Vocabulary activities as a main part of FLTL

                Костанайский государственный педагогический институт

                                    Факультет иностранных языков

                                        Кафедра иностранных языков

 

 

 

 

                         Давлетова Адеми Ерсайыновна

 

                         Vocabulary activities as a main part of FLTL

 

                       Курсовая работа

 

                                                                                    Научный руководитель:

                                                         Кожухова Т.Г., магистр гуманитарных наук,

                                                            ст. преподаватель                                                                                                       

                                                           

 

 

 

 

                                                

 

                                                     Костанай 2014

 

 

 

                                                         Content

Introduction............................................................................................................3

1.Teaching vocabulary as a main part of learning foreign languages

1.1The goals and principles of learning vocabulary…………………………..5

1.2. Methods of teaching vocabulary............................................6

2The main techniques of teaching vocabulary

2.1 Classification of vocabulary exercises ………10

2.2 Vocabulary activities as an effective way of teaching vocabulary.......................................14

3. Approbation………………………………………………………………24

Conclusion............................................................................................................35

References.............................................................................................................36

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Vocabulary is one of the important aspects of language to teach. There are many quotations from famous linguistics to support this idea. For example, "Without grammar very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed." (Wilkins 1972:111) and "When students travel, they don't carry grammar books, they carry dictionaries." (Kristen in Lewis 1993) . Moreover, errors of vocabulary are potentially more misleading than those of grammar. Sometimes the context of the utterance would lead a listener to question their first interpretation, but a chance response such as "Yes, my father has an affair in that village'(confusing the Swedish “affair” meaning 'shop' with the English 'affair' which can mean 'extra-marital relationship') gives the listener the wrong impression. From above, you will see the importance of vocabulary. Hence teachers should know how to present vocabulary effectively in order to help student develop vocabulary. Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings. As Steven Stahl (2005) puts it, "Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge; the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world." Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is something that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime. Instruction in vocabulary involves far more than looking up words in a dictionary and using the words in a sentence. Vocabulary is the first and foremost important step in language acquisition. In the classroom where students are not finding themselves comfortable with L2, language learning can be made interactive and interesting with the introduction of appropriate vocabulary exercises.[1;1-2]

In this work we present a lot of possible ways to teach language more effective than nowadays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The topic of the research is “Vocabulary activities as a main part of  FLTL”.

Vocabulary activities are suggested to be used in order to help children find language classes, especially vocabulary lessons, more interesting.

The object of the research: The process of teaching foreign languages.

The subject of the research: Different methods in teaching foreign language vocabulary on the way of forming all four skill areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The goal of the research: to develop optimal conditions for teaching

The objectives of the research:

-to study goals and principles of teaching vocabulary

-to study methods of teaching vocabulary

-to define   techniques of teaching vocabulary

-to present lesson plans on using some vocabulary activities at school

The methods of the research:

-analysis of the literature on the given problem

-generalization

-description

  Hypothesis: If we perfectly use methods in teaching and learning foreign language vocabulary which are the requirements we will do the process of FLTL effective, colorful and productive.

       The structure of the research work:

The research work includes introduction, three chapters, conclusion, references.

The first chapter gives information about goals ,principles and methods of teaching vocabulary.

The second chapter is about importance of vocabulary activities and we present classification of vocabulary exercises here.

The third chapter is approbation.

 

1.     Teaching vocabulary as a main part of learning foreign languages

1.1 The goals and principles of teaching vocabulary.

We know the following fact that:

I – words are used in reading,

    II - words are used in speaking,

III – words are used in writing.

The main goal of teaching vocabulary is assimilation of the meaning, form of the words and its usage in oral and written speech – that is formation of lexical habits. People can have many aptitudes, but without a large and precise English vocabulary to express them, they cannot take a full advantage of these abilities. Unlike aptitudes, vocabulary is not a natural ability; it can be improved if one is willing to make the effort to do so.[2;112]

                              Principles of teaching vocabulary

The vocabulary, therefore, must be carefully selected in accordance with the principles of selecting linguistic material, the conditions of teaching and learning a foreign language in school. Scientific principles of selecting vocabulary have been worked out. The selected words should be:

- Frequently used in the language ( the frequency of the word is may be   determined mathematically by means of statistic data);

- Easily combined (nice room, nice girl, nice weather);

- Unlimited from the point of view of style (oral, written);

- Included in the topics the syllabus sets;

- Valuable from the point of view of word-building (use, used, useful, useless, usefully, user, usage).

The first principle, word frequency, is an example of a purely linguistic approach to word selection. It is claimed to be the soundest criterion because it is completely objective. It is derived by counting the number of occurrences of words appearing in representative printed material comprising novels, essay, pays, poems, newspapers, textbooks, and magazines.

Modern tendency is to apply this principle depending on the language activities to be developed. For developing reading skills pupils need “reading vocabulary” ( M. West), thus various printed texts are analyzed from the point of view of word frequency. For developing speaking skills pupils need “speaking vocabulary”. In this case the material for analysis is the spoken language recorded. The occurrences of words are counted in it and the more frequently used in speaking are selected. [3;15]

The other principles are of didactic value, they serve teaching aims.

The selected words may be grouped under the following the classes (M. West):

1. Words that we talk with or form (structural) words which make up the form (structure) of the language.

2. Words that we talk about or content words.[4;10]

 

 

 

1.2Methods of teaching vocabulary

  Teaching vocabulary in regular English classes has come to involve the production of a series of strategies and  has since become an even more common subject matter for research studies. As a basic approach in teaching standard vocabulary, conclusively rendered by several authors in the field, we can agree that “it is important  that we as teachers only introduce a little at a time, starting with the most frequent, useful, and learnable vocabulary, and returning later to more difficult vocabulary and less frequent uses of previously learned items.

We need to repeat vocabulary often, because students must work with a word or phrase many times before acquisition takes place, and we must offer variety to keep the exercises fresh and to cater to different learning styles.” (McCartney, 26)

Classic methods that can be used for introducing vocabulary might range from the following (Joseph Pettigrew): matching (synonyms, opposites, beginnings and endings, terms and definitions, parts of phrases etc.), filling in the blank sentences, choosing the possible answers, completing phrases / sentences, correcting the mistakes, labeling / drawing a picture, crossing out the word that doesn’t belong with the others in the  group, indicating categories, completing and discussing word sheets, looking for words that mean something given by a synonyms or a definition, filling in crossword puzzles, acting out (pantomime) for guessing the word, asking y/n questions for finding the word (e.g. jobs).

Then, for distinguishing shades of meaning & near synonyms, several types of drills can be employed, such as: discussing analogies, choosing multiple possible answers that can complete a structure or sentence, identifying semantic categories, arranging the words on a scale, discussing which word in a pair or a group is

stronger, is slang, is more polite, has a more positive connotation, etc., completing definitions with one of several variants given.

When approaching a reading material, a reading passage, vocabulary can be introduced by teachers indicating students to guess word meaning from the context, giving the definitions and letting them find the words, teaching them when not to look up a word/ parts of speech/ different meanings of familiar vocabulary

or explaining to them how to guess word meaning from the context (by relying on aspects such as: cause & effect, opposite/contrast, general sense, synonyms or paraphrases, recognizing definitions or examples from the subcategory implied by the notion etc.). (Pettigrew, 4-5)

[5;2-3]

 

The variety of methods (of teaching vocabulary) leads to increased vocabulary learning.

Different methods for teaching vocabulary:

Explicit instruction (definitions instruction including pre-teaching and analysis of root words)

Implicit instruction (exposure to words during reading)

Multimedia methods (pictures, hypertext)

Program methods based on investigating of different scientists (Direct, Audio-lingual, Grammar-translation, etc.)

        Direct method

The direct method of teaching foreign languages, sometimes called the natural method, refrains from using the learners' native language and uses only the target language. It was established in Germany and France around 1900. Characteristic features of the direct method are:

-teaching vocabulary through pantomiming, real-life objects and other visual materials;

-teaching grammar by using an inductive approach (i.e. having learners find out rules through the presentation of adequate linguistic forms in the target language);

-centrality of spoken language (including a native-like pronunciation);

-focus on question-answer patterns;

-teacher-centering;

Principles of the Direct method:

Classroom instructions are conducted exclusively in the target language.

Only everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught.

Oral communication skills are built up in a carefully graded progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges between teachers and students in small, intensive classes.

Grammar is taught inductively.

New teaching points are introduced orally.

Concrete vocabulary is taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures; abstract vocabulary is taught by association of ideas.

Both speech and listening comprehensions are taught.

Correct pronunciation and grammar are emphasized.

Student should be speaking at least 80% of the time during the lesson.

Students are taught from inception to ask questions as well as answer them.

The aim of direct method is to think in the target language to develop a good communication skill. [6, 18]

                                  Audio-lingual method

This method of Language Learning is also called the Aural-Oral Method. This method is said to result in rapid acquisition of speaking and listening skills. The audio-lingual method drills students in the use of grammatical sentence patterns. When this method was developed it was thought that the way to acquire the sentence patterns of the second language was through conditioning or helping learners to respond correctly to stimuli through shaping and reinforcement.

The Audio-lingual Method is based on the following principles:

Speaking and listening competence preceded reading and writing competence.

Use of German is highly discouraged in the classroom.

The development of language skills is a matter of habit formulation.

Students practice particular patterns of language through structured dialogue and drill until response is automatic.

Structured patterns in language are taught using repetitive drills.

The emphasis is on having students produce error free utterances.

This method of language learning supports kinesthetic learning styles.

Only everyday vocabulary and sentences are taught. Concrete vocabulary is taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures. Abstract vocabulary is taught through association of ideas.

The printed word must be kept away from the second language learner as long as possible.  [7,78]

                                    Grammar-translation method

The grammar-translation method of foreign language teaching is one of the most traditional methods, dating back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s. It was originally used to teach 'dead' languages (and literatures) such as Latin and Greek, and this may account for its heavy bias towards written work to the virtual exclusion of oral production. It is based on translation from one language into another. Students work individually, student-student interaction is missing. Students are given grammatical rules and they memorize them. Later they should apply the memorized rules into other examples in form of translation. Students mostly work with literary texts focused on culture.

The major characteristic of the grammar-translation method is, precisely as its name suggests, a focus on learning the rules of grammar and their application in translation passages from one language into the other. Vocabulary in the target language is learned through direct translation from the native language, e.g. with vocabulary tests

As Omaggio describes is, testing of the students is done almost exclusively through translation: "students had learned the language well if they could translate the passages well."

                                                 Translation  
Translation is an effective technique when translating students something that they do not understand, from English language to L1 or vice-versa. This is more appropriate for students who are beginners and is occasionally used for students of intermediate or advanced level of English. This technique helps teachers to emphasize new structures, specifically in terms of accuracy.  
                           

                 Building Vocabulary Through Reading  
Another technique that teachers can use is to help students to use new words in context. Use this kind of method to help students find the meaning of words while reading a text. The important is that teachers should make sure that students are aware of how words fit into sentences and how to use them, and not just to know their meaning and pronunciation. [8]

 

 

 

 

 2.The main techniques of teaching vocabulary

2.1 Classification of vocabulary  exercises.

L2 Vocabulary Exercises: Vocabulary exercises vary greatly according to which aspect of word knowledge is being practiced. Exercises focus on other aspects of word knowledge, besides a word's meaning; such as the word's spelling, part of speech, morphology, meaning in a specific context, connotation, synonyms….

In addition, the directions for a given exercise vary considerably. Therefore, the amount of time required, degree of difficulty, the type of retrieval and the number of vocabulary retrievals are affected by these two factors.

Some studies  show that L2 vocabulary retention is higher for students who complete written  activities after a reading task than for students who complete another reading assignment after reading task. [9;1654-1655]

Manipulative                                                                   communicative activities

                                                     meaningful     

                      Scheme1 .Classification of vocabulary exercises by Paulston  [10;7]

    Paulston (1970) classifies classroom exercises(see scheme1) into manipulative (e.g., reciting dialog lines, pattern drills, and cued question-answer), meaningful (e.g., directed dialog and predictable question-answer but still focus on the meaning rather than drills), and   communicative activities (e.g., simulation, interview, and free completion exercises).

[10;8] 

                              

      recognition                                                                                      reproduction

 

 

     interpretation                           manipulation                    selective attention

                        Scheme 2.  Classification of vocabulary exercises by Wesche and Paribakh [11]

     Vocabulary exercises, developed by Wesche and Paribakht (1994) comprise five categories(see scheme2) of mental processing which are required to complete various vocabulary exercises. These categories are: selective attention, recognition, manipulation, interpretation and production. The first exercise category is selective attention. The widespread application of this type of exercise is first to supply learners with a target word list that serves as the tool to attract the learners’ attention. The second exercise category is recognition. The usual application of this type of exercise is asking learners to match the target word with the only correct definition from many word distracters. The third exercise category is manipulation. The general application of this type of exercise is asking learners to construct target words  with stems and affixes. The fourth exercise category is interpretation. The common application of this type of exercise is multiple-choice exercises asking learners to guess the word meaning in context. The fifth exercise category is production. The public application of this type of exercise is answering a question by using the target word.  Wesche and   Paribakht (1994) claimed that extensive reading without vocabulary enhancement exercises was insufficient for vocabulary retention and gains. Exercises that drew learners’ attention and provided the mental processes required to expand vocabulary and learn new words in depth were indispensable for promoting vocabulary learning (Kargozari & Ghaemi, [11; 111-112]

                             Awareness raising

The following types of exercises are designed to draw the learners' attention to the relevant vocabulary in the text.

1.Awareness raising – listening and writing (Gap filling with sound)

 

Task

Learners are presented with a gapped text. They listen to the complete text and are asked to fill in the gaps. They may pause the sound at any time to fill in a gap.

Pedagogic note

In this exercise the learners' attention is drawn to relevant vocabulary. On the one hand, learners have to concentrate on particular words while listening to the text, on the other hand they are asked to write those words; they also have the possibility to compare wrong entries with the correct solution.

This combination of listening to, writing and comparing a particular word in its context offers learners many opportunities to get acquainted with the vocabulary of a new text (cf. chapter 3, WP1 Gap-filling exercise).

Word list explanations

 Pedagogic note

Word lists are very helpful if you want to get learners to focus on specific vocabulary relevant for a particular topic.

We recommend using word lists only after the vocabulary has been introduced as part of a text or in exercises of type Voc1 or Voc2.

Moreover, word lists should be followed up by exercises in which learners can check whether they have actually learnt the words' meanings (cf. Voc4) and whether they are able to use the new vocabulary (cf. Voc7 and Voc8).