Teaching vocabulary

УДК: 81

Teaching vocabulary

Джумабаева Шахида Камалжан қызы

Учительница английского языка

Школа-гимназия №17 им. Ататюрка

Annotation

This work is about effective ways of teaching vocabulary at school as ESL. In this work the author researched many ways and methods of different authors and from the internet and tried to find more effective ways of teaching vocabulary. And she held an experiment with her learners using different methods.

Аннотация

О данной работе исследуется эффективные способы преподавания лексики в школе как иностранного языка учащихся. В этой работе автор исследовала множество способов и методов различных авторов и из Интернета и попыталась найти более эффективные способы преподавания лексики. И она провела эксперимент со своими учениками, используя разные методы.

Keywords: vocabulary, new words, method, help, remember.

Learning a foreign language (especially new words) is hard. As Steven Stahl (2005) puts , "Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge; the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world." To memorize new words you need to work with figurative memory. Once my English teacher said that grammar and audio recordings are just fine, but without knowing the words, you can not go far. Because of with low vocabulary, we can not explain our ideas as clearly as we would like. So today I will write a short note on how I teach English words. Today I am going to give several recommendations that will help to effectively teach new vocabulary.

The most important thing that you can do to increase your vocabulary is read and read a lot. What should you read? Anything and everything. But the most important thing is read what you are most interested in. Everytime you learn a new word, you should have a notebook with you all the time anyway, write the word in a sentence, but not just any sentence, make sure that the sentence clearly shows that you know the meaning of the word.

Some adults believe that starting to learn English from scratch can only children. Someone thinks that an adult is ashamed to start from scratch and learn elementary rules and words, someone thinks that only children can successfully learn foreign languages, because they have a wonderful memory and the ability to learn. Both the first and second opinion are mistaken. There is nothing shameful in that you begin to learn the language, being an adult, even on the contrary: the desire for knowledge always causes respect.

Many people ask the question: "How is it better to start learning English?". First, you should choose the method of learning convenient for you: in a group, individually with a teacher or independently.

The most optimal option for those who are absolutely beginner - this is a class with a teacher. You need a mentor who will explain how the language works and help lay a solid foundation for your knowledge. The teacher is your interlocutor who: will help you start speaking in English; Explain grammar in simple words; Learn to read texts in English; And also help you develop the skill of understanding English speech by ear.

We try to elicit vocabulary as much as we can. Still, despite our best efforts, students don’t remember as many words as we’d like them to. Lots of new words are understood when introduced, but then disappear into oblivion. How can we help students remember more words? Try these tricks.

How to Help Your ESL Students Remember New Vocabulary

1 Always teach vocabulary in context.

You’ve probably heard this again and again but it can’t be emphasized enough. The first step in helping students remember vocabulary is teaching it in context. This means you should never provide a list of isolated, and least of all unrelated words, for them to learn. Words should be introduced within the context of a story, everyday situation, sport, activity or any context your students are familiar with.

Try this: We often teach words related to weather with pictures of clouds, rain, sun, etc…and that’s perfectly fine, but try this instead. Print out the Weather Channel’s 10-day forecast. Talk about what the weather will be like today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Will there be any thunderstorms in the next 10 days? When that storm hits you can be sure your students will remember the word “thunderstorm”.

2. Use the right timing for repetition

There are plenty of scientific studies and papers on vocabulary teaching and learning, but let me summarize the results. Most studies agree that it is essential to repeat or practice a new set of words immediately after being exposed to them. And then repetition should follow at progressively longer intervals. So, to ensure that students will remember the words you teach them, they must use them again – and again.

Try this: Use new words immediately after they are introduced (introduction followed by practice)

Use them again one hour later (quick review at the end of class)

Use them again one day later (review the words they learned the previous day)

Use them one week later (general review of words learned in the previous week)

Use them one month later (review/preparation for a test)

3. Use pictures and visuals whenever you can

When we speak, words are gone with the wind – they disappear in a matter of seconds. Students may understand them, but their minds are quickly filled with other thoughts. Our brains, however, are wired to process visual information differently – it sticks, whether we are visual learners or not.

Try this: Whenever possible use flashcards, pictures, or posters when introducing new words. Use the same visuals, or different ones, to test students’ memory of the words previously taught.

4. Make the words memorable

By definition, “memorable” event or occasion is easily remembered. By the same token, you can make new words more “memorable” by using techniques that engage students and get their attention.

Try this: Introduce vocabulary related to feelings by making exaggerated faces. It will make your students laugh, and chances are they’ll remember them more. The same thing will happen if you draw funny pictures on the board or use realia. These types of experiences are memorable for students, which makes the vocabulary you use easier to remember as well.

5. Use Word Clusters or Webs

Organize words into word clusters, and it’ll help students create associations between words. For each set of new words, create the first cluster together, then for future clusters have students recreate them on their own.

Try this: Let’s suppose you have taught animals in different lessons throughout the year. Write the word “animals” at the center of your cluster and let students branch out from there by supplying different types of animals, like farm, jungle, domestic animals. Students then continue by naming the different animals in each category.

6. Use words in phrases or collocations

When practicing new words, make sure students not only remember the “word” itself but its proper collocation or usual verb-noun combination.

Try this: When teaching Business English, don’t just teach words like “appointment”, “contract” or “meeting”, teach phrases like “make an appointment”, “sign a contract” or “cancel a meeting”.

7. Practice out loud

Quite often we give students vocabulary exercises to complete, and while this is important to help them practice writing the new words, studies also show that practicing words out loud is more effective in improving retention than practicing them silently. Apparently, the ear is an important ally when it comes to remembering vocabulary.

Try this: Games are a great way to practice vocabulary out loud. Play this Clothing Memory Game but make sure students make sentences with the words. Or try a game like Guess the Sport.

Conclusion.

Replenishment of vocabulary - an indispensable condition for improving English. First of all, do not forget to move from theory to practice. Not only read useful tips on how to memorize English words quickly and easily, but also actively use them in everyday life, then you do not have to puzzle over how to raise your level of knowledge.

Literature:

1. http://englex.ru/10-useful-advice-on-how-to-increase-your-vocabulary/

2. http://busyteacher.org/13961-help-esl-students-remember-new-vocabulary.html