Strategies for teaching vocabulary

It’s always a good idea to avoid teaching words in isolation and this should be done
from the elementary level. Words should be taught in larger chunks (phrases,
expressions, sentences etc.) and in context.

By doing this, the teacher will help learners to understand how language is used in
context and this will enable them to grasp the meaning of the whole chunk more
easily, and therefore communicate more fluently.

It’s not a good idea to overwhelm students with information about everything there is
to know about each word (e.g. meaning, grammatical behavior, spoken/ written
forms, connotation, collocation, etc.). Students will benefit the most if teachers
introduce a little information at a time.

Repetition is also an important part of teaching vocabulary. Teachers should provide

students with enough opportunities to use a new word or expression in its spoken and
written forms so that learners are able to solidify their understanding of it.

In fact, students must hear a word or phrase and use it many times before acquisition
actually takes place. Thus, a variety of communication activities should be proposed
to ensure students have multiple opportunities to learn.

Encouraging students to read as much as possible is also a good idea. Since it would be
impossible to teach all the vocabulary students need to learn in order to develop their
communication skills, teachers should encourage wide independent reading.

By reading different text genres, students will come into contact with a variety of
new words and expressions. Besides, they will also come across vocabulary they have
already learned and might have forgotten and will see how it is used in context.

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Finally, students must be made aware that learning a foreign language doesn’t happen
overnight. It’s a gradual process that requires dedication, some effort and lots of
practice.

They should also know that no language program is ever going to teach them
everything they need to know. Therefore, they should learn to seek additional
information on their own and tailor the learning experience to their needs.