Does anyone have any tips for helping my students build their vocabularies?
I`m never sure of a good way to do this, since picking up vocabulary in a second language is something I struggle with too..
Teaching Vocabulary
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One idea I had was "Word Association".
In a group one person thinks of a word and the next person has to think of a related word. Beforehand you explain that anyone can ask to have a word recorded and explained later. As you go round, you collect words, that some students know, but not everyone. When you have a long enough list you can stop and go over the list. I've also considered that if there is some sort of balance (of those who know and those who don't know a word) that the students can explain the meanings. This would only work for higher levels.
I tried a word puzzle. I gave my students a longish jumbled up word, and asked them to use it to write as many different words as possible. If you're serious you can award points. This was a pretty tough game, some students are good at it were others struggle with it and become frustrated. Perhaps, you could give the game as a homework task, or make it easier by making the original jumble word shorter. When I tried this lots of interesting words popped out.
I like activities like this that draw out knowledge from the students, they are sharing with each other, which can be very motivating.
Iain
In a group one person thinks of a word and the next person has to think of a related word. Beforehand you explain that anyone can ask to have a word recorded and explained later. As you go round, you collect words, that some students know, but not everyone. When you have a long enough list you can stop and go over the list. I've also considered that if there is some sort of balance (of those who know and those who don't know a word) that the students can explain the meanings. This would only work for higher levels.
I tried a word puzzle. I gave my students a longish jumbled up word, and asked them to use it to write as many different words as possible. If you're serious you can award points. This was a pretty tough game, some students are good at it were others struggle with it and become frustrated. Perhaps, you could give the game as a homework task, or make it easier by making the original jumble word shorter. When I tried this lots of interesting words popped out.
I like activities like this that draw out knowledge from the students, they are sharing with each other, which can be very motivating.
Iain
Hmm, at first I thought I didn't have an idea, but then I thought of one I use. I have them buy a dictionary as the text. (We use Oxford American Wordpower Dictionary.) Inside the book, there is a list of prefixes. This is what I did, but maybe you can think of something similar you could do in your situation. (I'm not suggesting you have your students buy the dictionary 
.)
I went to the regular (not ESL) dictionary and found words with prefixes that I thought the students wouldn't know. (They wouldn't know the words; not the prefixes
.) The words were formed from a base word that occured in the Oxford Dictionary they were using, but the word with the prefix did not appear in their dictionaries.
I chose eight of those words and made sets of cards with a definition, a word, and a prefix. (There was a total of 24 cards in each set. The prefix cards were the smallest size; the words were slightly bigger, and of course the definitions were the biggest.) I had the students work in pairs to look up the words and match the word to the definition, and add the prefix. If this sounds entirely weird, it's understandable
.
Some of the words I used included: circumpolar, triathlete, preadolescent, foremother, etc .
.)I went to the regular (not ESL) dictionary and found words with prefixes that I thought the students wouldn't know. (They wouldn't know the words; not the prefixes
.) The words were formed from a base word that occured in the Oxford Dictionary they were using, but the word with the prefix did not appear in their dictionaries.I chose eight of those words and made sets of cards with a definition, a word, and a prefix. (There was a total of 24 cards in each set. The prefix cards were the smallest size; the words were slightly bigger, and of course the definitions were the biggest.) I had the students work in pairs to look up the words and match the word to the definition, and add the prefix. If this sounds entirely weird, it's understandable
.Some of the words I used included: circumpolar, triathlete, preadolescent, foremother, etc .
My suggestion is to make vocabulary building an ongoing activity that takes place mainly outside the classroom. Using a tiny notbook, the student will collect between 10 and 20 new vocabulary each week. This is vocabulary that they hear at the grocery store, on the bus/train, at work...etc. The goal here it to expose them to language they're more likely to need...therefore more likely to remember. Once a week, you can go over the new vocabulary your Ss have collected as a class activity.
P.S. Don't forget the power of a .25 C newspaper.
Hope this helps
P.S. Don't forget the power of a .25 C newspaper.
Hope this helps
picture dictionaries are good for students and Cambridge's Vocabulary in Use is excellent- it details context. there's a book called "vocabulary games and activties published by Penguin I think (peter watcyn jones i think) which has vocab based games etc.
also a good way to revise vocab during the course is:
ask students in pairs to make a list of all the words they have learnt in class (they can look in their notes etc.) its also a good test to see how much they have actually been paying attention in class. one of the pairs comes to the board and writes all the words from class. then together look at all the words prompt some defintiions and then tell the class they must write one sentence and use as many of these words as possible. the pair with the most words in one logical sentence wins a chockie or whatever.
another pearler is make a crossword of all new vocab from class. student A gets half , the student B the other half. they have to explain to each other the word and fill in the crossword.
cheers
also a good way to revise vocab during the course is:
ask students in pairs to make a list of all the words they have learnt in class (they can look in their notes etc.) its also a good test to see how much they have actually been paying attention in class. one of the pairs comes to the board and writes all the words from class. then together look at all the words prompt some defintiions and then tell the class they must write one sentence and use as many of these words as possible. the pair with the most words in one logical sentence wins a chockie or whatever.
another pearler is make a crossword of all new vocab from class. student A gets half , the student B the other half. they have to explain to each other the word and fill in the crossword.
cheers
-
will mcculloch
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 2:34 pm
- Contact:
Wordsurfing
Dear Eigo-Mike.
Try WordSurfing.....
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk
.......and, maybe, join the discussion group at
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/wordsurfing/
The sites were specifically set up to try and find the best answers to the very common (and undervalued) question ....
"Does anyone have any tips for helping my students build their vocabularies?"
......that you ask.
Hope this helps
Will McCulloch
Vocabulary Developer
Try WordSurfing.....
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk
.......and, maybe, join the discussion group at
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/wordsurfing/
The sites were specifically set up to try and find the best answers to the very common (and undervalued) question ....
"Does anyone have any tips for helping my students build their vocabularies?"
......that you ask.
Hope this helps
Will McCulloch
Vocabulary Developer
Alpha4 -- The Little Notebook
I loved your idea of the 'little notebook' so much that I tried it with my students. I gave a group of them 'little notebooks' with tiny pens tied to them for Christmas presents. They love using them! Every class starts with the introduction of new vocabulary. Students look up their words, then present them in class, discuss where they heard them or bring a photocopy of the text where they found the word.
(Sometimes it's kinda funny, because what they hear and the context they present are not compatible--I wish I had saved some of the funnier ones.)
Thank you so much for the idea. It seems obvious but I had never used it before in such a way.
(Sometimes it's kinda funny, because what they hear and the context they present are not compatible--I wish I had saved some of the funnier ones.)
Thank you so much for the idea. It seems obvious but I had never used it before in such a way.
-
will mcculloch
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 2:34 pm
- Contact:
Vocabulary development
Hi,
I hope that the Feb 2004 "Word Surfing" Update will be of interest to those trying to help their students with their vocabulary development.
WS Update Feb 2004
There are just two short pieces of news to share with you....and a request.
1. There is now a WS article in HLT magazine at http://www.hltmag.co.uk/jan04/sart3.htm. It's really nice to be there - but also disappointing that the sample WS Page is incorrect (the most important bit!). The real one is here... http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk/8140.html
...and hopefully they will make the correction in the very near future.
2. "Word Surfing" is beginning to be made available to learners of French, German, Spanish, Italian and many other languages. Details of this can be found at.......
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk/7846.html
.... and hopefully this will encourage more people to join the WS discussion group at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/wordsurfing/ .
3. If anyone would like to suggest some quality resources that could usefully be added to the above page - please let me know. I'm particularly interested in sites that include sound and/or video files/interactive exercises/dictations/discussion forums etc - as these really can help L2 learners to independently mimic some of the exposure that they received as L1 learners.
Many thanks for your time ...and hope to hear from you soon.
Best Wishes
Will McCulloch
Vocabulary Developer
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk
I hope that the Feb 2004 "Word Surfing" Update will be of interest to those trying to help their students with their vocabulary development.
WS Update Feb 2004
There are just two short pieces of news to share with you....and a request.
1. There is now a WS article in HLT magazine at http://www.hltmag.co.uk/jan04/sart3.htm. It's really nice to be there - but also disappointing that the sample WS Page is incorrect (the most important bit!). The real one is here... http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk/8140.html
...and hopefully they will make the correction in the very near future.
2. "Word Surfing" is beginning to be made available to learners of French, German, Spanish, Italian and many other languages. Details of this can be found at.......
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk/7846.html
.... and hopefully this will encourage more people to join the WS discussion group at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/wordsurfing/ .
3. If anyone would like to suggest some quality resources that could usefully be added to the above page - please let me know. I'm particularly interested in sites that include sound and/or video files/interactive exercises/dictations/discussion forums etc - as these really can help L2 learners to independently mimic some of the exposure that they received as L1 learners.
Many thanks for your time ...and hope to hear from you soon.
Best Wishes
Will McCulloch
Vocabulary Developer
http://www.wordsurfing.co.uk