TEACHING VOCABULARY

MAIN CONTENTS
1. The importance of teaching vocabulary

2. What need to be taught?

3. How to teach meaning ?

4. How to study and memorize vocabulary?

5. Teaching vocabulary in grades 6-9

 WHAT IS VOCABULARY?
HOW MANY TYPES OF VOCABULARY?

(1 word) (3 words)
(2 words)

A vocabulary item or a lexical item can be made up of one word or more

than a single word, but expresses a single idea.

Active vocabulary Passive vocabulary

Words students understand Words students understand

and use in speaking and but are not yet able to use in
writing speaking and writing
 WHAT IS VOCABULARY?
HOW MANY TYPES OF VOCABULARY?

Concrete vocabulary Abstract vocabulary

The meaning can be shown The meaning can be shown

by real objects, pictures or by examples or situations.
mime.
1. The importance of teaching vocabulary

6
 What the affixes (the prefixes
and suffixes) may indicate
What it means? about the meaning?
Collocation or the way that
words occur together
The form

2. How the word is related to

How it pronounced? WHAT NEED TO others?
BE TAUGHT?

The situations when the word is or

How is it spelt?
is not used

If it follows any unpredictable The connotations that the item

grammatical patterns may have
3. How to teach meaning?
3.1 Showing meaning visually

3.2 Using examples, situations

3.3 Using synonyms and antonyms

3.4 Using definition

3.5 Translating into L1

8
 3.1. Showing meaning visually

• Using realia (real objects)

e.g. book, board, TV, laptop, etc.
• Using pictures and flashcards

9
• Drawing pictures

• Using video

• Using body language

e.g. open, close, jump, dance, listen, etc

 3.2. Showing examples, situations

à Useful to teach abstract words

E.g. brave, difficult, kind, success, etc
à Teacher provides the contexts
3.3. Using synonyms and antonyms
e.g.
• Hard = difficult
• Intelligent = brilliant
• Easy >< difficult
• Poor >< rich

E.g. intelligent
T. asks, “What’s another word for clever?”

E.g. stupid
T. asks, “What’s the opposite meaning of clever?”
12
3.5. Using definition
3.6. Translating to L1

E.g.
Teacher: “How do you say ‘nẹp áo’ in English?”
Students: Placket.
 4. How to study and memorize vocabulary ?

ü Keep an organized vocabulary notebook.

ü Look at the words again after 24 hours à one week à one month.
ü Read, read, read. The more times you ‘see’ a word the more easily you will
remember it.
ü Use the new words à use about ten times before you remember it!
ü Do word puzzles and games
üMake word cards and take them with you.
üLearn words with a friend.
üLearn how to use a dictionary.
üLearn a few words but not too many. About eight new words a day is a
good number.
5. Teaching vocabulary in grades 6-9
Steps for presenting new vocabulary items

Ø Presenting orally first

Say the word aloud once or twice
Ø Giving form
Write the word on the black board
Ø Showing meaning
Use appropriate techniques to show meaning
Ø Giving examples
Ø Conducting choral and individual repetition
 UNIT 5: FOOD AND HEALTH
LESSON: VOCABULARY - FOOD

1. Sandwich (n) /ˈsænwɪtʃ/

e.g. I’m making a sandwich for my lunchbox.

2. Water (n) /ˈwɔːtə(r)/

e.g. I’ve got some water.
3. Bread (n)/bred/
e.g. We often have bread at school.

4. Sweets (n)/swiːts/
e.g. Vending machines here in school don’t sell sweets.

5. Juice (n) /dʒuːs/

e.g. Today we’re serving juice.