| Understanding new vocabulary or a new text is an | | | | activate background knowledge. They will suddenly |
| important measure of an ESL student's academic | | | | become frustrated. |
| success. To be able to know a word means they | | | | Consider also this: The text type and context you use |
| need to use it through communicative competence or, | | | | will also determine the strategy and purpose of your |
| by speaking, listening and reading the new word in | | | | instruction. If you're using a song to teach targeted |
| various contexts. Research shows that the best way | | | | vocabulary on the topic of endangered animals, |
| to learn a new word is through discovery of the | | | | students will be using their listening and reading skills to |
| meaning of the word. | | | | follow along with the song. |
| So what does it mean for ESL learners to know a | | | | The context will also determine how you will |
| word in a target language? | | | | sequentially arrange the various parts of your lesson |
| Knowing a word in a target language means the ability | | | | that will "glue" it together. Using a picture to introduce |
| to... | | | | new vocabulary is an active form of vocabulary |
| 1. Recognize it in its spoken or written form. | | | | learning which can naturally lead to isolated vocabulary |
| 2. Recall it at will. | | | | practice. |
| 3. Relate it to an appropriate object or concept. | | | | Building a context is extremely important for building |
| 4. Use it in the appropriate grammatical form. | | | | motivation. I remember an 8th grade EFL (English as a |
| 5. pronounce it in a recognizable way. | | | | foreign language) lesson when I wanted to teach |
| 6. In writing - spell it correctly. | | | | targeted vocabulary that was associated with the text |
| 7. Use it with the words it correctly goes with - i.e. in | | | | type of a "journal." so I actually brought in my Snoopy |
| the correct collocation. | | | | diary from 1980 (I still have it!) and read to them |
| 8. Use it at the appropriate level of formality. | | | | snippets of the journal as a lead-in. i had 38 pairs of |
| 9. Be aware of its connotations and associations. | | | | eyes glued to me and you could hear a pin drop in that |
| When teachers present targeted vocabulary in a | | | | classroom! Not only did this help personalize my lesson, |
| content-rich context, students can practice, understand | | | | but students came to also understand and interpret |
| and infer beyond the text. There are many different | | | | that they would be reading additional examples of |
| and creative ways to introduce vocabulary such as a | | | | journal writing. |
| song, story, a picture or a rap chant. The aim of a | | | | So what can we learn about teaching vocabulary or |
| context is to establish some kind of "frame" within a | | | | introducing a new text? The most general of all the |
| text type where the reader is encouraged to | | | | pedagogical considerations before expecting students |
| understand, interpret, make sense and decode (i.e. | | | | to understand a new text or practice new vocabulary, |
| what does each sound 'sound" like?) and decipher | | | | is presenting a context. Context can also be enhanced |
| new vocabulary. | | | | by linking anything students have read with something |
| If there is no context or there is an ambiguous context, | | | | they have spoken or listened to. |
| students won't have the association and knowledge to | | | | |