CC BY
136
Section 11. Philology
References:
1. Лотман Ю. М. Структура художественного текста. - М., 1970.
2. Соколов С. Школа для дураков: Роман. - СПб., 2001.
3. Зорин А. Насылающий ветер.//Новый мир. - 1989. - № 12.
4. Глэд Д. Беседы в изгнании. - М.,1991.
Normamatova Dilfuza Turdikulovna, Gulistan State University, Teacher, the Faculty of Philology E-mail: [email protected]
Use of instructional approaches in teaching vocabulary for EFL learners
Abstract: This article enlightens some approaches of learning and teaching vocabulary in the field of instructional strategies. And also examines the use of some techniques and goals in teaching vocabulary as part of the design of a communication. It clarifies the most common prompt for creating lessons plans in language teaching activity.
Keywords: vocabulary, comprehension, approach, motivation, content goal, techniques, new words, language skill.
Vocabulary is one ofthe major problems confronting EFL learners. Because of their weak vocabulary, they cannot communicate their ideas as clearly as they would like to and they cannot grasp the ideas transmitted to them. They cannot read the columns of a newspaper or popular magazine or even understand newscasts on the radio or television. Their listening — comprehension, writing, and a reading abilities are preventing from progressing by their limited vocabulary.
It has been presumed that vocabulary can be acquired through reading and practicing other language skills. However, this is not adequate; learners must be taught the structure of words regularly and systematically. They should have a clear understanding of the component units words how these units are put together to form new meanings.
There is the general agreement that the possession of a large number ofvocabulary items are necessary to success in social, professional and intellectual life; that vocabulary is vehicle for thought, self expression, interpretation and communication [1, 42].
All too often, new words are the sole focus ofvocabulary teaching, with difficulty determined by the size of a word rather than by students’ familiarity with a concept. This is an overly simple and generic approach to a complex issue. A lengthy word can be easy to comprehend and apply, if students are already familiar with what the word represents. On the other hand, short words such as “love”, “irony”, “power” and “ellipse” pose problems because, for many students, each word represents an
abstraction. What complicates matter even further is that concepts hidden behind these terms change from situation to situation. For example, consider the multiple meanings ofthe word “square” as it is used in mathematics (a four-sided figure), building trades (a tool for measurement), or casual conversation (a nerd). The importance of learning a word cannot be determined through generic means, such as selecting longer rather than shorter words for teaching, or without reference to the context in which the word appears. Vocabulary instruction should focus on concepts that are both unfamiliar and essential to the context in which they are being applied to plan [1, 42].
Planning for vocabulary teaching requires special kinds of thinking about goals for content (which words to teach), process (which vocabulary processes to emphasize), and motivation (how to develop student interest). These decisions are the subject of this section.
Content goals: Content goals for vocabulary are to (1) select vocabulary terms that are important in a specific context, and (2) teach vocabulary at an appropriate level (definition or meaning) that words are important in a context when they are basic to understanding large subject matter concepts and principles. For example, middle and secondary school students already know how to eat. They develop the basic knowledge and ability to eat without knowing the term “nutrition”. The goal in many science and healthy classes, however, is to teach students what it means “to eat well”. To achieve this goal, students must acquire and communicate with a common language based on the content to be learned.
142
Use of instructional approaches in teaching vocabulary for EFL learners
Emphasizing nutrition and other related concepts during vocabulary instruction helps teachers and students distinguish old concepts from new, encouraging students to process from a junk-food mentality to a better understanding of the body and relationship between a balanced died and good health [8, 145].
Students should also be equipped with an understanding of the principles of the word construction an -how the words of the English language are constructed of smaller elements and how they can be taken apart into their component units. An understanding of the structure of English words will facilitate learning and enhance recall. The advantages of such an approach are as follows:
1. Learners can master and more easily retain words whose relationships can be clearly seen and understood. Each word then reinforces and is reinforced by others. This method is based on the principle of meaningful learning; learning through comprehending, associating and integrating the new material with that which has already been learned.
2. Learners are usually unable to identify or recognize words that are related or are derived from the same root unless such relations are pointed out to them. When this is done, they gain a better insight into familiar words and a clearer and sharper picture of their meaning. They soon get into the habit of looking for keys and breaking down words. The most difficult words will become easy. Their enjoyment of reading will eventually increase, and they will learn more through extensive and intensive reading.
3. Knowledge of how the language of how the language is makes the learners feel more secure with unfamiliar words. This feeling of security will develop their confidence in themselves, an important factor in language learning.
4. The learners’ spelling will improve, since we are exposing them to roots whose spelling tends to be constant.
To achieve maximum benefit from the vocabulary program, I can state that during my teaching experience I have noticed how enthusiastic are about practicing vocabulary by means of games.
Vocabulary teaching techniques
There are numerous techniques concerned with vocabulary presentation. However, there are a few things that have to be remembered irrespective of the way new lexical items are presented. If teachers want students to remember new vocabulary, it needs to be learn in context, practiced, and then revised prevent students from forgetting. Teachers must make sure students have understood the new words, which will be remembered
better if introduced in a “memorable way" [7, 143]. Bearing all this in mind, teachers have to remember to employ a variety of techniques for new vocabulary presentation and revision.
Grains and Redman (1986) suggest the following types of vocabulary presentation techniques:
Visual techniques. These pertain to visual memory, which is considered especially helpful with vocabulary retention. Learners remember better the material that has been presented by means of visual aids [9, 452-453]. Visual techniques lend themselves well to presenting concrete items of vocabulary-nouns; many are also helpful in conveying meanings of verbs and adjectives. They help students associate presented material in a meaningful way and incorporate it into their system of language values.
Verbal explanation. This pertains to the use of illustrative situations, synonymy, opposites, and scales definition [4, 74].
Use of definition. Using a dictionary is another technique of finding out meanings of unfamiliar words and expressions. Students can make use of variety of dictionary, monolingual, pictorial, thesauri, and the like.
Using games. There are many advantages of using games. Games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely. They are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunity to express their opinions and feelings [2, 20-21]. They also enable learners to acquire new experiences within a foreign language which are not always possible during a typical lesson. Though the main objectives of the vocabulary activities are to acquaint students with new words or phrases and help them to consolidate lexical items, they also help to develop the students’ deeper understanding.
To achieve deeper understanding the new words, students need to know the meanings behind vocabulary terms by the help of vocabulary presentation techniques which is stated above. Students know vocabulary meanings when they can appropriately apply concepts to the content they are learning. The ultimate test of students’ ability to apply vocabulary is the test transfer [8-143]. Ideally, when students study meanings, they should be able to apply them in current lessons and transfer their understanding to later lessons. Unfortunately, teachers cannot be sure that students will transfer their vocabulary knowledge from one lesson to another. When asked about previously taught concepts, some students respond with blank stares or disbelief. The reason for this may be traditional vocabulary instruction.
143
Section 11. Philology
Traditional instruction focuses on large number of words, taught mostly on a definition level. When students are exposed to large numbers of vocabulary concepts and are given little time to study them, learning is often superficial and short - term. Trying to teach a large number of words on a meaning level is no way out of this dilemma. Though taking a meaning approach - as opposed to a definition approach - makes the learning deeper and more long - term for the words, developing meanings always takes more time and fewer words can be taught [8-145]. If large numbers ofwords are fundamental to understanding the content, teachers can very quickly become bogged down in teaching individual word meanings. Attention to vocabulary process and strategic vocabulary learning supports the first goal. The motivation goals for teaching vocabulary are to help students: gain self - confidence in their own abilities to learn new words, and discover enjoyment in learning new words in a content area.
Students grow in self - confidence and independence as they see that newly learned words and vocabulary process can be used to eliminate confusion and to comprehend border concepts and principles. They realize that they don’t have to feel victimized by the unfamiliar terms that keep cropping up in the text.
Contrary to some beliefs, students will choose to expand their own vocabularies when motivated to do so. In a recent study, students reported that it is fun to learn new words and to be able to use them for communicating [6, 634]. The words students enjoyed, however, came from pleasure reading rather than from school textbooks. Most students have not discovered how to enjoy and communicate with the vocabulary of their content texts. Teachers also can start to build motivation for vocabulary learning by finding out what students find interesting. For some students, this might mean asking what they read outside of class and asking them to keep a journal of the interesting words they discover. For other students, this could take the form of creating a slang dictionary complete with words students often use it.
Vocabulary instruction involves more than teaching the hard words. Because of the quantity or compactness of concepts within content areas, teachers need to identify and distinguish words best presented on a definition level from words best taught on a meaning level. Helping students become strategists when learning vocabulary is an important goal. When students experience success in determining word meanings on their own, they are more likely to be interested in learning the language of a content area.
References:
1. Adil Al-Kufaishi. A vocabulary building program is a necessity not luxury. English teaching forum, 26, 2, -1985. - 44 p.
2. Uberman Agniezska. The use of games for vocabulary presentation and revision. English teaching forum, 36, 1, -1998. - Р. 20-26.
3. Allen E. and Vallete R. Moderen language classroom techniques. - New York, 1972. - 132 p.
4. Garins A. and Redman S. Working with words: a guide to teaching and learning vocabulary. - Cambridge University Press, 1986. - Р. 74-80.
5. Gerald G. D., Laura R. R. Improving classroom reading instruction. - MeGraw-Hill, Inc., 1993. - Р. 132-143.
6. Haggard M. The vocabulary self - collection strategy: Using student interest and world knowledge to enhance vocabulary growth. Journal of reading, - 29, 7, - 634-632 p.
7. Hubbard P., Jones H., Thornton B. and Wheeler R. A training course for TEFL. - Oxford University Press, 1983.
8. Conley Mark W. Content reading Instruction. - MeGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992. - Р. 143-172.
9. Zebrovska M. One hundred language games. - Warsaw, 1975. - 308 p.
144
