MAAL6018 Vocabulary Teaching And LearningMAAL6018 Vocabulary Teaching And LearningCourse OutlineCourse Outline

Session 1 Building blocks and dimensions of vocabulary knowledge- What is a word? What is meant by knowing a word?- Some research in teaching vocabulary (John Read)

Session 2 (CRT6.32) Vocabulary size, frequency, word listsComputer applications– Are some words “more important” than others?- Websites for learning word lists, assessing vocab size and profile

Session 3 Vocabulary teaching-Indirect vs. direct vocabulary teaching-Vocabulary assessment- the lexical approach to vocabulary teaching

Session 4 Vocabulary learning-Vocabulary learning strategies

Session 5 (CRT6.32) Use of concordancers

Session 6 The mental lexicon– How L1 and L2 speakers store and retrieve words in their brains

Assignment due Nov 3

Course website

http://caes.hku.hk/maal6018/AssignmentSessions and ReadingsList of Useful readingsDissertations in HKU LibraryResources on the Web

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Warming UpWarming Up

1.1. How many words do you think there How many words do you think there are in the English language?are in the English language?

2.2. How many words do you know?How many words do you know?

3.3. What is the longest word you know?What is the longest word you know?

4.4. What is the most frequently used What is the most frequently used word in the English language?word in the English language?

5.5. What do you think is the best way What do you think is the best way to learn vocabulary?to learn vocabulary?

The longest word in The longest word in EnglishEnglish

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters; longest word in Oxford Dictionary) a lung disease caused by silica dust, a lung disease caused by silica dust,

mostly suffered by minersmostly suffered by miners

Or

smiled

Why vocabulary learning Why vocabulary learning is important and is important and

challengingchallenging “Without grammar very little can be

conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” (Wilkins, 1972:111)

A finite number of grammar items (about 300 in English), but an infinite number of vocabulary items for a typical learner

Grouping wordsGrouping words

Grouping wordsGrouping words

Grammatical / Function

words

Lexical / Content words

Multi-word lexical items

Inflections Derivatives

because of famous raining cats and dogs

bring occasion

why singer catch up bringing occasional

cannot rained day in and day out brought occasionally

the heavily now and then brings

What is meant by “a What is meant by “a word”?word”?

1.1. MatchingMatching

2.2. Pair activityPair activity

Word FamilyWord Family

Do you think speech and unspeakable should be included in the same word family as speak?

How about bespoke?

How much do you know about the word How much do you know about the word “agree”?“agree”?

1.1. 112.2. Again, agony, agonize, agonistic, age, aging, Again, agony, agonize, agonistic, age, aging,

agent, agency, aglow, agile, aggressive, agent, agency, aglow, agile, aggressive, aggregate, aggravateaggregate, aggravate

3.3. Both (intransitive: I agree; transitive: I agree Both (intransitive: I agree; transitive: I agree with you on this issue)with you on this issue)

4.4. No (It is agreed that…)No (It is agreed that…)5.5. onon6.6. AgreementAgreement7.7. Agreeable, agreedAgreeable, agreed8.8. Pleasant, acceptablePleasant, acceptable9.9. Yes (dis)Yes (dis)

How much do you know about the word How much do you know about the word “agree”?“agree”?

11.11. NoNo12.12. yesyes13.13. No (We did not agree to go to the cinema)No (We did not agree to go to the cinema)14.14. Consent, concur, assent, accede, side withConsent, concur, assent, accede, side with15.15. Compromise (agree unwillingly)Compromise (agree unwillingly)16.16. Consensus (of a group of people)Consensus (of a group of people)17.17. YesYes18.18. She goes to school / much water She goes to school / much water 19.19. Accept that we have different opinionsAccept that we have different opinions20.20. More (totally agree); less (totally disagree)More (totally agree); less (totally disagree)

Aspects of word Aspects of word knowledgeknowledge

1.1. Knowing how to Knowing how to pronouncepronounce the word. the word.2.2. Knowing the Knowing the meaning meaning of the word either as an L1 equivalent or as of the word either as an L1 equivalent or as

defined in L2.defined in L2.3.3. Knowing how to Knowing how to spellspell the word and how its spelling differs from words the word and how its spelling differs from words

that are pronounced similarly.that are pronounced similarly.4.4. Knowing the grammatical Knowing the grammatical word classword class of the word. of the word.5.5. Knowing the Knowing the grammatical patternsgrammatical patterns in which the word is typically in which the word is typically

used.used.6.6. Knowing the Knowing the collocational patternscollocational patterns in which the word typically fits in which the word typically fits

and its any and its any constraints constraints upon the use of the word (concerned with, e.g. upon the use of the word (concerned with, e.g. frequency, register, formality).frequency, register, formality).

7.7. Knowing the Knowing the morphologymorphology of the word and the forms and meanings of of the word and the forms and meanings of its its inflectionsinflections and and derivativesderivatives..

8.8. Knowing the Knowing the different sensesdifferent senses of the word ( of the word (polysemypolysemy) and the senses ) and the senses of its derivatives.of its derivatives.

9.9. Knowing the Knowing the antonymsantonyms of the word. of the word.10.10. Knowing the Knowing the synonymssynonyms of the word. of the word.11.11. Knowing how the sense and usage of the word differs from that of near Knowing how the sense and usage of the word differs from that of near

synonyms.synonyms.12.12. Knowing Knowing idiomsidioms that consist of the word. that consist of the word.

Pedagogical Pedagogical Implications?Implications?

The incremental nature of The incremental nature of vocabulary acquisitionvocabulary acquisition

our knowledge of a particular word our knowledge of a particular word is oftenis often partialpartial & & incrementalincremental

Recycling of words Recycling of words is importantis important Focusing on Focusing on different dimensions different dimensions

of word knowledge at different times of word knowledge at different times / when meeting the word in / when meeting the word in different contextsdifferent contexts

Pre-session 1 reading1. Research in teaching vocabulary (John

Read, 2004) Focus on the research aspects

2. The big picture (Paul Nation, 2008) Different types of vocabulary (e.g. high-

frequency / low-frequency / academic / technical )

A balanced approach to teaching vocabulary (4 parts in a curriculum)

Some research into Some research into vocabulary teaching and vocabulary teaching and

learninglearningReferring to pp. 151-155 of: Read, J. (2004). Research in teaching

vocabulary. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 24, 146-161. 

1.What are some of the ways of conducting research into vocabulary teaching or learning? 

2.What conclusions can you draw from these studies reported by Read (2004) about the criteria for effective vocabulary acquisition?

Some research into Some research into vocabulary teaching and vocabulary teaching and

learninglearningDictionary use:Dictionary use: look at how students use dictionarieslook at how students use dictionaries whether they use dictionaries whether they use dictionaries

appropriately / whether they need appropriately / whether they need trainingtraining

whether dictionary use leads to better whether dictionary use leads to better performance / proficiencyperformance / proficiency

what kind of dictionaries they prefer what kind of dictionaries they prefer to useto use

Some research into Some research into vocabulary teaching and vocabulary teaching and

learninglearningVocabulary in the classroom:Vocabulary in the classroom: Look at how students select, record and revise Look at how students select, record and revise

vocabulary in their independent study / whether vocabulary in their independent study / whether training improves use of vocab learning strategiestraining improves use of vocab learning strategies

Audio- or video- record classes and transcribe Audio- or video- record classes and transcribe these clips. Study how the teacher teaches these clips. Study how the teacher teaches vocabulary, e.g. whether target words are vocabulary, e.g. whether target words are repeated or recycled / whether vocabulary is repeated or recycled / whether vocabulary is taught in lexically rich context, i.e. target words taught in lexically rich context, i.e. target words repeated and embedded in easy-to-understand repeated and embedded in easy-to-understand contextcontext

Some research into Some research into vocabulary teaching and vocabulary teaching and

learninglearningComputer applications:Computer applications: Use a computer programme to make sure Use a computer programme to make sure

that target words are repeated in different that target words are repeated in different sentences and texts, and see whether sentences and texts, and see whether students have better retention of these students have better retention of these wordswords

Provide (glosses / pictorial clues / videos / Provide (glosses / pictorial clues / videos / L1 translations) via hyperlinks built into an L1 translations) via hyperlinks built into an online text, and measure students’ online text, and measure students’ understanding and retention of these wordsunderstanding and retention of these words

Criteria for effective Criteria for effective vocabulary acquisitionvocabulary acquisition

Students often use strategies inappropriately / Students often use strategies inappropriately / need vocab strategy trainingneed vocab strategy training

Better to repeat target words in texts / in the Better to repeat target words in texts / in the classroomclassroom

Better to present target words in lexically rich Better to present target words in lexically rich context (comprehensible input for students to context (comprehensible input for students to guess meaning of the unknown words)guess meaning of the unknown words)

Deeper processing of the target words leads to Deeper processing of the target words leads to better retention (e.g. mental imaging / studying better retention (e.g. mental imaging / studying sample sentences are better than only looking sample sentences are better than only looking at L1 translations)at L1 translations)

Preparation for the next Preparation for the next session (in CRT6.32)session (in CRT6.32)

Please bring along a few pieces of your own writing of no less than 300 words each, and a few other texts of different genres, e.g. journalistic, academic, technical, literary, etc. (soft copies saved on a USB or your email account). We are going to do some analysis of word choice in different kinds of writing.

Please print off handouts for Session 2 (all available on the course website – “Course Materials”)

Go over the pre-session reading