REFLECTION

AIM

PROCEDURES
INSTRUCTIONS

MATERIALS/COMMENT

To deal with
some of the
key issues

Material Questionnaire on Teaching

Vocabulary
Teachers work through the statements in
pairs Do they agree or disagree with the
statements and why/why not?
Possible conclusions from the discussion:
The best teaching starts with diagnostic work
to focus the information on what the learners
really need
There are many ways to convey
meaning.
Vocabulary needs checking.
Vocabulary teaching takes planning.
Learners can give each other
explanations.

The discussion about the use of

translation / dictionaries may be
the most contentious.
The answer lies in appropriacy
and effectiveness.

To establish
common
ground

TEACHING VOCABULARY QUESTIONNAIRE

Look at the teacher statements below and decide if you agree or disagree
1. I always use translation when teaching vocabulary.
Disagree strongly 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ____ 5 ___ agree strongly
2. Using explanation(s) is the best way to teach vocabulary
Disagree strongly 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ____ 5 ___ agree strongly
3. We should teach all the meanings of a word at the same time
Disagree strongly 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ____ 5 ___ agree strongly
4. Its a good idea to ask learners if they understand or not
Disagree strongly 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ____ 5 ___ agree strongly
5. Its a good idea to elicit learners understanding of vocabulary by asking what
does xyz mean?
Disagree strongly 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ____ 5 ___ agree strongly

Personal answers:
1. I strongly disagree with the first statement because we should try other techniques
to convey meaning before translation.(1)
2. Depending on the level of our students, using explanation can be a possible way
to teach vocabulary, but not the best (2)
3. We shouldnt teach all the meanings of a word at the same time . We must focus
on its meaning on that particular context. We may try to use it in other familiar
contexts. (2)
4. Understanding the new vocabulary is crucial and must be checked and confirmed
by practice. (1)
5. Sometimes, with difficult words / specialized vocabulary. (4)