Session 1 Unit 2.3.

School curriculum. The role of L1 in vocabulary teaching

Activity 1: Vocabulary learning experience

• Split students into groups of three.

• Ask them to discuss the following questions:
1. What activity types were used at your classes of English for teaching vocabulary?
2.What activities proved to be most successful or unsuccessful for you in acquiring
new vocabulary?
3. What is lexis? Is it the same as vocabulary? How does lexis relate to grammar?
• Distribute Handout 1.
• Ask students to read the text, underline key words and give definitions of
vocabulary, lexis and grammar of their own.
• Ask students to give the examples of their own.
• Ask students to represent metaphorically these three notions.

Activity 2: The role of L1 in vocabulary teaching

Distribute Handout 2.
Study the texts in the Expert groups and present them in the “Home groups”.

Activity 3: Teaching vocabulary in school curriculum

Distribute Handout 3.
Ask students to think of the vocabulary suggested for learning in the fifth form.
Activity 4.
Hometask forms 6, 7, 9
 Handout 1

Vocabulary typically refers mainly to single words (e.g. dog, green, wash) and
sometimes to very tightly linked two- or three-word combinations (e.g. stock
market, compact disk, sky blue, go off).
The concept of lexis is bigger. It refers to our “internal database” of words and
complete ‘ready-made’ / semi-fixed / typical combinations of words that we can
recall and use quite quickly without having to construct new phrases and sentences
word by word from scratch using our knowledge of grammar.
Lexis includes:
a) traditional single-word vocabulary items;
b) common “going-together patterns” of words (e.g. blonde hair, traffic jam).
These frequent combinations are known as collocations;
c) longer combinations of words that are typically used together as if they
were a single item (e.g. someone you can talk to, on-the-spot decisions, I’d
rather not say). These longer combinations (which a few years ago would
probably not have been considered as anything remotely related to
vocabulary) are commonly referred to as chunks or sometimes as multiword
items.
Categories (b) and (c) are both classed as lexical items.
Grammar refers to the generalizable patterns of the language and to our ability
to construct new phrases and sentences out of word combinations and grammatical
features (verb endings, etc.) to express a precise (and probably unique) meaning.
 Handout 2
Text 1

Vocabulary learning in a non-native language presents an interesting picture. To

begin with, the learners are equipped with an L1 and have passed the stage of
learning where they match the form and meaning of a word. Furthermore, they
have learned from their L1 experience how the world works and hence they are
unlikely to retrace their L1 learning route and apply it to foreign language (FL)
learning. An interesting question then follows: how or where are an L2 learner’s
two languages connected?
Na and Nation (1985) studied the factors that could affect guessing vocabulary
in context; they replaced low frequency words in a context by nonsense words. The
subjects were 59 teachers of English as a second language attending a diploma
course with proficiency in English. They were asked to guess the meanings of
nonsense words by using context. It became clear that verbs are easier to guess
than nouns, which were easier than adverbs and adjectives. The scientist has arrived
at the conclusion that FL learning does not repeat the course of native language
acquisition but instead employs the native language as a mediator. It appears that
the mother tongue exerts a great influence over the way a foreign language is
learned (Corder 1994; Swan 1997).
Ames (1966) investigated the rate of success in guessing words from context.
Ames doctoral level students successfully guessed 60% of unknown words. Half of
the meanings of these words were explained in English and the other half were
translated into their L1 equivalents. Meanwhile, the subjects were assigned to four
different teaching modes—
(a) isolation, i.e., word lists,
(b) minimal context, i.e., in one meaningful sentence,
(c) text-context, and
(d) elaborated text-context, i.e., original text with clarifying phrases and
sentences — in order to have the outcome of their memorization of new words
examined.
The results showed that learners had better retention of FL words when their
L1 equivalents were given. Experienced FL learners appear to prefer L1 definitions to
picture aids in learning new vocabulary.
Lotto and De Groot (1998) recruited Dutch undergraduates who had years of
experience in FL learning to compare two teaching methods—word-association and
picture-association. The results from two recall tests indicated that the presentation
of L1-L2 word pairs during learning provided a better opportunity for acquiring L2
words than did the presentation of picture-L2 pairs. Van Hell and Candia Mahn
(1997) suggest that experienced learners, through their increasing experience in FL
learning, prefer to associate the new vocabulary with the corresponding L1 words to
achieve the most efficiency.
 Handout 2
Text 2

Second language use in the foreign language classroom needs to be maximised

wherever possible, by encouraging its use and by using it for classroom
management. However, research shows that the first language has a small but
important role to play in communicating meaning and content. This role is
important across all four strands of a course. In a well-balanced foreign or second
language course, there are roughly equal opportunities for learning through the four
strands of
1 meaning focused input - learning through listening and reading
2 meaning focused output - learning through speaking and writing
3 language focused learning - learning through deliberate attention to language
features
4 fluency development - learning through working with known material across the
four skills at a higher than usual level of performance.
L2 use research has shown that the first language of learners can play a useful
role in some of these strands. What are the ways of increasing the use of the L2 in
English language classroom. Where learners have little opportunity to meet and
use the L2 outside the classroom, it is very important that L2 use is maximised in
the classroom. One obvious way to do this is carry out classroom management in
the L2, English. Classroom management involves things like telling the class what to
do (take out your books, turn to page 7), controlling behaviour (be quiet), explaining
activities (get into pairs). This requires a little bit of careful thought by the teacher so
that the vocabulary and structures used in the language of classroom management
are also generally useful. If the use of English in classroom management is done in a
planned, consistent way, then classroom management can be a very effective
opportunity for learning through meaning focused input. A very useful piece of
classroom-based research would be to identify through observation the functions
and forms of the language of classroom management, and then devise a classified
list of useful sentences that make use of generally high frequency words and
grammatical structures. In this way the role of the L1 in classroom management can
be minimized and the role of the L2 increased.
 Handout 2
Text 3

In classrooms where the learners all share the same L1 or national language,
there is a tendency for tasks which should be done in the L2 such as conversation
activities, discussion of intensive reading, preparation for writing etc to be done in
the L1. There are many reasons for this L1 use.
Firstly, it is more natural to use the L1 with others who have the same L1.
Secondly, it is easier and more communicatively effective to use the L1.
Thirdly, using the L2 can be a source of embarrassment particularly for shy
learners and those who feel they are not very proficient in the L2.
The usage of L2 in the English classroom is extremely important. There are
however some times when use of the L1 can have very positive effects on learning
and we will now look at these in relation to the four strands.
First language use and meaning focused input and output
Lameta-Tufuga (1994) examined the effects of having learners discuss a task in
their first language before they had to carry it out in writing in the second language.
That is, they had the opportunity to fully understand the content of the task through
the medium of their first language, before they performed the written task in
English. The first language discussion of the task had some interesting features.
Firstly, the learners were all very actively involved in coming to grips with the
ideas. Secondly, the first language discussion included quite a lot of the second
language vocabulary which would be used in the later task. Thus the discussion not
only helped learners to get on top of the content, but it also helped them gain
control of relevant L2 vocabulary in a very supportive L1 context.
There is thus a useful role for the L1 in helping learners gain the knowledge
needed to reach a higher level of L2 performance. Whenever a teacher feels that a
meaning based L2 task might be beyond the capabilities of the learners, a small
amount of L1 discussion can help overcome some of the obstacles.
First language use and language focused learning.
There are numerous ways of conveying the meaning of an unknown word.
These include a definition in the second language, a demonstration, a picture or a
diagram, a real object, L2 context clues, or an L1 translation. In terms of the
accuracy of conveying meaning, none of these ways is better than any of the others.
It all depends on the particular word concerned. However, studies comparing the
effectiveness of various methods for learning always come up with the result that an
L1 translation is the most effective (Lado, Baldwin and Lobo 1967; Mishima 1967;
Laufer and Shmueli 1997). This is probably because L1 translations are usually clear,
short and familiar, qualities which are very important in effective definitions
(McKeown 1993). When the use of an L1 translation is combined with the use of
word cards for the initial learning of vocabulary, then learners have a very effective
strategy for speeding up vocabulary growth (Nation 2001: 296-316).
 Handout 3

School curriculum requirements for teaching vocabulary

English

The curriculum does not limit the activity of teachers in choosing the order of study and the content of each
topic. Some topics can be studied integrated, for example, Leisure + Travelling, Clothing + Weather,
Travelling + Countries the language of which is studied. The language inventory is indicative and gets in
accordance with the communicative situation, the needs of students and the principle of concentric
learning.

5th Grade

General characteristics of situational communication

Sphere of Topics of situational communication Speech functions

communication
Personal I, my family and my friends • to describe, tell, characterize
Clothes • to compare
Food • to substantiate your choice
Leisure • to request and provide
Nature information
Public Travelling • to ask for clarification of
Native town / village information
Holidays and traditions • to offer, accept, reject the offer
Educational School life

Language inventory - vocabulary

Topic Lexical range

I, my family and my friends my kinship
profession of parents
my friends and their hobbies
Clothes types of clothing
Food food
favourite dishes
Ukrainian and British cuisine
Leisure types of leisure and activities
hobbies
free time
holidays
Nature weather
natural phenomena
Travelling general information on Great Britain and Ukraine
Native town / village location
basic historical and cultural information
Holidays and traditions holidays calendar in Ukraine and Great Britain
traditions of celebration
School life schedule
working day
a foreign language lesson
 activities in the classroom

6th Grade

General characteristics of situational communication

Sphere of Topics of situational communication Speech functions

communication
Personal I, my family and my friends • to describe, tell, characterize
Shopping • to request and provide
Food information
Sport • to ask for clarification of
Public Travelling information
Ukraine • to offer, accept, reject the offer
Great Britain • to express one’s impressions,
Educational School life feelings and emotions
• to substantiate one’s choice,
point of view

Language inventory - vocabulary

Topic Lexical range

I, my family and my friends appearance
traits of character
Shopping visiting shops
types of shops
range of goods
money
Eating traditions of eating
names of dishes
Sport sports
sport preferences
Travelling, transport preparation for travel
travel documents
Ukraine Kyiv
places of interest in Kyiv
Great Britain London
places of interest in London
School life favourite subjects
types of activities at classes
 7th Grade

General characteristics of situational communication

Sphere of Topics of situational communication Speech functions

communication
Personal I, my family and my friends • to describe, tell, characterize
Eating • to request and provide
Medical service information
Public Cinema and Theatre • to ask for clarification of
Sport information
Ukraine • to offer, accept, reject the offer
Great Britain • to express one’s impressions,
Educational School life feelings and emotions
• to substantiate one’s choice,
point of view
• to ask for help
• to assess events, situations,
actions
• to assess the state of affairs,
events, facts
• exchange views

Language inventory - vocabulary

Topic Lexical range

I, my family and my friends family responsibilities
household chores
family traditions and holidays
Eating cooking
laying table
kitchen appliances and utensils
food processing methods

Medical service visiting doctor

names of medical institutions, diseases, their symptoms and
medications
Sport sports
sport competitions
famous sportsmen
sport clubs and sections
Cinema and theatre visiting theatre, cinema
cinema genres
elements of theatre interior
Ukraine main cultural and historical sights of Kiev
Great Britain main cultural and historical sights of London

School life extracurricular activities

school celebrations and traditions
 9th Grade

General characteristics of situational communication

Sphere of Topics of situational communication Speech functions

communication
Personal I, my family and my friends • to provide information and
Seasons and weather request to clarify information
Clothes • to express one’s attitude to
Public Mass media actions and opinions of other
Youth culture people
Science and technological progress • to compare events, facts and
Ukraine phenomena
English speaking countries • to offer, accept, reject the offer
Educational Occupation and profession • to express one’s impressions,
feelings and emotions
• to substantiate one’s choice,
point of view
• to conduct a discussion,
drawing the attention of the
interlocutor
• to express one’s beliefs,
thoughts, consent or
disagreement

Language inventory - vocabulary

Topic Lexical range
I, my family and my friends personal data
personality formation
a person as an individuality
autobiography
Nature and weather environment
environmental protection
flora and fauna
Clothes Fashion
clothing items
Mass media The Internet
TV and radio
communication in the Internet

Youth culture youth movements

Science and technological
progress
Ukraine
English-speaking countries
Occupation and proю.
youth organizations
hobby clubs
famous scientists and inventors
inventions
modern appliances in everyday life
big cities
main cultural and historical sights
general characteristics
big cities
main cultural and historical sights
characteristics of different professions
ession abilities and inclinations
choosing a profession
professional qualities