Teaching Vocabulary

Vocabulary (the store house of words)

Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings.
"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 acquired incidentally through indirect
exposure to words and intentionally through explicit instruction in specific words and word-learning
strategies.

Four Components of Effective Vocabulary Program

there are four components of an effective vocabulary program:
1. wide or extensive independent reading to expand word knowledge
2. instruction in specific words to enhance comprehension of texts containing those words
3. instruction in independent word-learning strategies, and
4. word consciousness and word-play activities to motivate and enhance learning

Vocabulary development by age

Students’ communication abilities, including their vocabulary, can vary immensely. However, there are
certain milestones we can expect children to reach before starting formal schooling:
 12 months: 2 words plus mummy/mommy and daddy (or equivalent in languages other than
English)
 18 months: 10-50 words
 2 years: 300 words to 450 words
 3 years: 1000 words
 4 years: 2000 words
 5 years: 5000 plus words

This early language acquisition is an essential platform for future learning. There is a huge body of
evidence suggesting that deficient early vocabulary development is a strong marker for a continued
difficulty in all aspects of schooling.
During the school years, vocabulary size must grow at a rapid pace in order to equip students for
everyday, as well as academic, communication. By the age of 17, students are expected to know between
36 000 to 136 000 words.

Two Main Forms of Vocabulary Learning

Children learn the meanings of most words indirectly, through everyday experiences with oral and written
language. Other words are learned through carefully designed instruction.

Indirect vocabulary learning

Children learn the meanings of most words indirectly, through everyday experiences with oral and written
language. Children learn word meanings indirectly in three ways:
 They engage daily in oral language
 They listen to adults read to them
 They read extensively on their own

Direct vocabulary learning

Although a great deal of vocabulary is learned indirectly, some vocabulary should be taught directly.
Direct instruction helps students learn difficult words, such as words that represent complex concepts that
are not part of the students' everyday experiences. Direct instruction of vocabulary relevant to a given text
leads to better reading comprehension.
Direct instruction includes:
 Providing students with instruction in specific words that are important to students’ content
learning or understanding of a particular text
 Teaching students more general word-learning strategies that they can apply to a variety of
words, such as analyzing parts of words (e.g., root words)
Importance of Vocabulary Learning
1. Vocabulary is the foundation of language.
2. A large vocabulary helps develop other language skills. Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing.
3. A larger vocabulary can be a stepping stone to higher levels of language fluency.
4. A rich vocabulary is associated with greater academic performance.
5. Rich vocabulary is also associated with high social status. A person will be able to speak standard
language which is considered prestigious in the society.
Ways to present vocabulary
There are lots of ways of getting across the meaning of a lexical item.
 Illustration;
This is very useful for more concrete words (dog, rain, tall) and for visual learners. It has its
limits though, not all items can be drawn.
 Mime;
This lends itself particularly well to action verbs and it can be fun and memorable.
 Synonyms/Antonyms/Gradable items
Using the words a student already knows can be effective for getting meaning across.
 Definition
Make sure that it is clear (maybe check in a learner dictionary before the lesson if you are not
confident). Remember to ask questions to check they have understood properly.
 Translation
If you know the students' L1, then it is fast and efficient. Remember that not every word has a
direct translation.
 Context
Think of a clear context when the word is used and either describe it to the students or give them
example sentences to clarify meaning further.
  Give your students a few items of vocabulary and tell them to find the meaning, pronunciation
and write an example sentence with the word in. They can then teach each other in groups.
 Prepare worksheets and ask your students to match words to definitions.
 Ask students to classify a group of words into different categories. For example, a list of transport
words into air/sea/land.
 Ask students to find new vocabulary from reading homework and teach the other students in the
class.
OR
 Show images or drawings with words. (Illustration)
 Present vocabulary with realia; For example, For a lesson on how to describe the flavors of
different foods, have students taste a variety of foods.
 Introduce new words in the context of a story or article students read. (Context)
 Use translation from the students’ first language. (Translation)
 Use antonyms and synonyms to teach and review ESL vocabulary.

Remembering Vocabulary
1. Use a Notebook
2. Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check;
It’s an old fashioned technique: write a word, look at the word, say it aloud, cover it with your
hand, and then write it again and check the spelling.
3. Learn Words in Groups and Chunks;
Organize the words students are expected to learn into groups or lexical sets.
4. Give Spelling Tests
5. Write Sentences Using Target Words
6. Play Games;
Word games like hangman, bingo, and word tic tac toe will help your students learn vocabulary
in a fun way.
7. Stick Words on the Wall;
Students remember words they see on wall, even unconsciously.
8. Repeat, Review, Recycle;
We all forget things very quickly and research suggests that unless we review what we learned
regularly, we will lose it. This is called the Forgetting Curve. Regularly check and test vocab
either formally or informally.

Testing Vocabulary
There are a number of ways to assess vocabulary in the form of tests and quizzes. Some of them are
discussed below.

 Define the Word

One way to assess/ test vocabulary is to ask the student the definition of the word.
 Choose the Correct Word
Here the students are asked to choose the synonyms and relative words.
 Fill in the Correct Term
You can also test vocabulary with a basic fill-in-the-blank activity that requires students to complete
sentences with a vocabulary word. For example, when your students are learning adverbs, these fill-in-
the-adverb worksheets can help you assess their skills.
 Use the Word in Sentences
 Use the Word in Context
The true value of knowing a word is being able to use it in context. Evaluating whether a student can use
a word properly in context provides insights that he or she has truly learnt the word.
 Identify the Opposite
Here the teacher gives a word to students and asks them to say or write its opposite word i-e antonyms.
 Illustrate Vocabulary With Art
Give your students a list of words. After giving students a list of vocabulary words to study, call out
words from the target list one at a time and ask students to draw a picture that represents the word.
 Identify Examples and Nonexamples
Give your students examples of sentences and have them use their critical thinking skills to respond to
auditory examples of sentences with vocabulary words used correctly and incorrectly.