Esp vocabulary Teaching at the Vocational Secondary School of Furniture Industry

1.4.2. Communicative approach

The teaching methods as TPR and Suggestopedia have brought new thoughts that originated in the nowadays most widely used Communicative approach which emphasizes usage of the target language. Harmer (41) states the following characteristics: “Because of the focus of communicative activities and the concentration on language as a means of communication such an approach has been called the communicative approach.” As Thornbury points out, the introduction of Communicative approach in the 1970s helped to emphasize the role of vocabulary. The communicative value of a core vocabulary has been recognized, especially by tourists. Communicative sources provided by phrase books are more valuable than those in grammar-organized textbooks. Acknowledgment of the meaning-making potential of words means that vocabulary has become again the main learning objective (14). Vocabulary acquisition is the most important and at the same time the largest task facing the language learner. The recent trend has proven that coursebooks include more activities than specifically targeted vocabulary. More attention is given to a collection of vocabulary items, the grammar of words, to collocations, semantic relations between lexical items and to word frequency.

1.4.3. Eclectic approach

According to a definition found in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (367), eclectic means: “not following only one style, etc. set of ideas but choosing from or using a wide range.” It means that Eclectic Approach includes valuable techniques and procedures of other different approaches and benefits from them. The biggest advantage is flexibility. Teachers can make experiments with techniques and activities of different approaches and methods to find out the one that might be the most suitable for their target group. It should allow teachers to choose the most appropriate teaching methods and incorporate them into their lessons. It also gives great opportunities to concentrate on individuals’ needs.

The important fact follows from the above-mentioned: teachers have to make compromises in using teaching approaches and methods because the completely effective teaching method does not exist. There are some effective methods for a certain usage, but they do not function in other circumstances. But one tendency is transparent: Vocabulary, not grammar, is put to the centre of the classroom in order to help learners develop their ability to use English for real communication. In my opinion, the best way is when neither grammar nor lexis is underestimated and the attention is paid to both approximately in the same extent. But then teachers have to deal with the problem how also an effective way of teaching vocabulary can be incorporated into lessons, besides the stress put on teaching grammar.

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