Introduction chapter I. The ways of teaching vocabulary

Plan
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………3
CHAPTER I . THE WAYS OF TEACHING VOCABULARY

1.1. Principles of learning and teaching vocabulary……………………………………………………………………14

1.2 How words are remembered ………………20
1.3 Other important factors in language learning process………………26
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….35
References……………………………………………………………………….36

1.1 To know a language means to master its structure and words.

Thus, vocabulary one of the aspects of the language to be taught in school.
The problem is what words and idioms pupils should retain.
It is evident that the number of words should be limited because pupils have only 2-4 periods a week; the size of the group is not small enough to provide each pupil with practice in speaking; schools are not yet fully equipped with special laboratories for individual language learning.
The number of words pupils should acquire in school depends wholly on the syllabus requirements.
The later are determined by the condition and method used. For example, experiments have proved that the use of programmed instruction for vocabulary learning allows us to increase the number of the words to be learned since pupils are able to assimilate them while working independently with the programme.
We know the following fact that
I - words used in reading,
II - words used in auding,
III - words used in speaking,
IV - words used in writing.
The main aim of teaching vocabulary is assimilation of the meaning, form of the
words and its usage in oral and written speech – that is formation of lexical habits.
People can have many aptitudes, but without a large and precise English
vocabulary to express them, they cannot take full advantage of these abilities.
Unlike aptitudes, vocabulary is not a natural ability; it can be improved if one is
willing to make the effort to do so.
Building vocabulary is a powerful way to enhance your life and career. Learning
how to build a better vocabulary can be a pleasurable and profitable investment of
both your time and effort. At least fifteen minutes a day of concentrated study on a
regular basis can bring about a rapid improvement in your vocabulary skills, which
in turn can increase your ability to communicate by writing, conversing, or making
speeches. Acquiring a large vocabulary can benefit you in school, at work, and
socially. It will enable you to understand others' ideas better and to have the
satisfaction of getting your thoughts and ideas across more effectively.Of course,
you already know thousands of words, and you will continue to learn more
whether you work at it or not. The fact is that many of the words you know were
probably learned simply by coming across them often enough in your reading, in
conversation, and even while watching television. But increasing the pace of your
learning requires a consistent, dedicated approach. If you learned only one new
word a day for the next three years, you would have over a thousand new words in
your vocabulary. However, if you decided right now to learn ten new words a day,
in one year you would have added over three thousand to what you already know,
and probably have established a lifetime habit of learning and self-improvement
1. What is vocabulary?
What is vocabulary? The word vocabulary means all the words of a language and
what they mean. A person’s vocabulary consists of all words he/she can use and
understand. Vocabulary can be split into two types: receptive vocabulary and
expressive vocabulary. Receptive vocabulary consists of the words which a person
understands when he/she hears or reads them. Expressive vocabulary consists of
the words the person uses when she/he speaks.

Why teach vocabulary?

Vocabulary building is important in developing literacy.

Vocabulary has a direct affect on comprehension.

Knowing vocabulary words is a key to reading comprehension.
The reasons why these individuals have weak vocabularies are often complex and
overlapping, but here are a few of the common reasons for weak vocabularies. The
person 1) lives in an environment where higher level vocabularies are not used, 2)
has a lower education level because the person either did not complete school or
the education was of poor quality, 3) attended special education classes in which
lower level vocabulary was used in class and in textbooks, 4) does not read much
or has a reading problem, 5) does not pay attention to words, 6) has an auditory
perception problem which makes it difficult to hear the subtle differences in words,
7) does not have a good understanding of the structure of language including parts
of speech and word parts, prefixes, suffixes and word roots
many people are surprised when they are told they have small vocabularies.
“But I read all the time!” they protest.


This shows that reading alone may not be enough to make you learn new words.


When we read a novel, for instance, there is usually a strong urge to get on with


the story and skip over unfamiliar or perhaps vaguely known words.


But while it is obvious when a word is totally unknown to you, you have to be


especially aware of words that seem familiar to you but whose precise meanings


you may not really know.
Instead of avoiding these words, you will need to take a closer look at them. First,


try to guess at a word's meaning from its context—that is, the sense of the


passage in which it appears; second, if you have a dictionary on hand, look up the


word's meaning immediately.
This may slow down your reading some what, but your improved understanding


of each new word will eventually speed your learning of other words, making


reading easier.


Make a daily practice of noting words of interest to you for further study
whenever you are reading, listening to the radio, talking to friends, or watching


television.
Introduction Language has given human being the ability to communicate with

each other, forming a complex system of communication, and within each

anguage vocabulary stands as the basis for the language. Schmitt (2008) states

that vocabulary should be considered as more than a set of single-

word units, and Ngan-ha (2007) defines vocabulary as the smallest unit in the

language.

Thus in mastering a language, it is crucial for the learner to acquire the vocabulary.

It is known that vocabulary is significant in learning of language particularly of a

second language or foreign language learning, for vocabulary holds an important

role in learning English because it is the basic of the language skill (Kurniawan,

2009). Wilkins (1972) briefly notes: ‘without grammar very little can be

conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed’ (p111-112). Acquiring

vocabulary and gaining sufficient vocabulary size have often become a stumbling

block to some

students due to several discerning factors including learning disability, lack of

exposure to English,

lack of self-confidence, and lack of knowledge about the right vocabulary

strategies that looked into its applicability are rather limited. Thus this paper aims

to determine the most applicable vocabulary teaching and learning principles, and

what experts say about those principles

in term of their applicability in classroom practices.

Vocabulary Learning In learning new language, learners would apply as many strategies as possible in order to master
the target language in the shortest time possible. Most of the strategies practiced
are usually focusing on the vocabulary acquisition. The reason is that vocabulary

is the smallest unit learners need to know in order to use the target language

properly. Learners must attain a certain level of vocabulary knowledge in order to

understand the written and spoken forms of the target language This is why Long

and Richards (2007) regard it as ‘the core component of all the language

skills’. Thus failure to gain an adequate vocabulary can give negative

consequences to communication.

In order to achieve a certain level of vocabulary acquisition, learners have to various strategies to be successful in their learning process.
Besides, teachers also hold an immense responsibility in ensuring the success of

acquisition among learners. This is because learners are particularly interested in

receiving vocabulary instruction (James as cited in Barcroft, 2004). Thus,

vocabulary acquisition depends not only on how learners learn, but also how they

are taught. Consequently, many scholars have come out with teaching and

learning principles for teachers and learners to teach and learn vocabulary

respectively. Of all the principles introduced, ten principles were found to be

essential in ensuring vocabulary acquisition

The first principle in teaching vocabulary is the availability of comprehension