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ФИЛОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ НАУКИ
ENHANCING VOCABULARY THROUGH "ACTION-GUESSING" TECHNIQUE Sulaymonova D.A. Email: [email protected]
Sulaymonova Dilafruz Akmalovna - Teacher, DEPARTMENT OF METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH, UZBEK STATE WORLD LANGUAGES UNIVERSITY, TASHKENT, REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
Abstract: this article discusses action guessing technique which helps to enhance students vocabulary at any age. Several works of scientists on this subject have been investigated. Different views of the technique (by scientists) were shown as examples. By using action guessing technique teacher provides students to guess and act quickly, deliver speech easily. Besides that, author tries to show the usage of it in the classroom, as well as, advantages and disadvantages of the technique. The author provided the technique used in her work processes.
Keywords: vocabulary, technique, guessing game, interpretation, memory strategy, challenging.
ОБОГАЩЕНИЕ СЛОВАРНОГО ЗАПАСА С ПОМОЩЬЮ "ACTION-GUESSING" ТЕХНИКИ Сулаймонова Д.А.
Сулаймонова Дилафруз Акмаловна - преподаватель, кафедра методики преподавания английского языка, Узбекский государственный университет мировых языков, г. Ташкент, Республика Узбекистан
Аннотация: в этой статье обсуждается техника угадывания действий, которая помогает расширить словарный запас учащихся в любом возрасте. Несколько работ ученых на эту тему были исследованы. Различные взгляды на технику (учеными) были показаны в качестве примеров. Используя технику угадывания действий, учитель предлагает ученикам угадывать и действовать быстро, легко произносить речь. Кроме того, автор старается показать его использование в классе, а также преимущества и недостатки техники. Автор предоставила технику, использованную в ее рабочих процессах.
Ключевые слова: словарный запас, техника, игра в догадки, интерпретация, стратегия памяти, сложное задание.
UDC 81-133
Vocabulary knowledge is often viewed as a critical tool for foreign language learners because a limited vocabulary in a foreign language impedes successful communication. Underscoring the importance of vocabulary acquisition, Schmitt (2000) emphasizes that "lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence and to the acquisition of a second language" (p. 55). Nation (2001) further describes the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and language use as complementary: knowledge of vocabulary enables language use and, conversely, language use leads to an increase in vocabulary knowledge. The importance of vocabulary is demonstrated daily in and out the school. In classroom, the achieving students possess the most sufficient vocabulary [3]. Researchers such as Laufer and Nation (1999), Maximo (2000) and others have realised that the acquisition of vocabulary is essential for successful foreign language use and plays an important role in the formation of complete spoken and written texts [2]. Rivers and Nunan (1991), furthermore, argue that the acquisition of an adequate vocabulary is essential for successful second language use because without an extensive vocabulary, we will be unable to use the structures and functions we may have learned for comprehensible communication. Wilkins (1972) states that: ' 'There is not much value in being able to produce grammatical sentences if one has not got the
vocabulary that is needed to convey what one wishes to say ... While without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed''( p. 97) [4].
There are many techniques that can be used in teaching vocabulary to increase students' English vocabulary. Guessing from context technique is the technique to find the meaning of new word with the clues used in context. This technique is used to find the meaning of new word through the relationship of the words around with some clues that are provided in the context. Guessing from context is one of the techniques that really help students to memorize and increase theirs vocabulary list. Guessing technique provides many advantages for students in learning English vocabulary. Ying (2000: 18) mentions that in addition to enlarging students' vocabulary, it helps them not only to derive word meaning but also know how to use these words in other contexts. Guessing makes students aware of the fact that context determines the meaning of words. This technique enables students to cope with vocabulary problems independently and makes them more confident while handling texts. This technique gives them a powerful aid to comprehend and speed up their reading. This technique also involves the skills of interpreting the surrounding text; predicting and checking prediction during reading. In addition, it replaces the use of the dictionary which has the disadvantages of interrupting the flow of reading. So, this technique is very useful for students in learning vocabulary. To decide the use of an appropriate word to be learnt by students, the teacher has to study words in context. In order to make the students to be successful in figuring out an unknown word, it depends on how many times the word presented in the context, whether the context is oral or written, and the ability of the students to use context clues and whether the context is sufficient [5].
Guessing game is a game in which the participants compete individually or in teams to identify something that indicate obscurely. In teaching speaking through guessing game, students are expected to be involved actively in speaking class activity; they are much courage to think what they want to say( Klippel, 2004:32). According to Klippel, "The basic rule of guessing games is eminently simple; one person knows something that another one wants to find out." Based on the definition, it can be conclude that guessing games is a game in which a person or participant knows something and competes individually or in a team to identify or to find out the answer [1].
A guessing game is a game in which the object is to use guessing to discover some kind of information, such as a word, a phrase, a title, or the identity or location of an object. A guessing game has as its core a piece of information that one player knows, and the object is to coerce others into guessing that piece of information without actually divulging it in text or spoken word. Charades is probably the most well-known game of this type, and has spawned numerous commercial variants that involve differing rules on the type of communication to be given, such as Catch Phrase, Taboo, Pictionary, and similar. The genre also includes many game shows such as Win, Lose or Draw and Password.
Many of the games are played co-operatively. In some games some player(s) know the answer, but cannot tell the other(s), instead they must help them to guess it. Guessing games are "readily adaptable for classroom use", as such a game "creates just enough tension to remain exciting, challenging, and competitive" for children, so long as the teacher designs effective rules "to eliminate unruly or unsportsmanship behavior". It has been noted, however, that children in therapy may initiate guessing games as a way to avoid talking about distressing issues, and that therapists who are using other kinds of games to facilitate communication should avoid being drawn into them.
Usage of the technique
The technique can be presented by teachers of various English language classes by their own interpretations. The researcher also studied several works of scientists who had investigated on the theme before and attempts to conduct lessons with the help of created version. Typically, this technique is used in warm-up stage of the lesson in order to introduce a new topic to the students. Teacher asks them to slip into two groups and act as a written instruction in the card while the music plays and lets students guess the situation and share their ideas about new topic. Here are some examples of words and word expressions which were used in the lesson devoted to "Crime and Punishment":
to wear a black mask, hold the sack, go into the bank, break the safe....
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After completing all actions students try to find appropriate words for the presented situation. (The correct answer was "robbery") In the second stage the next group members to show actions according to written clues:
to enter the store, to take a candy, put in a pocket, to run and escape... (The correct answers are: thief, stealing )
Action-guessing technique helps students to remember and guess the words, actions which are performed by their classmates. Advantages of the technique:
• develops memory strategies: guessing intelligently
• readily adaptable for classroom use
• funny and interesting
• improves students' speaking skill
• students become partners in learning
• students memorize and increases theirs vocabulary list
• to be successful in figuring out an unknown word
• urges learners to express their ideas. Disadvantages of the technique:
• it does not work well in groups with multi-level classes
• misinterpretation of actions
• there may be noise in the classroom
• interrupts the flow of reading.
Improving vocabulary with the help of action-guessing technique enables learners to guess intelligently and participate actively in learning process. In the process of enhancing vocabulary skill learners have to be encouraged and motivated through several interactive methods and techniques.
References / Список литературы
1. Klippel Friederike, 2004. Keep Talking. Communicative Fluency Activities for Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
2. Laufer B., Nation Р., 1999. A vocabulary size test of controlled productive ability.Language Testing 16, 33-51
3. Nation I.S.P., 2001. Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. New York: Harper & Row.
4. Wilkins D.A., 1972. Linguistics in Language Teaching. Cambridge: MFT Press.
5. Ying Yu Shu, 2000. Acquiring Vocabulary through a Context-Based Approach. Forum.39/1: 18.
