International TEFL InstituteVocabulary/Lexis: An Introduction
Vocabulary is essential to convey meaning. A student can’t convey all that much without grammar, but can’t convey anything without the use of vocabulary.
A tourist visiting an English speaking country will be able to effectively communicate a request for directions by merely saying to a person “train!” or “station!” A tourist with limited vocabulary yet with a good command of language structures will have difficulty getting their message across by saying ‘I’m looking for the……..’ and not finding the correct word.
A large proportion of vocabulary work is taught as part of either a reading or listening skills lesson. Students may encounter new vocabulary during the course of a skills lesson and you will need to select the vocabulary which is essential for understanding the tasks set. Pre-teaching new vocabulary will usually ensure that activities and tasks go ahead with limited disruption and a clear understanding of what is required of the students. Having said this, it is important to note that vocabulary can be taught on its own and not just simply as an add-on to a skills lesson.
Here is a basic lesson procedure for a vocabulary lesson:
| 1. Warmer
The teacher sets up a context, perhaps using a short story, which will illustrate the meaning of an item of language. 2. Brainstorm/Elicit The teacher elicits language from the students regarding a particular topic or item. This language is written on a word spider on the whiteboard. 3. Oral Practice of Vocabulary The teacher checks understanding highlights form and pronunciation and gives controlled practice (drilling). 4. Written Practice of vocabulary The students work together to practise the specific item. This may involve matching pictures to the correct words or using the appropriate words in a gap-fill exercise. 5. Speaking/Communicative activity The students are given the opportunity to use these items, along with other language they know, in communicative activities. This may involve a role-play or class discussion. |
Presentation of Vocabulary:
It is estimated that the average native English speaker uses around five thousand words in everyday speech. Keeping this in mind, it is important to remember that your students won’t need to produce every word they learn. Some of them will just need to recognize. (Productive vocabulary is that vocabulary that we tend to use on a daily basis. Receptive vocabulary refers to words that we understand yet do not use ourselves). Selecting what to teach, based on frequency and usefulness to the needs of your particular students is therefore essential. Once you have chosen what to teach, the next important steps are to consider what students need to know about the items, and how you can teach them.
There are a number of practical linguistic considerations which you should keep in mind when presenting vocabulary items.
Meaning of Words
The meaning of words is not as clear-cut as we might assume. Different languages may interpret the meanings of words in different ways. Certain words in a given language may have no direct translation in another language. Other words may carry powerful feelings and emotions which are lost in translation. When presenting a new vocabulary item to your students there are certain important questions that you might consider for example:
- What does it mean?
- Do the students know other words which will help them get at the meaning of the target item?
- Does it have more than one meaning?
- What does the item not mean?
- Does the item have a limited range of meaning?
- In what sort of context might you find the item?
- Are there any connotations associated with the item?
- Once you have presented meaning, how can you check understanding?
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