Algirdas Makarevicius. Teaching English Vocabulary
Vocabulary and Its Importance in Language Teaching
Vocabulary is the essential means of effective communication and understanding among people. It allows us to transmit information to others, to understand and evaluate data, opinions, ideas, viewpoints, and feelings, and to express ourselves coherently and accurately. There are many ways to teach unfamiliar English vocabulary and concepts in a classroom setting.
In most cases, practicing in a particular context and describing multiple meanings is essential. I always envision a stylish setting where the words can be explained, understood, and later applied by my students, and I regularly provide examples to clarify their meanings. Then I ask the students to come up with their own examples. We repeat the acquired vocabulary a few days later.
I also practice illustration. This method is beneficial when I need to teach concrete nouns, such as a flag, an arm, a hand, a snail, a hedgehog, a padlock, pliers, scissors, and clamps. It becomes a powerful teaching method when I teach visual learners. However, showing all things is impossible, so this method has its limitations.
Presenting synonyms, analogs, and antonyms can be very productive at an intermediate and advanced level. Furthermore, imitation or mime lends itself exceptionally well when I want to introduce action verbs. This method delivers excellent outcomes, can be entertaining and engaging, and allows students to acquire new words easily and quickly.
Providing students with definitions of new concepts can be very productive, especially at an advanced level of English. I introduce new concepts by displaying them on the PowerPoint slides. I ask my students to read them aloud and construct their sentences, thus giving them a chance to practice pronunciation and learn how to use new words correctly in a sentence.
I always remember that not every word has a direct translation into the native tongue. However, allowing students to use an online translator on their smartphones, iPads, or laptops can be very beneficial at times. It enhances students' learning confidence.
When I teach, I always consider that there are four types of vocabulary usage: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening means understanding sounds and their meanings; speaking means using words in oral communication; reading means recognizing the meanings of words; and writing means using words to compose sentences or draft essays, reports, and other documents.
In a language classroom, I usually present my students with two basic word categories: incidental and intentional. Incidental words are unfamiliar words or concepts. Students grasp their meanings in context. Intentional words are carefully preselected.
There are three levels of vocabulary acquisition in foreign languages, i.e., three types of words that students acquire.
Level 1: The new words, i.e., the words that learners have never seen in the written or spoken form.
Level 2. Passive words. Passive words can be classified into the following groups:
A. The learner heard or saw the word before, but he or she is unsure about its meaning now.
B. The learner can recognize the word's meaning only when it is written.
C. The learner cannot spell the word but can pronounce it.
D. The learner can write or spell the word correctly but needs help pronouncing it.
E. The learner heard the word before or saw it written. However, the learner cannot use the word in conversation.
F. The student can only recognize the word when it is pronounced by someone; however, the student cannot spell it correctly.
Level 3: Active words, i.e., the words that the student can use fluently and correctly in most situations, in all forms.
I consider the student level, the degree of difficulty, and the frequency of use when deciding how many words to teach.
I encourage my students to utilize language-learning software. I found Grammarly very valuable. It offers several ways to help students build their vocabulary:
(1) Students can double-click for synonyms and definitions. When students are looking at a word that is almost correct and accurate, Grammarly helps them find an even better one.
(2) Grammarly enhances a student's vocabulary, i.e., often suggesting unique words that fit particular contexts perfectly well. For example, compare two sentences and see how Grammarly helped to select better words:
She has a very strange story about getting locked inside a cellar.
She has a bizarre tale about getting locked inside a basement.
(3) Grammarly automatically detects overused words. Repeated use of the same words makes our writing sound verbose, boring, old-fashioned, and monotonous. Grammarly identifies words that appear frequently in a single paragraph and recommends words that are similar but distinct.
I use various activities to encourage my students to learn and practice new words. These activities make vocabulary learning motivating and exciting. As we all know, memorizing new words is tedious and tiring. Therefore, I employ a variety of exciting vocabulary acquisition games, including spelling bees, word-matching games, sight-word learning games, and flashcards. Furthermore, I often use FreeRice in the classroom. It is a non-profit vocabulary learning website administered by the United Nations in partnership with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
Learning new vocabulary can help learners express their thoughts more effectively, write high-quality essays and letters, communicate more accurately and efficiently, understand more of what they read, and earn excellent grades. It is essential to know how to teach vocabulary effectively in the classroom, as there is a close correlation between vocabulary and intelligence. The ability to expand one's vocabulary throughout life reflects a person's intellectual progress.
Algirdas Makarevicius. Which is the Best English Writing and Editing Tool?
Vocabulary and Its Importance in Language Teaching
Vocabulary is the essential means of effective communication and understanding among people. It allows us to transmit information to others, to understand and evaluate data, opinions, ideas, viewpoints, and feelings, and to express ourselves coherently and accurately. There are many ways to teach unfamiliar English vocabulary and concepts in a classroom setting.
In most cases, practicing in a particular context and describing multiple meanings is essential. I always envision a stylish setting where the words can be explained, understood, and later applied by my students, and I regularly provide examples to clarify their meanings. Then I ask the students to come up with their own examples. We repeat the acquired vocabulary a few days later.
I also practice illustration. This method is beneficial when I need to teach concrete nouns, such as a flag, an arm, a hand, a snail, a hedgehog, a padlock, pliers, scissors, and clamps. It becomes a powerful teaching method when I teach visual learners. However, showing all things is impossible, so this method has its limitations.
Presenting synonyms, analogs, and antonyms can be very productive at an intermediate and advanced level. Furthermore, imitation or mime lends itself exceptionally well when I want to introduce action verbs. This method delivers excellent outcomes, can be entertaining and engaging, and allows students to acquire new words easily and quickly.
Providing students with definitions of new concepts can be very productive, especially at an advanced level of English. I introduce new concepts by displaying them on the PowerPoint slides. I ask my students to read them aloud and construct their sentences, thus giving them a chance to practice pronunciation and learn how to use new words correctly in a sentence.
I always remember that not every word has a direct translation into the native tongue. However, allowing students to use an online translator on their smartphones, iPads, or laptops can be very beneficial at times. It enhances students' learning confidence.
When I teach, I always consider that there are four types of vocabulary usage: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening means understanding sounds and their meanings; speaking means using words in oral communication; reading means recognizing the meanings of words; and writing means using words to compose sentences or draft essays, reports, and other documents.
In a language classroom, I usually present my students with two basic word categories: incidental and intentional. Incidental words are unfamiliar words or concepts. Students grasp their meanings in context. Intentional words are carefully preselected.
There are three levels of vocabulary acquisition in foreign languages, i.e., three types of words that students acquire.
Level 1: The new words, i.e., the words that learners have never seen in the written or spoken form.
Level 2. Passive words. Passive words can be classified into the following groups:
A. The learner heard or saw the word before, but he or she is unsure about its meaning now.
B. The learner can recognize the word's meaning only when it is written.
C. The learner cannot spell the word but can pronounce it.
D. The learner can write or spell the word correctly but needs help pronouncing it.
E. The learner heard the word before or saw it written. However, the learner cannot use the word in conversation.
F. The student can only recognize the word when it is pronounced by someone; however, the student cannot spell it correctly.
Level 3: Active words, i.e., the words that the student can use fluently and correctly in most situations, in all forms.
I consider the student level, the degree of difficulty, and the frequency of use when deciding how many words to teach.
I encourage my students to utilize language-learning software. I found Grammarly very valuable. It offers several ways to help students build their vocabulary:
(1) Students can double-click for synonyms and definitions. When students are looking at a word that is almost correct and accurate, Grammarly helps them find an even better one.
(2) Grammarly enhances a student's vocabulary, i.e., often suggesting unique words that fit particular contexts perfectly well. For example, compare two sentences and see how Grammarly helped to select better words:
She has a very strange story about getting locked inside a cellar.
She has a bizarre tale about getting locked inside a basement.
(3) Grammarly automatically detects overused words. Repeated use of the same words makes our writing sound verbose, boring, old-fashioned, and monotonous. Grammarly identifies words that appear frequently in a single paragraph and recommends words that are similar but distinct.
I use various activities to encourage my students to learn and practice new words. These activities make vocabulary learning motivating and exciting. As we all know, memorizing new words is tedious and tiring. Therefore, I employ a variety of exciting vocabulary acquisition games, including spelling bees, word-matching games, sight-word learning games, and flashcards. Furthermore, I often use FreeRice in the classroom. It is a non-profit vocabulary learning website administered by the United Nations in partnership with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
Learning new vocabulary can help learners express their thoughts more effectively, write high-quality essays and letters, communicate more accurately and efficiently, understand more of what they read, and earn excellent grades. It is essential to know how to teach vocabulary effectively in the classroom, as there is a close correlation between vocabulary and intelligence. The ability to expand one's vocabulary throughout life reflects a person's intellectual progress.
Algirdas Makarevicius. Which is the Best English Writing and Editing Tool?