Conveying meaning

When teaching any language whether it is a word, a phrase or a verb form, at

some point it will be essential to convey and check that your students have

understood the meaning.

In most classrooms, this is most commonly done through translation by the teacher or students, but is this really the best way? In this article, I'd like to share some alternative methods which I have used in my teaching.

Problems with translation

Moving away from translation

Possible problems

Conclusion

Problems with translationAll though it is quick and simple, there are many possible problems with relying on translation.

The word you want to translate to doesn't always cover the same range of meaning and connotation of the target word.

Some structures or verb forms that exist in English either don't exist in other languages or the parallel form carries either additional or less meaning.

Using translation can make students very teacher / dictionary dependent. By relying on translation, students don't develop the 'real world' strategies, which could help them to

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negotiate meaning and communicate when they need to make themselves understood or to understand someone who doesn't share their language

Moving away from translationHere are some methods I have used in attempting to move away from dependence on translation.

Mime. This includes noises or gestures. Some words particularly actions, are easy and quick to mime.

This can actually make lessons much more enjoyable too, especially if you get the students used to miming words. 

Pictures. This includes photos and drawings. These are very useful for when the words you are trying to teach are objects. Doing a quick drawing on the board can very simply convey the meaning of words that come up unexpectedly in class.

Again, if you get students to do the drawing too, then this can make the class more memorable and can be made a regular revision feature of your lessons. Time lines are also a great way of conveying the meaning of different verb tenses. 

Clines. These are graphs showing degree and they can be really useful for sets of words like, love, hate, don't mind, fond of, detest, enjoy or things like adverbs of frequency. They rely on students' existing knowledge and extend that knowledge.

If you know that your students understand love and hate then you can place these at extremes on the graph and get your students to decide where the other words in the set should be in relation to those. 

Realia or the real thing. This relies on the words you are teaching being objects and you being able to bring that object into class, but it can be really effective for students who are tactile learners and who need to touch.

This can be particularly effective for teaching words like fluffy, rough, smooth, furry, hairy, which have very subtle differences which would be hard to explain. 

Dictionary. A monolingual dictionary can be really useful in helping to build up your learners' independence.

Using a monolingual dictionary well is a skill and one that you may well need to work on in order to help your students get the best out of it. 

Explanation. Being able to explain what a word means in the target language can be a really useful skill for students.

By giving students concise and accurate explanations of words we can help them to develop the ability to explain words that they want to know.

 

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Synonyms / Antonyms. Giving opposite words or similar words can be a very quick way of conveying meaning, but you will need to be careful.

Using thin as a synonym for skinny can be quite effective, but there is still a difference in connotation and you'll need to consider whether and how you deal with these slight differences in meaning. 

Word formation or to be accurate breaking down complex words to their root parts. This method can also help students to understand how some of the suffixes and morphemes of the language work.

The word 'misunderstanding' can be divided into three parts; the root (understand), its prefix (mis) and the 'ing' at the end. By breaking words down in this way students learn more about the language than the word itself and can start to apply this knowledge to other words they want to use.

Context. This could be within a written text, audio, video or even a play and is by far one of the most useful and powerful ways to convey meaning.

If students are able to deduce the meaning of a word or phrase through the context in which they see or hear it, then they are well on the road to becoming independent learners.

Possible problemsOf course using the techniques above takes time and planning and there are always likely to be words that 'come up' unexpectedly in class when it will be just more economical to use translation. There is also the fact that you may have to battle against your students' expectations.

If they are used to having the teacher give them translations of every new word or phrase they learn, then they might not readily take to having to do some of the thinking work for themselves. If this is the case, you might want to start introducing these methods gradually by using them as part of revision games.

If, as is the case with many learners, they are really uncomfortable with not having a translation to match their new language points against, you could try telling them that you will give them translations for new words at the end of the class which will also act as a good way to revise any new language which has come up in the class. 

ConclusionAlthough many of these ways of conveying meaning may be more time consuming and require more planning than translating words, I believe by using them we are in the long term making better learners of our students. We are not only teaching them words and phrases, but the ability to convey and understand new meaning within the framework of the language they want to learn. This will make them more independent learners and better able to cope when the time comes for them to actually use the language in the 'real world'.

Nik Peachey, British Council

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Presenting vocabulary

This article looks at what needs to be taught when teaching vocabulary and

ways to present and teach vocabulary.

Introduction

What a student may need to know about an item

Ways to present vocabulary

Alternative ways of teaching vocabulary

Other things to consider 

IntroductionWith hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, teaching vocabulary can seem like a very daunting prospect. Remember though that the average native speaker uses around only five thousand words in everyday speech. Moreover, your students won't need to produce every word they learn, some they will just need to recognize. Selecting what to teach, based on frequency and usefulness to the needs of your particular students is therefore essential. Once you have chosen what to teach, the next important steps are to consider what students need to know about the items, and how you can teach them. 

What a student may need to know about an item

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What it meansIt is vital to get across the meaning of the item clearly and to ensure that your students have understood correctly with checking questions.

The formStudents need to know if it is a verb/a noun/an adjective etc to be able to use it effectively.

How it is pronouncedThis can be particularly problematic for learners of English because there is often no clear relation between how a word is written and how it is pronounced. It is very important to use the phonemic script in such cases so the sts have a clear written record of the pronunciation. Don't forget also to drill words that you think will cause pronunciation problems for your students and highlight the word stresses.

How it is speltThis is always difficult in English for the reason mentioned above. Remember to clarify the pronunciation before showing the written form.

If it follows any unpredictable grammatical patternsFor example, man-men / information (uncountable) and if the word is followed by a particular preposition (e.g. depend on )

The connotations that the item may haveBachelor is a neutral/positive word whereas spinster conjures a more negative image.

The situations when the word is or is not usedIs it formal/neutral/informal? For example, spectacles/glasses/specs. Is it used mainly in speech or in writing? To sum up is usually written whereas mind you is spoken. Is it outdated? Wireless instead of radio.

How the word is related to othersFor example, synonyms, antonyms, lexical sets.

Collocation or the way that words occur togetherYou describe things 'in great detail' not 'in big detail' and to ask a question you 'raise your hand' you don't 'lift your hand'. It is important to highlight this to students to prevent mistakes in usage later.

What the affixes (the prefixes and suffixes) may indicate about the meaningFor example, substandard sub meaning under. This is particularly useful at a higher level. 

Which of these areas you choose to highlight will depend on the item you are teaching and the level of your students. Now it's time to think about how we can get the meaning across. 

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Ways to present vocabulary   There are lots of ways of getting across the meaning of a lexical item.

IllustrationThis is very useful for more concrete words (dog, rain, tall) and for visual learners. It has its limits though, not all items can be drawn.

MimeThis lends itself particularly well to action verbs and it can be fun and memorable.

Synonyms/Antonyms/Gradable itemsUsing the words a student already knows can be effective for getting meaning across.

DefinitionMake sure that it is clear (maybe check in a learner dictionary before the lesson if you are not confident). Remember to ask questions to check they have understood properly.

TranslationIf you know the students' L1, then it is fast and efficient. Remember that not every word has a direct translation.

ContextThink of a clear context when the word is used and either describe it to the students or give them example sentences to clarify meaning further.

 

Again which you choose will depend on the item you are presenting. Some are more suitable for particular words. Often a combination of techniques can be both helpful and memorable

Alternative ways of teaching vocabulary

Give your students a few items of vocabulary and tell them to find the meaning, pronunciation and write an example sentence with the word in. They can then teach each other in groups.

Prepare worksheets and ask your students to match words to definitions.

Ask students to classify a group of words into different categories. For example, a list of transport words into air/sea/land.

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Ask students to find new vocabulary from reading homework and teach the other students in the class.

Other things to consider

Review the vocabulary you teach through a game or activity and encourage your students to do the same at home

Encourage autonomy in your learners. Tell them to read, watch films, listen to songs etc and note the useful words

Have a section of your board for vocabulary items that come up as you are teaching. Use different colours for the word / the phonemics / the prepositions / the part of speech

It is a good idea to teach/learn words with associated meanings together

Encourage your students to purchase a good dictionary and use class time to highlight the benefits of one

Teach your students the grammatical names for the parts of speech and the phonemic script

Always keep a good dictionary by your side in case a student asks about a word you don't know

If you don't and have never heard of the word, tell the student you will check and get back to them. Do get back to them

Give extra examples sentences to the students if they are unsure and encourage them to write the word in an example sentence (maybe for homework)

 

Richard Frost, British Council 

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PLANNING

Planning is one of those essential skills of the competent teacher. 

This article looks at some general lesson planning questions:

What should go into an English language lesson?

What is a lesson plan?

Why is planning important?

Do you need to plan if you have a course book?

What are the principles of planning?

What should go into an English language lesson?Every lesson and class is different. The content depends on what the teacher wants to achieve in the lesson. However it is possible to make some generalisations. Students who are interested in, involved in and enjoy what they are studying tend to make better progress and learn faster.

When thinking about an English lesson it is useful therefore to keep the following three elements in mind - Engage - Study - Activate

EngageThis means getting the students interested in the class. Engaging students is important for the learning process.

StudyEvery lesson usually needs to have some kind of language focus. The study element of a lesson could be a focus on any aspect of the language, such as grammar or vocabulary and pronunciation. A study stage could also cover revision and extension of previously taught material.

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ActivateTelling students about the language is not really enough to help them learn it. For students to develop their use of English they need to have a chance to produce it. In an activate stage the students are given tasks which require them to use not only the language they are studying that day, but also other language that they have learnt.

What is a lesson plan?A lesson plan is a framework for a lesson. If you imagine a lesson is like a journey, then the lesson plan is the map. It shows you where you start, where you finish and the route to take to get there.

Essentially the lesson plan sets out what the teacher hopes to achieve over the course of the lesson and how he or she hopes to achieve it. Usually they are in written form but they don't have to be. New or inexperienced teachers may want to or be required to produce very detailed plans - showing clearly what is happening at any particular time in the lesson. However in a realistic teaching environment it is perhaps impractical to consider this detail in planning on a daily basis. As teachers gain experience and confidence planning is just as important but teachers develop the ability to plan more quickly and very experienced teachers may be able to go into class with just a short list of notes or even with the plan in their heads.

Whatever the level of experience, it is important that all teachers take time to think through their lessons before they enter the classroom.

Why is planning important?One of the most important reasons to plan is that the teacher needs to identify his or her aims for the lesson. Teachers need to know what it is they want their students to be able to do at the end of the lesson that they couldn't do before. Here are some more reasons planning is important:-

gives the teacher the opportunity to predict possible problems and therefore consider solutions

makes sure that lesson is balanced and appropriate for class

gives teacher confidence

planning is generally good practice and a sign of professionalism

Do you need to plan if you have a course book?Many teachers will find themselves having to use a course book. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a course book - but although they do provide a ready-made structure for teaching material, it is very unlikely the material was written for the teachers' particular students. Each class is different and teachers need to be able to adapt material from whatever source so that it is suitable for their students. A course book can certainly help planning, but it

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cannot replace the teacher's own ideas for what he or she wants to achieve in a class.

What are the principles of planning?

Aims - considering realistic goals for the lesson, not too easy but not too difficult. You may find the following checklist useful:

o What do the students know already?

o What do the students need to know?

o What did you do with the students in the previous class?

o How well do the class work together?

o How motivated are the students?

Variety - an important way of getting and keeping the students engaged and interested.

Flexibility - expect the unexpected! Things don't always go to plan in most lessons. Experienced teachers have the ability to cope when things go wrong. It's useful when planning to build in some extra and alternative tasks and exercises. Also teachers need to be aware of what is happening in the classroom. Students may raise an interesting point and discussions could provide unexpected opportunities for language work and practice. In these cases it can be appropriate to branch away from the plan.

Effective lesson planning is the basis of effective teaching. A plan is a guide for the teacher as to where to go and how to get there. However - don't let the plan dominate - be flexible in your planning so that when the opportunities arise you can go with the flow.

  Callum Robertson, BBC English

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