production impacts

motivation


Education

Targeting Vocabulary for Junior High School