UNIT 2

TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY

WHAT IS VOCABULARY?

Vocabulary is all the words we teach to the students to create new language

WHY TEACH VOCABULARY?

Studies have shown that reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge are strongly
correlated, and researchers have found that word knowledge in elementary school can predict
how well the students will be able to comprehend texts they read in high school.

Direct vocabulary instruction is useful for students at all ability levels, but it is particularly useful
for beginning students who have limited reading vocabulary learning outside of school.

HOW DO WE TEACH TO STUDENTS TO ACQUIRE WORDS?

TECHNIQUES TO TEACH VOCABULARY FOR BEGINNERS:

1. Pointing: Teacher can use flashcard or power point presentation to show the item that
they want to teach.

2. Substitution: There are two ways to substitute the words:

• Synonyms: We substitute one word students are familiar with or another

new one. Example: When you call someone, do you sometimes have
to wait? You have to hold.

• Antonym: We substitute one word they are familiar with its opposite.
Example: Is a Ferrari a cheap car? No it’s an expensive car.

3. Miming and TPR: This technique works great with kinesthetic learners. TPR works well
with parts of the body (I’m touching my nose! Touch your nose!), actions
(I’m walking to the door), and the imperative commands (Sit down! Stand up!)

4. Realia (objects and material from everyday life, especially when used as teaching aids):
The using of realia can motivate the beginners to learn. It’s fun and sets a more natural
learning environment.

Sparkle
Vocabulary
Puzzle

Kind of
Activities to
Teach
Vocabulary Spelling Bulls-
to Beginners eye

Guess the
Word

Sparkle: Before we do this activity have all members of the class stand up
Choose a spelling word and have each student say one letter to spell out the word.
After the last letter has been said the next student says sparkle and the next student in line is out
of the game
For example: Word = Cat, Student 1 - 'C', Student 2 - 'A', Student 3 'T', Student 4 - ' Sparkle',
Student 5 is out!

Spelling Bulls-eye: Divide the class into 2 groups

Each member of the group try to spell the target word one by one
The winner is the group which can spell the word correctly and fast.
The winner uses a soft ball (or scrunched up paper) and throw it a bulls-eye (circular target) and
make points for their team.
Guess the Word

• Let the students sit in their chairs.

• Give each one a list of words, student A gives a definition or sentence but does not say
the target word.
• Student B has to guess what the word is

Vocabulary Puzzle

• Write some words on a large cards and put it random

• Teacher give the definition of one word
• Students should find a word with the definition that the teacher already given

TEACHING VOCABULARY TO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

• Use worksheets. Have learners complete fill in the blanks exercises. Create matching
exercises for your learners matching words to simple definitions. Create crosswords with words
and simple definitions.
• Have learners create learner dictionaries with sample sentences for each word they include
so they can see them in context. Have the learners organize the words in their dictionary
alphabetically, by theme, or by parts of speech, or by some other way that makes sense to
them.
• Find words in a text that fit into certain categories, for example, find all the “time” words in the
text. Or find all the words that describe the main character.
• Play games: The Category Game. All class members except one are given a card with a
category on it. They take turns giving the “guesser” (the learner who did not get a card) clues by
saying words that would fit into that category until the “guesser” guesses the category.
Guessing games: I’m thinking of… (One learner describes something and the others guess the
word).
• Use pair dictations with your learners. Take a short text that includes the new vocabulary
words in context. Make two separate versions of the text, alternating blanks and text. Learners
work in pairs, taking turns reading the text to their partner or writing what their partner says to
them to complete the text. When they have completed it, they can compare their opposite copies
of the text to check for accuracy.
• Running dictations. Post a text that includes the new vocabulary words in context at the front
of the room. Divide the class up into teams. One person on each team should be the scribe and
sit at a desk at the back of the room. The rest of the team takes turns running to the front of the
room, reading a phrase or sentence and then running back to the scribe to dictate the sentence.
When all teams are finished, have them compare their text to the original and correct the errors.
• Make connections among words
* Work with learners to determine synonyms and antonyms for vocabulary words
* Use analogies
* Compare slang to regular words and create charts for them to keep track of vocabulary.
*Help learners create word maps, connecting new vocabulary to vocabulary they already know.
* Have learners arrange the words on some kind of a scale, for example, adjectives with negative
connotation to positive connotation.
• Encourage learners to use words outside of class. Assign certain vocabulary words to be
used each week.
• Encourage learners to do journal writing on a regular basis. Give them a number of
vocabulary words to incorporate into their journal writing each week.
• Teach your learners to use context clues to learn new vocabulary in texts.
Context clues are hints about the meaning of new word that are provided in the text around the
new word. Context clues can include definitions, restatements, examples, or descriptions. Using
context clues will help learners figure out the meanings of many new.

TEACHING VOCABULARY TO ADVANCED LEVEL

Maybe, the problem is not the communication in advanced students because they can do it very
well, they have learnt all the basic structures of the language; the main issue is the vocabulary
which is not enough to express clearly and appropriately in a range wide situation.
Students have a receptive knowledge of a wider range of vocabulary which is they can recognize
both the item and its meaning; nonetheless, their productive use of an extensive range of
vocabulary is limited. Hence, Students should able not only to understand the meaning of the
words but also to use them appropriately.

The teaching of vocabulary

 Reality: The teaching of vocabulary about elementary levels is mostly incidental limited to
presenting new items
 Issue: In common or real readings and listenings texts appear new items which is an
indirected teaching of vocabulary assumes that vocabulary expansion will happen through
the practice of other language skills; nonetheless, it has been proved not enough to
ensure vocabulary expansion
 Possible solution: Lewis proposes that “vocabulary should be at the centre of language
teaching”, because “language consists of grammaticalised lexis, not lexicalized grammar”.

We have to consider some several aspects of lexis that need to be taken into account when
teaching vocabulary.
The aim to teach vocabulary must be more than simply covering a certain number of words on a
word list, for that reason we must use teaching techniques and also we have to give to the
learners the opportunities to use the items learnt and help them to use effective written storage
systems.