Lecture 10

Lecture 9: Teaching vocabulary

By the end of this lecture, students will be able to :

a- Understand steps on how to teach vocabulary.
b- Prepare an evaluative account on the methods discussed.
c- Create a sample lesson plan about “vocabulary”.

Introduction :

It is acknowledged that teaching vocabulary is an essential step for language accuracy and fluency. When learners are well equipped with effective methodologies, they are likely to develop a tendency toward meaningful communication in a language, whether a second or a foreign one. For example, using word maps can help students visually connect new vocabulary with related terms and concepts, which reinforces understanding. Additionally, context-based tasks, such as role-playing exercises that incorporate new vocabulary, encourage active use and aid retention by placing words in meaningful contexts.

To teach vocabulary, it is wiser not to rely solely on memorisation. Thus, the teaching methods should provide tools that allow students to develop cognitive abilities, moving gradually from a morphological level to a discourse level. Without support for learners' lexical growth, there can be no continuous external, long-term acquisition. Therefore, the teacher's role is to strengthen students' comprehension by guiding them in deriving more vocabulary across different contexts.

Vocabulary vs Lexis

Vocabulary denotes the words that the speaker knows, while Lexis encompasses kinds, expressions, collocations, idioms, multi-word units, etc. The latter is “a powerful carrier of meaning” (Scrivener, 2011, p. 187). In other words, vocabulary needs to be well integrated beyond word recognition. Teachers play a pivotal role in establishing a logical connection between vocabulary learning and its contextualised depth, thereby filling gaps in understanding. Understanding the difference between vocabulary and lexis is crucial for lesson planning and material selection. By incorporating both aspects, teachers can create more effective teaching strategies that cater to the diverse linguistic needs of students. As far as Lexis is concerned, there are two types: receptive and productive.

a- Receptive Lexis: “is a set of lexical items that we recognise and understand, but tend not to use ourselves in everyday speech. (Scrivener, p. 188). It is determined by the recognition stage, which aids learners’ ability to detect new lexical patterns, such as Abstract and technical concepts. To effectively foster and enhance receptive lexis, teachers can incorporate activities like reading comprehension or listening tasks. These activities not only expose students to new vocabulary and expressions in varied contexts but also facilitate understanding by enabling them to identify and process unfamiliar lexical items. By frequently engaging in such tasks, learners can improve their ability to recognize and understand complex concepts as they advance their language skills.

b- Productive Lexis: it refers to the “lexical items learnt by students, they quickly become part of the learners’ everyday English” (Ibid, p188). Logically speaking, students need to develop a Competence which enables them to take an efficient part in the academic application of knowledge on demand. It can also be well enhanced through presentations, debates, and discussions. To provide a broader toolkit for developing productive lexis, teachers can incorporate additional activities such as role-playing, where students can practice real-life scenarios in a controlled environment, thereby enhancing their active vocabulary usage. Writing tasks like essays or story writing can also serve as valuable exercises, allowing students to apply new vocabulary creatively and contextually. Regular feedback and peer reviews during these activities can further enhance learning and retention.

Importance of Vocabulary Teaching

1- Enhancing Linguistic Competence: Teaching vocabulary widens learners’ possibilities of comprehending and producing written or oral production systematically. Because learners may face difficulties in understanding or integrating words within discourse, if teaching vocabulary is well interpreted, students may not fail to connect the learnt/acquired words with their real contextual use. In order to ensure relevant grasp of words already dealt with, reminding students of previous concepts can be recycled for further usage. Ultimately, “It is useful when you want to revise vocabulary items or to remind students of words that may have already met before” (Scrivener, 2011, p.147). Additionally, whenever learners are exposed to a diversity of vocabulary, it is essential to refer to a multiintentional learning whereby new words can be practiced fruitfully and autonomously without relying on memorization. In this regard, Harmer (2015 p.227) suggests that “Students should keep their own vocabulary notebooks, where they record the words they meet, We suggest they should write down the words and phrases they think they want to remember”. To sum up, far from being a usual task, teaching vocabulary is central to communicating clearly.

Ways of Teaching Vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary is merely the number of words transmitted to learners’ memory, but the depth, the steps, the strategy all actively enhance fluid competence building. Nation (2013, 2,3) recommends the following steps:

a- Comprehensible meaning-focused input: It is a task which is originally concentrating on meaning.

b- Language or form focused learning: At this stage, the focus of students goes to a particular list of words or words-associated knowledge.

c- Meaning-focused use: Learners can have the accessibility to use some words in a controlled manner.

d- Fluency Development: New vocabulary can be used in a way that seems advanced which is reflected through communicative practice.

Based on Nation’s stages, teaching vocabulary needs to follow a connected process which ranges from exposing learners to the vocabulary intended, then learners can notice properties of words, moving to a controlled used triggered by a communicative focus to finally reaching “natural” practice.