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deep level. What Brown and Perry found in their research with Arabic-speaking EFL students learning English was that a combination of keyword and semantic processing methods worked best, depending in part on the language level of the student. So many words, so many approaches. The Tech Tip this month addresses some methods and some software programs that use different methods to teach vocabulary. The emphasis will be on inexpensive software and websites, where possible.
At the initial stage of recognizing that something is a word Helping associate a word and a definition in a formal way, as Coady mentions
Unfortunately, drills are also limited in application; you don't learn to use language creatively in speech and writing with plain slot-and-filler drills. Drills can be better or worse. For example, multiple media delivering the same message can create multiple paths in memory, speeding information retrieval. Multimedia drills offer text, images, sound, and motion to suit different learning styles and enhance memory. Most of the commercial offerings and many shareware/freeware programs come in game formats that encourage quick response, group work with competition or cooperation, positive attitudes (the fun factor), and habit formation. Where the message and the medium are in synch, learning is more likely to occur. Context has a large role to play, too, both in helping students learn new vocabulary and in establishing how words are actually used in speech and writing. Most drills, unfortunately, tend to take a shotgun approach to vocabulary. Words seem to be grouped into lessons according to frequency rather than according to meaning. When drills can be customized, teachers can select words that fit into a context, preferably one introduced in the classroom. A few of exceptions are ones that incorporate some reading into vocabulary, such as the SuperCloze/Hangman/Hangword in Context suite from Vance Stevens and Steve Millmore for MS-DOS (available through the CELIA archive) and NewReader from Nameless (formerly Hyperbole) Software for the Mac. These have various exercises built upon a text that learners have selected and read. Some of the quizzes at ITESL-J also have a reading or other context built in. None of these have error-checking in any major way, but they're very easy to set up and use.
A heralded advantage of computer-based over paper-based drills is the ability to offer immediate feedback to learners. This is another area where not all drills are created equal, and where most vocabulary drills don't come up to speed. Most web-based drills offer only "right" and "wrong" in feedback, a distinct limitation. As teachers/drill authors become more skilled in HTML and Java, web-based drills should improve.
Context Mapping
Creating context or semantic maps is a way to activate deeper processing of vocabulary. It's messier to do, both on paper and on the computer. A word-processor or graphics program will work, but they're easier to create with something like Inspiration from Inspiration Software. There's an interesting freeware program for Windows calledLingonets that has quite a few concept maps for different topics that students can work on.
Multimedia, with its use of text, graphics, sound, and sometimes video, offers opportunities for a variety of learning styles. Where the same content is offered in multiple media, it also builds multiple pathways in memory. More routes to the information makes it easier to recall. DynEd'sDynamic English and Dynamic Business English and Learn to Speak English from The Learning Company are ESL-specific commercial multimedia products with see-listen-record possibilities. Check for demos on the company websites. Dynamic Business English and Learn to Speak English include short videos and extensive activities in addition to vocabulary work. All of these programs set the vocabulary into a clear context.
Vocabulary Games
Many commercial multimedia programs include vocabulary games, and most of the freeware and shareware available is in game format. The "arcade-style" games encourage quick recall and response, while more contemplative or multiple-player games encourage group work with competition or cooperation. The fun factor helps build a positive attitude toward learning while habit formation is going on. Examples of games abound in the freeware and shareware arena, as well as in the commercial sector. Interesting games include Lettris, a form of Tetris where instead of geometric shapes, letters fall and must be assembled into words. Arcade-style games such as this work best with one person at a time.
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