Handling vocabulary
 

During my CELTA (three months ago) I learnt that new vocabulary should be tackled in a certain order - meaning, pronunciation, form. We were shown some ways of introducing new vocabulary using this e.g. eliciting the meaning through pictures/actions, modelling the pronunciation and then showing the form by writing it on the board. This makes sense to me and I like it.

My problem is that this is not the way that my students come across most unknown words. Normally it happens when we are reading texts or listening to audio. Therefore they are aware of either pronunciation or even form before the meaning. Is this a bad thing? It seems unavoidable to me - especially if you want to handle vocabulary in a more student-centred way.

How do you handle vocab? Do you have any interesting, student-centred ways to introduce new words?

Thanks for your feedback. PJD.

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

the onlz thing that comes to my mind is, for example, one student miming the word and the others guessing it (as a way of practising the new vocabulary)

hope that it helps

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

I think there are 2 situations: vocabulary you plan to teach, and vocabulary that just pops up, that you didn't plan to teach. For planned vocabulary, I use pictures or realia whenever possible. I show the students the word and teach pronunciation. As PJD pointed out, things are different for incidental vocabulary. I don't worry if the students learn the pronunciation before the meaning. Usually in a few minutes they understand the word and can pronounce it.

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

Maybe, before you actually teach the text or listen to the audio, you could show them the words. This way you could introduce the words in the way you want to and then they'll get the needed practice in using it through the text. You could even make a game out of finding the new words in the text.

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

Thanks for your replies.

I agree that incidental vocabulary is a trickier thing but I think that you can anticipate (to some extent) which words your class will not understand and prepare some explanations or concept questions etc.

For the planned vocabulary, I agree with chokosaki and pre-teaching is a good way to handle this but how do you pre-teach the words? Eliciting the meaning, modelling the pronunciation and then showing the form? This is what I try to do but sometimes it can be quite time consuming and teacher centred. Are there any other ways to do this in a more student-centred way?

PJD.

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

In a lot of coursebooks the topic will start with a matching exercise with some pictures and the relevant vocabulary. When using these, when do you model and when do you drill the vocab? Do you show Ss the words, model the vocab for each then ask them to match them to the pictures or let them match the word to the picture first so that meaning is clear before you model pronunciation?

I've been thinking about this for some time and I'm still unsure which is most useful for the students. What do you think? How do you deal with vocab matching exercises in general? Do you always model the pron before letting them match the vocab to the meanings/pictures?

PJD

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

Here's what I do for my Beginning High students, when we use the Oxford Picture Dictionary. Say that they are going to learn the vocabulary for fruit. I give the students X number of minutes to copy the words. I expect that many of them will also write translations in their notebooks. After time is called, we do a time of listen and repeat, and that's when they learn pronunciation.
I would never begin with a matching exercise, when the students have not even learned the words. Matching exercises are good for later use.

Re: Handling vocabulary
 

As for higher level students I don't normally teach vocabulary as a planned lesson. However, it does come up all the time when we are reading. It goes like this:

1. They see the new word
2. I explain the new word
3. I write the new word on the board (they see it again)
4. I write some synonyms, explanations, examples, etc.
5. We look back at the reading to see how it is used

Ideally, the students would follow up by:

• writing the word in their vocabulary notes
• writing an example
• using the word in a sentence when they get a chance
• seeing the word again and recognizing the meaning easily