Running Head: TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY

ACQUISITION THROUGH THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2

CLASSROOM

Teaching Word Formation and Vocabulary Acquisition

Through the use of Morphology in the L2 Classroom
Evan McDonald
University of Southern Mississippi

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

Abstract
This essay investigates the use of word formation and morphology in the foreign language
classroom. While further study is needed in this area, a strategic focus on derivational
morphemes by students in FL programs provides significant benefits for future vocabulary
acquisition while not taking away from other important acquisition strategies. This essay looks at
the specific benefits of teaching morphology in the classroom, specifically focusing on
derivational morphemes and the hierarchical structure of word formation.

Keywords: morphology, derivational morphemes, vocabulary acquisition strategies, word

formation

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

3
3

Teaching Word Formation and Vocabulary Acquisition Through the use of Morphology
in the L2 Classroom
Our ability to learn language is truly remarkable. As Stephen Pinker suggests (2007),
even while a three year old is considered incompetent at the visual arts, religious iconography
and the other staples of the semiotics curriculum he or she is still a language genius (p. 5). In
fact, by the time the average student graduates from high school, it is estimated that he or she
will have acquired some forty-five thousand words to his or her vocabulary and also have the
ability to create an unlimited number of sentences (Pinker, 2010, p. 143)(Pulvermller, 2009, p.
171). When one looks at learning a second language (L2), however, language acquisition does
not seem to come as easily, especially with age being a factor. Long lists of words to memorize,
stacks of flashcards and repetition are typically the first thoughts that come to mind.
Many linguists share the idea that each individual has an innate sense of a universal
grammar (UG) that helps him or her to speak any language. According to Whong et al. (2013),
Universal Grammar is the idea that one may see many commonalities in language (p. 4). This is
especially true when an English L1 speaker looks at Spanish as a second language (L2).
However, one question that could be posed is whether or not focusing on these commonalities
could be beneficial in L2 acquisition. In this essay, I will look at the use of a pedagogical and
descriptive grammatical approach to focus on and teach students of Spanish as a foreign
language (FL) the rules of word formation. I will do this by looking, in particular, at derivational
and inflectional morphologies as well as the hierarchical structure of words as referenced in
chapter two of An Introduction to Language by Fromkin et al. (2013). To accomplish this, I will
define derivational and inflectional morphologies and explain how they relate to a languages
hierarchical structure of words. Next, I will explain how a study of morphemes and hierarchical

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

4
4

structure can benefit the Spanish L2 learner in terms of depth of knowledge. Finally, I will
explain how the information on morphological concepts could be used in the foreign language
classroom to promote an acquisition of the target language (TL) while incorporating ACTFL
Foreign Language Standards.
When focusing on teaching word formation in the classroom, one area that could and has
already proven to be very beneficial is a focus on derivational and inflectional morphologies. In
their article on L2 learning methods for beginners of Spanish, Sagarra and Alba (2006) suggest
that, learning techniques that require deeper processing through form and meaning associations
yield the best retention (p. 228). Derivational and inflectional morphologies require such things.
Derivational morphology is the idea that one can take a bound morpheme and add it to the base
of a word to create a derived word that has new meaning (Fromkin, 2007, p. 44). This
morphological action is utilized many times in an L1 English speakers daily speech without the
individual even realizing it. Examples of this could include the addition of the derivational suffix
ist. When one takes the words commune, art, general, for example, and adds the suffix ist,
one creates three entirely new words (communist, artist, generalist). By adding the derivational
suffix, the three new words all refer to people whereas none of the three words did before.
Inflectional morphology, although similar to derivational morphology, uses morphemes
as a strictly grammatical function (Fromkin, 2007, p. 46). In this sense, a morpheme (the
smallest part of a word that has meaning) may show tense (adding ed to a word) or agreement
to a subject (adding s to a word in the example, she likes). While both of these types of
morphological concepts are taught in the Spanish L2 classroom, inflectional morphology is
taught at a far greater rate (Morin, 2006, p. 170). Spanish L2 teaching is rich with inflectional
morphology, especially at the end of the verb where the suffix must agree to the subject

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

5
5

(example: ella habla). This type of morphology is taught at the beginning level and continues
throughout ones acquisition of the target language.
Both derivational and inflectional morphologies highly relate to the hierarchical structure
of words. Hierarchical structure refers to how and when both derivational and inflectional
morphemes can be attached to a root word. Using the derivational suffix ist again, one knows
that ist is added to nouns to make a new noun referring a person. It is not, however, added to a
verb. One does not construct the word drawist from the verb draw for example. This type of
focus on the L2 language in the FL classroom brings many benefits to the second language
learner.
While the idea of a more focused approach to word formation has not been researched in
great depth, Regina Morin (2006), of The College of New Jersey, investigated the concentrated
approach to applying derivational morphology in the classroom. In her study on building depth
of a Spanish L2 students vocabulary, she found that explicit strategy instructionmay yield
immediate benefits in the areas of receptive and productive knowledge of Spanish derivational
morphology (depth of knowledge) but not in vocabulary size (breadth of knowledge) (p. 170).
However, this is with the assumption that two related words are not different words. While this
could be the case with inflectional morphemes such as adding an s to make a plural (example of
morpheme and morphemes), it would seem logical that words with derivational morphemes are
separate and distinct (example: certain vs. certainty).
Regardless of the definition of what constitutes a different word, it is clear that sight
words must be acquired in some manner before one can look at its morphological derivations.
This is shown in Morins (2006) study of using derivational morphology in the classroom in
which the experimental group of students focusing on word formation did not outperform the

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

6
6

control group in regards to sight words (p. 177). According to Helman and Burns (2008),
knowledge of sight words refers to the acquisition of a set of words that students can retrieve
quickly and automatically as they read texts (p. 14). It is because of this that more attention is
given to developing strategies to assist students in the acquisition of sight words and grammar
rather than analyzing word formation (Whitley, 2004, p. 163).
However, Morin presents many specific benefits that her experimental group acquired
from a focus on derivational morphology. She explains that when one knows a word, he or she
knows its spoken and written form, its position, its function, and its conceptual and
associational meanings (p. 171). In her study, she used third semester Spanish students because,
as she explains, to analyze word formation, one has to have acquired some vocabulary (sight
words)(p. 171). The study showed that students who were presented a focused approach on word
formation (derivational morphology, hierarchical structure) outperformed the control group in
creating possible words in addition to the actual words seen on the exam as well as creating a
larger variety of words (p. 178). The experimental group was also able to recognize more word
families and do more with related words than the control group was (p. 179).
It is important to note that, in this study, both the controlled and experimental groups
increased the breadth of their vocabulary. While this does not suggest that a focus on word
formation will dramatically increase ones ability to acquire sight words, it does show that an
increased focus on word formation in the classroom does not take away from the students ability
to acquire such words. This suggests that the foreign language teacher can still focus on the
benefits teaching word formation while not losing the effectiveness of teaching new sight word
vocabulary.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

7
7

Whitleys (2004) study, Lexical Errors and the Acquisition of Derivational

Morphology in Spanish, agree with Morins premise that there are a number of benefits to
acquiring a morphologic knowledge of Spanish L2 words in the classroom. In his study, he found
that a morphologic knowledge of Spanish L2 words decreased the number of lexicosematic
errors that advanced students made (p. 170). These errors are made when students attempt to
apply patterns that they know in order to fill in lexical gaps (Whitley, 2004, p. 163) such as
using the Spanish word jarra (a pitcher for beverages) to refer to a pitcher in baseball (lanzador).
In this case, a focus on word formation would help the student that knows the root word lanzar
to apply the derivational morphem or/-ora and make a prediction as to the correct vocabulary to
use in this situation.
The important role that word formation and morphology play in ones acquisition of
vocabulary is not the only area that researchers have been focusing on. In a study done at the
elementary grade level, it was found that students that analyzed word formations developed
higher reading comprehension scores and that this relationship grew even more with age (Kieffer
and Lesaux, 2007, p. 138). This is in line with Morins recommendation to teach Spanish L2
word formations in more advanced classes (p. 171). As students develop a greater knowledge in
the classroom of how Spanish words are formed, they are able to use that knowledge to deduce
meanings of related words, create new vocabulary from their current vocabulary and create a
larger variety of words as well as reduce the number of lexicosemantic errors that are made while
still acquiring new vocabulary in the classroom.
The question now arises as to how to teach word formation, focusing on derivational
morphology and hierarchical structure, in the Spanish L2 classroom in a way that the student can
best use morphological strategies to benefit in the previous ways described. Sagarra and Alba

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

8
8

offer three ways in which beginners of the TL can acquire vocabulary. The rote memorization
method consists of learning the Spanish equivalent to the English word and continuing to
practice that particular word. The semantic mapping method uses diagrams to present L1 words
with their L2 equivalents. Lastly, the keyword method involves associating the novel L2 word
with an L1 keyword that is acoustically and orthographically similar, and then connecting the L1
keyword with the L1 translation of the L2 word (p. 228-229). For example, looking back at the
noun lanzador (baseball pitcher), one could associate the L2 word with the L1 word lasagna and
then associate the L1 word with the meaning of the L2 word (The pitcher pitched a piece of
lasagna at the batters face.) In the authors studies, it was found that the keyword method was the
most successful at L2 vocabulary acquisition and retention. However, this strategy does not look
at the morpheme or which lets the student know that this relates to other nouns of people that do
things, much like actor (a person that acts), diseador (a person that designs), and programador
(a person that programs).
Another popular strategy used for Spanish L2 vocabulary acquisition is through a reading
approach in which students create definitions of unfamiliar words and find meaning through
context. In his study, Barcroft found that students involved in intentional L2 vocabulary
learning during reading acquired more vocabulary than those that did not do so intentionally
or who, instead, searched for synonyms to the unfamiliar L2 words (Barcroft, 2009, p. 79). While
this is also a good strategy for L2 vocabulary acquisition, it would help to have a morphologic
knowledge of the unfamiliar word coupled with its context in the reading. In this sense, the
student could use his or her knowledge to reason that a word is a noun, for example (based on its
derivational morpheme), and search for adjectives and verbs that would better explain the
unfamiliar noun.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

9
9

Schmitt (1997) summarizes these strategies (and others) into four groups; cognitive,
metacognitive, social and memory (p. 199-227). In Morins article on the use of derivational
morphology in the classroom, these language acquisition strategies are summarized (p. 172).
Social strategies require interaction with others to improve acquisition. Memory strategies
attempt to relate new information to already acquired information. Cognitive and metacognitive
strategies emphasize both the manipulation of the language and the best way to analyze and
study the L2. Morin points out that, since, a new strategy has been developed which directly
relates to both Barcrofts study on the intentional L2 vocabulary learning and keyword
method referenced by Sagarra and Alba in which the student discovers the meaning of a new
word without recourse to another persons expertise and also makes a distinction between
vocabulary activities that are useful for the initial discovery of a words meaning (Discovery
Strategies) and those that are useful for remembering the word once it has been introduced
(Consolidation Strategies) (p. 172). This strategy is known as the Determination Strategy and
was also coined by Schmitt. Morins studies showed that, when coupling these strategies with a
focus on word formation and derivational morphology, students L2 acquisition far exceeded their
peers that did not analyze word formations (p. 179). Furthermore, the author explains that these
strategies are not difficult to implement in the foreign language classroom as long as the teacher
focuses on activities that both teach new vocabulary (sight words) while continuing to allow the
student to act independently in analyzing the target language (p. 180).
The next question to logically ask is how these strategies can be implemented in a
Spanish L2 course while focusing on word formation. One activity that the teacher could focus
on would be a reading activity. The teacher could have students work in pairs (social strategy) to
read a short story. In the short story, the teacher could have certain vocabulary words underlined.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

10
10

While reading the short story, students can focus on the underlined words within a contextual
framework to guess the meaning (intentional reading). First, they could identify the words parts
of speech (i.e. noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.) and explain how they know the part of speech
(based on derivational morphemes). Next, the teacher can have students make word lists based
on commonalities (Example: all of these words end in dad, all of these words start with des,
etc.). Students can discuss (interpersonal communication) the commonalities of the words with
each other and then present their findings with the teacher (presentational communication). Then,
the teacher can lead them to discover the meaning of the derivational morpheme and critically
think about other forms of the root word before having students go back to attempt to find the
meaning of the unfamiliar words. Finally, the teacher can work with students to create memory
devices for these newly acquired words in order to store them in long-term memory.
An activity such as this is very beneficial in the FL classroom in several respects. First, it
incorporates several of the recommended strategies above. There is intentional reading where
students use a contextual framework to search for meaning. Students are using social strategies
while trying to deduce word meanings (both interpersonal and presentational communication).
Students utilize memory strategies to attain the newly acquired vocabulary. Students utilize
cognitive strategies in manipulating L2 roots and their morphemes to create new words and they
also use metacognitive strategies while focusing on derivational morphemes and word formation
which can then be used to discover new, unfamiliar vocabulary in the future (see Appendix A for
a complete lesson plan).
Like the first example of utilizing strategies while focusing on word formation, the
teacher has a great opportunity to use music as the topic for analysis. One great benefit to
analyzing a song in the TL is that many songs have a rhythm and rhyme. This makes word

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

11
11

grouping much easier for the student. Students could use the same steps as above and receive
the same benefits as well, but in a different context that keeps the course interesting.
Another great example for the more advanced student would be through the use of poetry.
In this lesson, the teacher could use the topic of whichever unit he or she is on. The teacher could
focus the lesson on particular derivational (or inflectional) morphemes. First, the teacher could
explain what certain morphemes mean and give examples in a presentation format. Then, the
teacher could have students study the target vocabulary to search for words with the morphemes
discussed in class. Students could do this with a partner or in small groups to encourage
interpersonal communication. Then, the teacher could add target words to the screen and have
students use cognitive strategies to change the words part of speech. Finally, the teacher could
have students work together to create a poem that utilizes new vocabulary and allows students to
use other derivations of the target words to their creative liking.
Like the previous examples, this type of activity has a strong focus on intentionally
analyzing word formation. However, it still utilizes other strategies that facilitate vocabulary
acquisition; repetition, cognitive reasoning (critical thinking) and social strategies. The teacher
could also add a keyword strategy approach to the lesson by requiring students to use memory
devices in their poem to which the poem helps them remember newly acquired vocabulary (see
Appendix B for a complete lesson plan).
It is important to note that, with any activity, a great consideration should be given to the
foreign language standards presented by ACTFL: Communication, Culture, Connections,
Comparisons, Communities (National Standards, 2010). Whether the teacher is focusing on
grammar, reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary acquisition, or a combination of
objectives, one should continue to incorporate educational standards that are set. The preceding

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

12
12

examples look to stimulate communication while making comparisons and, especially in the
case of reading comprehension and analysis, an emphasis in culture can be made.
As seen above, teaching foreign language is not an easy task. There are many
considerations to take into account in order to provide the best learning environment for the L2
language learner. A focus on word formation, or more specifically derivational and inflectional
morphologies, is one more piece of the linguistic puzzle that students can greatly benefit from in
the foreign language classroom. It is important to note that this essay was not intended to focus
on what is already taking place in so many classrooms. For that reason, inflectional morphology
was defined but strategies were not discussed in depth as many strategies are being utilized daily
in the classroom (Morin, 2006, p. 170). A greater benefit arises when students not only focus on
inflectional morphemes of the Spanish TL but the entire hierarchical structure of Spanish word
formation, which includes derivational morphology. By adding these strategies to the FL
classroom, students will develop abilities to analyze future unfamiliar words and acquire
meaning on their own while improving skills in not only reading comprehension but writing and
aural skills as well. As more research is done in the area of word formation analysis, teachers
will be better equipped to present information to L2 language learners.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

13
13

References:
Barcroft, J. (2009). Effects of synonym generation on incidental and intentional L2 vocabulary
learning during reading. TESOL Quarterly, 43(1). 79-103.
Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., Hyams, N. (2007). An introduction to language, 10th edition. New
York, NY: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Helman, L. A., Burns, M. K. (2006). What does oral language have to do with it? Helping young
English language learners aquire a sight word vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 62(1),
14-19.
Kieffer, M. J., Lesaux, N. K. (2007). Breaking down words to build meaning: Morphology,
vocabulary and reading comprehension in the urban classroom. The Reading Teacher,
61(2). 134-144.
Morin, R. (2006). Building depth of Spanish L2 vocabulary by building and using word families.
Hispana, 89(1), 170-182.
National standards for foreign language education. (2010). In American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages. Retrieved from http://www.actfl.org/node/192
Pinker, S. (2007). The language instinct. New York, NY: Harper Perennial Modern Classics.
Pulvermller, F. (2009). Brain embodiment of syntax and grammar: Discrete combinatorial
mechanisms spelt out in neuronal circuits. Brain & Language, 112(3), 167-179.
Sagarra, N., Alba, M. (2006). The key is in the keyword: L2 vocabulary learning methods with
beginning learners of Spanish. The Modern Language Journal, 90(2), 228-243.
Schmitt, N. (1997). Vocabulary learning strategies. Vocabulary: Description, acquisition and
pedagogy, 199-227.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

14
14

Whitley, S. (2004). Lexical errors and the acquisition of derivational morphology in spanish.
Hispania 87(1). 163-172.
Whong, M., Gil, K., Marsden, H. (2013). Universal grammar and the second language
classroom. New York: Springer.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

15
15

Appendix A
Activity Plan: Spanish I
TEACHER: Evan McDonald
GRADE: 9
SUBJECT: Spanish I
PERIOD: 1
UNIT: La familia (the family)
DURATION OF ACTIVITY: 50 minutes
TEXTBOOK: Descubre I Media Edit. (Jos Blanco)
I. ANTICIPATORY SET
REVIEW: For a review, students will enter the classroom and see the review assignment posted
on the Smart Projector. Directions will state that students should look at pictures and decide how
person A is related to person/s B (answers will vary). Students should be using newly acquired
vocabulary of possessive adjectives from chapter 3 to construct sentences by writing them down
and then discussing what they think with their partner (interpersonal communication). After five
minutes, the teacher will call on students to share what they have come up with (presentational
communication).
AFFECTIVE HOOK:
1.1 Students have just finished imaginary family tree projects for which they discussed
imaginary family members, their age, and what each one likes to do. The teacher will remind
students of the family trees and ask students to explain what some of their relatives (imaginary)
like to do as a review. Then, the teacher will pose a new question by asking the students
(switching to L1) If __________(students name) _______________(relative) likes to
____________(action), then what would be a good profession for him (or her).
TEACHER: Chicos, If __________(students name) _______________(relative) likes
to ____________(action), then what would be a good profession for him (or her).
Standards:
- Communication Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and
obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
- Communication Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and
spoken language on a variety of topics.
- Communication Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas
to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
II. PURPOSE:
IMPORTANCE/RELEVANCE OF ACTIVITY:
2.1
In this activity, students will focus on the derivational morphemes or/-ora and ista as they
acquire/review vocabulary associated with relatives and careers. This will lead to a students
understanding of word formation for future vocabulary acquisition and word play.
This lesson is very relevant to students as they will be able to describe not only who their family
members are and what they like to do, but will be able to add to their dialogue by discussing
family members occupations. They will incorporate a cultural element by analyzing similarities
between their own families and Latin American families.
THIS ACTIVITY IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH DERIVATIONAL MORPHEMES FOUND IN
CHAPTER 2 OF FROMKINS AN INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE (2007, p. 44-46)
In this section, the authors shows the use of adding the derivational morpheme cation as
an example where one takes a verb (purify) and makes it a noun by changing the derivational
morpheme ify (to make pure) to cation (the process of making pure). This example has been
changed to suit a Spanish I class while teaching them the same concept. In this case, the student
is taking nouns and verbs (such as arte and pintar) and changing the word formation with
derivational morphemes or/-ora and ista to create words that state people that do art and
people that paint. Examples include artista (person who does art) and pintor (person who
paints).
III. ACTIVITY
3.1 Objective: At the completion of this activity, students will be able to:
- Identify derivational morphemes or and ista
- Compare the derivational morphemes or and ista with their English equivalents
- Identify parts of speech between verbs and nouns
- Compare and contrast the jobs of family members in a Hispanic family with those from
the students families.
- Develop reading comprehension strategies through the use of derivational morphemes
3.1 Standards:
- Communication Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain
information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
- Communication Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken
language on a variety of topics.
- Communication Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an
audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
- Cultures Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship
between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
- Connections Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other
disciplines through the foreign language.
- Comparison Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language
through comparisons of the language studied and their own.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
-

Comparison Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture

through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

3.1 Procedure:
- The teacher will pass the daily handout that includes a short story about a student talking
about her family members and what they like to do. The story will include verbs and
nouns that are underlined.
- The teacher will instruct students to read the short story with their table partner
(interpersonal communication) and write next to each underlined word what they believe
the part of speech is.
o Teacher: Chicos, you are going to read this story about Lola. Do you notice
the underlined words? As you read through this story, try to guess, by the
context of what Lola is talking about, what part of speech the word is. Is it a
noun? A verb? An adjective? Work with your partner and write what you
think beside the underlined words.
- When students have had an ample amount of time to read and analyze the underlined
words, the teacher will call on students to read stanza by stanza. When one student has
finished reading the stanza, the teacher will call on another student to share with the class
whether or not the underlined word is a verbo (verb) or sustantivo (noun).
- After the student has stated whether or not the underlined word is a verbo or
sustantivo, the teacher will ask the class, as a whole, if they concur with the assessment
before moving on to the next stanza.
o Now lets read together. Who can read the first stanza? (pick somebody).
o Great! Who can share what part of speech ____________ (underlined word)
is? (call on somebody).
o Raise your hand if you had _________(part of speech) Muy bien! And the
second blank? (call on somebody).
o Perfecto! Who can read the second stanza?
o (repeat dialogue until the story has been completed and students have
guessed the parts of speech)
- The teacher will repeat this process until the entire short story has been read.
o **This may be more difficult for the first few students. As the process continues,
students should see similarities in the underlined words making the process easier.
-

Next, the teacher will have students go back and write, next to each of the underlined
words, what each underlined word means. (example: pintar = verbo, to paint // pintor =
sustantivo, painter). The teacher should encourage students to look at the context of the
story as well as the parts of speech to guess the underlined words meanings. Students
will work with their partner again to promote interpersonal communication in the TL.
o Teacher: Okay clase, now go back with your partner and see if you can figure
out the meanings of these words based on the fact that you now know what
part of speech they are and you can look at the context around the blanks.
Take a couple of minutes to do this with your partner and write the English
word next to the Spanish underlined word!

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
-

After a sufficient amount of time, the teacher will call on students to share with the class
what the underlined words mean and how they could guess the word (i.e. context of the
story, cognate, etc.)
o Teacher: Okay, who can tell me, Qu significa la primera palabra en
ingls? (call on somebody)
o Clase, raise your hand if thats what you had too!
o Muy bien. How did you figure out the meaning of the word?
o (Repeat through the short story.)
Next, the teacher will point students to the last three questions on the front page of the
handout.
o A word that ends in or talks about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is
_____________ (masculine, feminine, both).
o A word that ends in ora talks about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is
_____________ (masculine, feminine, both).
o A word that ends in ista talks about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is
_____________ (masculine, feminine, both).

The teacher will have students fill in the blank with their partner before asking the class
as a whole.
o Teacher: Lets look at the last three statements. A word that ends in or talks
about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is _____________
(masculine, feminine, both). Talk to your partner
o Now, A word that ends in ora talks about a ____________ (person, place,
thing) that is _____________ (masculine, feminine, both).
o Finally, A word that ends in ista talks about a ____________ (person, place,
thing) that is _____________ (masculine, feminine, both).
o What did you and your partner come up with?

The teacher will then explain that, in Spanish, one can take a root word and add the
derivational morpheme (the teacher can explain derivational morpheme as ending) or
ora or ista to talk about a person that does something like a job.
o Muy bien clase. Do we see a pattern with endings in Spanish? When we add
or to the root word in Spanish, we typically talk about a person, masculine,
that does a certain thing or profession. For example, If
___________(students name) pinta, he paints, then he is a pintor!
o Likewise, When we add ora to the root word in Spanish, we typically talk
about a person, FEMININE, that does a certain thing or profession. For
example, If ___________(students name) pinta, SHE paints, then SHE is a
pintORA!
o Now, we can do the same with ista! When we add ista to the root word in
Spanish, we typically talk about a person, MASCULINE OR FEMININE,
that does a certain thing or profession. For example, If
___________(students name) likes arte, he (or she) likes art, then he (or
she) may be an artISTA

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
-

Then, the teacher will instruct students to search (using www.wordreference.com) on

their phones, ipads or computers, other jobs that end in or/-ora or ista and fill in the
blank as shown below:
o Un/a _______________(noun) es una persona que ______________(verb).
Example: Una escritora es una persona que escribe.
The teacher will give students time to look up jobs and fill in the blanks. The teacher will
also allow students to work with their partner to find these jobs.
o Teacher: Now, lets see if you can find examples of jobs that end in or, -ora,
or -ista that your relatives might do. Using your phone, tablet or computer,
you and your partner should fill in the blanks of the following three
sentences.

The teacher will call on some students to share what they have researched and found.
o Teacher: What did we find? (call on students)

Finally, the teacher will pass a homework handout that requires students to fill in the
blanks with the job that each person may have according to the description of the
sentence.
The teacher will ask if there are any questions and then have the class self assess by
asking students what they have learned in this lesson.
o Teacher: Great job clase! Now, lets assess ourselves. Talk to your partner
and tell him or her what happens when we add the endings or, -ora, or ista
to a root word?
o Will this work for every job/profession? Heres a hint Does it word for
every job/profession in English?
o What do you think about the jobs we have discussed on your handout and
other jobs we have discussed in class? How do Lolas families jobs compare
to jobs that we have here in the United States?
o Now, your homework for next class is to fill in the blank of the following
sentences (pass out homework sheet). Use the context of the sentence to
figure out the occupation. If you need to use www.wordreference.com, you
are allowed to do so.

3.1 Materials:
- Smart Projector and Computer
- PowerPoint Slide (for warm up)
- Student computers, tablets or cell phones
- 2 Handouts
3.1 Assessment:
- Students will be assessed while teacher observes interpersonal communication of
students, while teacher interacts with students through presentational communication and
through the form of a homework handout.
- Teacher will ask students for a self-assessment of the meaning of the endings or/-ora and
ista as well as when they are used and what type of speech they are used as.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
-

Teacher will give students the homework assignments for the next class *Also written on
the whiteboard

IV. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

The following class, as a follow up activity, the teacher should review the homework handout
with the students to assess student acquisition of the derivational morphemes presented in class
to ensure that students are on the correct path to mastering the formations or/-ora and ista.
As another follow up to this activity, the teacher could look at the inflectional morphemes found
in the names of relatives (example: primo vs. prima) to further explain Spanishs focus on gender
and number. The teacher could use this activity to show students the difference between the two
types of morphemes (derivational and inflectional) in that one ending changes the whole part of
speech while the other keeps the same part of speech and only changes the reference to the
subject.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
Warm-up slide for the beginning of class.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
Nombre: ______________________
Hora:_________________________
Fecha:________________________
The meaning of endings
1) Read the following story about Lola and her family with your partner. Once you have finished,
go back and look at the underlined words. Based on the context of the story, write what part of
speech you believe the underlined words to be.
Hola! Soy Lola. Soy de Argentina y tengo una familia muy grande.
Mi pap se llama Diego. Le gusta jugar bsquetbol y juega en la NBA.
Mi pap es basquetbolista
Mi mam es Ana. A ella le gusta pintar cosas como La Mona Lisa.
Ella es pintora.
Mi hermano mayor se llama Jess. Le gusta construir edificios (buildings) y casas.
Mi hermano mayor es constructor.
Mi hermana se llama Mara y ella edita un peridico.
Es editora y periodista.
Y mi hermano menor se llama Hctor. l toca el piano.
Mi hermano menor es pianista.
2) Now, go back and write what you think each underlined word means.
3) Based on what you know about endings, fill in the blank of the following statements:
A word that ends in or talks about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is
_____________ (masculine, feminine, both).
A word that ends in ora talks about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is
_____________ (masculine, feminine, both).
A word that ends in ista talks about a ____________ (person, place, thing) that is
_____________ (masculine, feminine, both).

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
Nombre:_____________________
Hora:_______________________
Fecha:_______________________
Homework: The meaning of endings
Llenar el espacio: Fill in the blank of the following sentences using what you now know about
the endings or, -ora, and ista.
1. Mi abuelo dirige pelculas como Toy Story y Finding Nemo. Es ________________.
2. Mi abuela tambin (also) dirige pelculas. Es ________________.
3. Mi to analiza muchos nmeros. Es _____________________.
4. Mi ta tambin analiza nmeros. Es _____________________.
5. Mi prima programa computadoras. Es ___________________.
6. Su esposo tambin programa computadoras. Es _______________________.
7. A mi hermano le gusta contar nmeros en su trabajo. Es _________________.
8. A mi hermana tambin le gusta contar nmeros. Es ___________________.
9. A mi suegro le gusta pescar en el lago. Es ______________________.
10. Su amiga tambin le gusta pescar. Es _______________________.
11. Yo trabajo para el peridico. Soy ____________________.
12. Mi amigo, Juan, trabaja en el peridico tambin. Es __________________.
13. Mi cuado pinta casas y apartamentos. Es ____________________.
14. Mi cuada tambin pinta casas. Es ________________________.
15. El esposo de mi hermana conduce autobuses. Es __________________.
16. Mi hermana tambin conduce autobuses. Es ___________________.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
Appendix B
Activity Plan: Spanish III
TEACHER: Evan McDonald
GRADE: 11
SUBJECT: Spanish III
PERIOD: 2
UNIT: Imperfect and Preterite
DURATION OF ACTIVITY: 50 minutes
TEXTBOOK: Descubre III Media Edit. (Jos Blanco)
I. ANTICIPATORY SET
REVIEW: For a review, students will enter the classroom and see the review assignment posted
on the Smart Projector. Students will fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in
parenthesis. Each of these sentences will also be designed with the purpose of analyzing the
derivational morpheme dad in Spanish. (see PowerPoint slide attached)
AFFECTIVE HOOK:
1.1 The teacher will allow students to fill in the blank while talking to their table partners
(interpersonal communication). Then, the teacher will call on students to fill in the blank up at
the Smart Projector. Finally, the teacher will ask the class what similarities there are between all
of the sentences on the PowerPoint (-dad). This will lead to the days study of word formation
with the dad suffix.
Teacher (in target language): Chicos, please fill in the blanks with the correct
form of the verbs in parenthesis. (give time for students to answer)
Teacher: Alright. Who can come to the front and fill in the blanks at the
board? (call on volunteers)
Teacher: Perfecto! Now, what are some commonalities we see in these
sentences. In what ways are they similar (waiting for a student to talk about
the commonality of the dad suffix)
Teacher: Muy bien. Today we are going to look at that particular ending
which is known as a derivational morpheme as we continue to study the
preterite and imperfect tenses.
Standards:
- Communication Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and
obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
- Communication Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and
spoken language on a variety of topics.
- Communication Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas
to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics
II. PURPOSE:
IMPORTANCE/RELEVANCE OF ACTIVITY:
2.1
Students have just finished studying the preterite and imperfect tenses as well as when each tense
is used and it is time to review. This review will lead to a study of the Spanish derivational
phoneme dad, which students will learn and use in a cognitive strategy to make poetry while
using this particular morpheme.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
This lesson is designed to make the student aware of word formations so that, when future words
arise with this same derivational morpheme, students will be able to recognize it, attempt to find
the root of the word and make an educated guess as to what the meaning of the word is.
THIS ACTIVITY IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH DERIVATIONAL MORPHEMES FOUND IN
CHAPTER 2 OF FROMKINS AN INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE (2007, p. 44-46)
In this section, the authors shows the use of adding the derivational morpheme cation as
an example where one takes a verb (purify) and makes it a noun by changing the derivational
morpheme ify (to make pure) to cation (the process of making pure). This example has been
changed to suit a Spanish III class while teaching them the same concept. In this case, the student
is analyzing a specific derivational morpheme, -dad, and using it in creative ways that a student
at the Spanish III level should be able to do.
III. ACTIVITY
3.1 Objective: At the completion of this activity, students will be able to:
- Identify the derivational morphemes dad
- Compare the derivational morpheme, dad, with its English equivalents
- Identify roots of nouns ending in dad (L2)
- Express themselves in the past using preterite and imperfect tenses
3.1 Standards:
- Communication Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain
information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
- Communication Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken
language on a variety of topics.
- Communication Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an
audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
- Connections Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other
disciplines through the foreign language.
- Comparison Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language
through comparisons of the language studied and their own.

3.1 Procedure:
- The teacher will change the slide to the next slide which begins the study of the
morpheme dad.
- On the next slide, the teacher will show various root words that, when one adds dad, the
meaning of the word is changed from one part of speech to a noun, or even from one
noun to another (example: nacional / nacionalidad : national / nationality). Then the

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

teacher will have students look at the root words as well as those with the derivational
morpheme dad and state what they mean in the L1.
o Teacher: The commonality that we found in all of those sentences, the dad,
and it is known as a suffix but also as a derivational morpheme meaning that
when we add the suffix to the end of a word, we get a new meaning. Lets
look at some examples. What do these words mean?
Next, the teacher will explain that being able to change words like the examples on the
board, one can create new words and use word play in speech and writing.
o Teacher: Perfecto! What are the advantages to knowing how to form words
using the dad suffix? (allow students to respond)
o Teacher: The dad allows us to form new words without having to create a
completely new combination of sounds. It also allows us to see patterns so
that we can recognize a words part of speech as well as recognize other
words before we have even acquired them. You may have not known how to
say nacionalidad before but by knowing that the dad is equivalent to the
ity in English and by knowing the root word nacin which is a cognate for
nation, you can figure out that nacionalidad means _________(call on a
student).
After explaining the benefits to knowing derivational morphemes, the teacher will present
a poem that utilizes the morpheme dad at the end of each sentence. The poem is also in
the shape of a diamondhense the name poema diamante (diamond poem). The
teacher will call on students to read the poem in their best poetic voice.
o Teacher: Now lets look at, what I like to call, a diamond poem. This is a
poem that has to fit close the shape of a diamond. First, lets read the poem.
Then, with your partner, you will do two things. One, you will pick out words
that are in the imperfect and preterite and explain why they are in that
particular tense. Next, you will look at words that end in dad. Ask yourself
what form of speech are all of these words? What do these words mean?
The teacher will begin to call on volunteers to read the poem.
Next, the teacher will give students a change to locate verbs that are in the preterite and
imperfect as well as find the words ending in the derivational morpheme dad.
The teacher will walk around the room and assess students understanding while they are
working in pairs.
Next, the teacher will call on volunteers to give a verb that was in either the preterite or
imperfect tense and explain why using the information that students acquired from the
previous lesson on uses of the two tenses.
o Teacher: Chicos, are there volunteers who can give me one verb and the
reason why it is preterite or imperfect? Lets see (calling on students)
The teacher will transition to the words that end in dad by asking students what form of
speech all dad words are in from the poem.
o Teacher: Now, lets look at the words ending in dad. What form of speech
are these words? Are they all the same form of speech? So, when we take a
root word and add dad, what is its general meaning (leading students to dad gives a word a state or condition).
Then, the teacher will have students compare the words that end in dad (from the poem)
where their English equivalents.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

o Teacher: Now, who can tell me what the following words mean in English
that end in dad in the poem? (call on students).
Now, the teacher will explain to students that they will practice the derivational
morpheme dad in the form of poetry like they have seen modeled to them. The poem
can be about what they would like they are allowed to use their poetic license to be
creative. Explain the rules to the students with the following:
o Teacher: Now its your turn. You are going to make your own diamond poem.
You can be as creative as you can possibly be with a couple of rules. Your
poem must be ten lines and in the shape of a diamond. You must also use at
least six nouns that end with the suffix dad. Your poem needs to be in the
past tense using either preterite or imperfect depending on the situation.
Although you are working together with your partner, each of you need to
make a copy of the poem. I will give you 14 minutes and then we will present
our diamond poems.
The teacher will pass out the handout with the shape of a diamond on it so that students
can begin to write their diamond poems.
After walking around and assessing the students completeness of the activity, when it
looks as though most have finished, call the class to attention so that volunteers can come
to the front and present their poem.
o Teacher: Okay, do I have volunteers to come present their poem? While you
read your poem, take turns going back and forth with your partner.
After all groups have presented, have students trade poems with another person in the
class (that was not their original partner).
o Teacher: Now, trade your poem with somebody else in the class. This is your
homework for next class.
Explain the following homework assignment to the students:
o Just as you did with the poem on the board, you will pick out all of the verbs
in the preterite and imperfect tenses and explain, on a separate sheet of
paper, the reason for preterite/imperfect. Then, you will write out the words
that your classmate used that end in dad. Your job is to translate the
meaning of that word to English.
Ask the class if there are any questions.
o Are there any questions?
Finally, ask the class for a self-assessment of what they learned today regarding
derivational morphemes. Ask the following.
o Lets take a quick assessment to see what you have learned today. First, what
is a derivational morpheme? Talk to your partner. Second, what is the
derivational morpheme that we learned about today? Are you able to locate
it in a word? What is the equivalent in English of the Spanish dad? After
writing the poem, do you feel that you all can express yourselves in the past
tenses?
The teacher will make sure that everyone understands the requirements of the homework
before dismissing students to their next classes.

3.1 Materials:
- Smart Projector and Computer

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
-

PowerPoint Slides
Handout for students

3.1 Assessment:
- Students will be assessed while teacher observes interpersonal communication, while
teacher interacts with students through presentational communication and through the
form of a homework while they identify preterite/imperfect tense verbs as well as the
derivational morpheme -dad
- Teacher will ask students for a self-assessment (as shown above).
IV. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY
As with the first activity (Appendix A), the following class, as a follow up activity, the teacher
should review the homework that was assigned with the students to assess student acquisition of
the derivational morpheme presented in class as well as the use of preterite and imperfect.
Students could speak to each other through interpersonal communication before presenting to the
whole class on the diamond poem that they used to identify past tense verbs and the derivational
morpheme dad.
As students continue with a unit on la vida diaria (daily life), another follow up activity would
be to have students analyze their friends and familys speech and identify words that compare in
English to the Spanish dad. They can write these words down as well as the context in which
they were said (in the TL). They can come back to class and report, first interpersonally with a
partner followed by presentational communication with the class. The class can compare their
lists with the ones that are presented to see if there are any similarities or differences.

Slides to be used in class (Spanish III).

Warm-up slide.

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

Slide 2

Slide 3

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM

Nombre:___________________
Clase:_____________________

TEACHING WORD FORMATION AND VOCABULARY ACQUISITION THROUGH

THE USE OF MORPHOLOGY IN THE L2 CLASSROOM
Fecha:____________________
Poema diamante: el morfema -dad
Coloca el poema que escribieron t y tu compaer@ que utiliza el morfema dad. Recuerda que
necesitas, por lo menos, ses palabras que terminan en dad.

______________________________________________________
Ttulo

__________________
___________________________
_________________________________________
______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
_________________________________________
___________________________
__________________