Chapter I the techniques in teaching and learning vocabulary

1.3 Ways of determining the vocabulary comprehension and remembering

How you choose the words you want to remember will depend upon your level and your needs. Are you a beginner traveler for example, or a beginner in another country to where the language is spoken.

The following general rules are important to consider:

1. Choose high frequency words that you are likely to use in your experience. So for example, working on animal names might not be the best choice unless you area vet, etc

2. Choose words appropriate to the level of your language. So working on legal terminology might not be the best choice if you are a beginner.

3. Choose words that can be used in multiple contexts when you are starting out. The high frequency word lists one can find on the net are a good start here .Of course there may be exceptions to this, but these are useful general guidelines that can accelerate your progress and be more satisfying as they will more readily locate themselves in the sent ences you can speak and they will be used often.

A Specific Method

Let’s say you choose the word “stir” as you like cooking. Here are my pointers to help you not just remember but be able to use this word. Put it in at least 3 different sentences that are meaning packed and personal. This creates context and the kinds of links you will need for recall.

1. My mum always stirs the onions when she fries them.

2. I don’t like stirring too much as I get tired.

3. If I don’t stir the meat, it will burn. Now it might take you some time to do this the first time. Don’t worry. Any effort you make will help place that word into your memory. By working to create “correct” sentences, you will be using your understanding of the language to help drive it further into your memory. It is important to work towards using grammatically and situationally correct sentences. It is not critical that they be 100% correct. The closer the better though, as that way you are embedding desirable habits into your working memory. By situationally, I mean that in some situations some language is not really correct even though it may be grammatically correct. For example, “My mother is stirring the meat on the bench” or “If I stir the meat, it will burn” are correct grammatically but they do not make much sense. This might be easy to see here, but one of the criticisms I have made of many language books that they use language native speakers find hard to process or would never say. “My brother is in Delhi with my cousin,” may be hard to make meaningful for some people if they have no brother! Or even worse still, an example which I took from a grammar book, “You’re not very good at doing.”

Now once you are pretty sure the sentences are ok, there are 2 further things you can do to embed them into your memory:

1. Say them aloud. This way you are using your muscles and your brain in a different way to help you palnt them further into your memory by creating different kinds of links.

2. Visualise the actions/meaning as you are saying it. This takes the process to a whole another level as you are now enlisting another part of the brain, which has been shown by scientific testing to be a powerful mechanism to assist memory. Also, if you look closely at the “stir” example, have used 3 forms of the word stir –stir, stirs & stirring. We have now given this verb a grammatical workout! At first, this might seem to be overkill for one word but believe me the effort is well worth it. Why? Because you are retraining your brain to work in different ways. Great language learners do this kind of work instinctively. That is where we want you to get to , so you can do this on the run as it were. But first as with any new skill, you first need to train yourself, a step at a time. Do this with as many new words as you have time to (at least once a day)and you will see that once you get the hang of it, you will become faster in coming up with the sentences. Eventually you won’t need to write down anything. You will be in fact be training your mind to work in the new language, not just translating or whatever else you have been doing. Undoubtedly, you remember the teaching strategies your instructors used for vocabulary: you would copy down definitions into notebooks and then for homework rewrite each word for what felt like a million times.We can probably all agree that passive learning is not an effective teaching strategy to instruct vocabulary. Students need multiple exposures to a word before they can fully understand it. They also need to learn new words in context by reading. Teachers can emphasize active processing by having students connect new meanings to words they already know. The more exposures students have to a word, the better chance that they will remember it.

Here are five vocabulary instruction strategies to use with elementary students.

1. Word Detective

The most valuable thing that you can do to increase your students’ vocabulary is to encourage them to read. Wide reading is the main path way for word acquisition. This activity enables students to see words in different contexts, therefore deepening their knowledge. It requires students to find new words as they encounter them in their daily reading. Here’s how word detective works: The teacher gives students a list of key words to search for. Students are to write each target word and its sentence on a sticky note, then place it on their desk each time ithey encounter a keyword.

At the end of each school day, devote a few minutes to reading each sticky note. You can even make a game out it by assigning each word a point.

2. Semantic Map

A semantic map is a graphic organizer that helps students visually organize the relationship between pieces of information. Researchers have identified this strategy as a great way to increase students’ grasp of vocabulary words. Sematic mapping can be used as a prereading activity to active prior knowledge, or to introduce key words. As a post-reading activity, it can be used to enhance understanding by adding new concepts to the map. Here’s how it works: The teacher decides on a key word and writes it on the front board. Students then read the key word and are asked to think about other words that come to mind when they read the word. Students then make a list of all of the words. Students share the recorded words, then as a class the words are categorized. Once category names are assigned, a class map is created and discussed. Students are then encouraged to suggest additional categories for the map or add to the old ones. Any new words that relate to the topic are added to the map as students read through the text.

3. Word Wizard

Cooperative learning is an effective way for students to learn and process information. The jigsaw learning technique is a quick and effective way for students to work with their peers while learning key vocabulary words. For this activity, each student is responsible for learning three new words and teaching those words to their group. Here’s how it works: The teacher divides students into groups. Each student in the group is responsible for learning three new words in the chapter. Each “word wizard” is instructed to write the definition of the word in his/her own words as well as draw an illustration of the word. After each “word wizard” has completed their task, it is their job to come back to their group and teach their peers what they have learned. Each group member can copy the new words that they learn from each member in their notebooks.

4. Concept Cube

A concept cube is a great strategy to employ word parts. Students receive a paper divided into six equal squares. On each of the squares students are instructed to write down one of the following:

Vocabulary word

Antonym

Synonym

Category it belongs to essential characteristics. Example: Students then cut, fold and tape the paper to make a cube. Then, with a partner, they roll their cube and must tell the relationship of the word that lands on top to the original vocabulary word.

5. Word Connect

A Venn diagram is a great way for students to compare similarities and differences within words. It also provides students with new exposures to words, which helps them solidify what they have learned. For this activity, students are directed to connect two words that are written in the center of a Venn diagram. Their task is to connect the two words by writing down each words definition on the Venn diagram, then explaining the reason for the connection.

How to memorize new vocabulary faster: 9 tips

No matter how good your grammar is, if you don’t know any words that you can use it with, you (literally) won’t get very far with your language skills: Vocabulary opens up doors to new worlds and makes learning fun and satisfying. But expanding the range of word you know is like a diet: You have to put in some effort and there’s neither a magic trick nor a secret or one-approach-fits-all way to do it. Everyone has to find what works for them; but being patient, setting realistic goals, and rewarding yourself if you reach them are a good strategy that can be complemented with any of the following points.

1. Use Memory Techniques

A popular way to memorize vocabulary is the use of mnemonics, which are mental shortcuts that help you remember more complex concepts or words. For example, you can create associations between words: If you don’t know how to spell the words accommodation, just remember or you come up with an acronym: Like, when you need to go to the store to buy Spaghetti, Tomatoes, Olives, Rice, Eggs. The problem is, of course, that you still have to memorize the acronym, song, or association but with a little bit of practice, you’ll get good at coming up with creative and useful connections. The longer you think about acronyms or associations, the better will you remember the words that come with it.

2. Create a learning environment

When you’re studying abroad, you will hear and read the language everywhere and learn much faster through immersion. But you don’t have to go abroad to slowly increase the number of words you know, you can create an inspiring and study friendly environment wherever you are: Buy magazines or books in the new language, watch movies, and cook (or just eat) the local food.

3. Put the words in context

A good idea to learn more words faster is to put them in context: Instead of writing lists of random words, try to put them in sentences. That way, you know how the word is used in real life. Plus, if you come up with funny sentences, it will be easier to memorize. Depending on how you learn, you can also make drawings or find images that will complement the sentences and put the words into their natural habitat.

4. Learn from real-life situations

Speaking of context: Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts or songs are not only a great source for the most common words, they can also help you memorize the vocabulary because they always come associated with a scene, a person, or a (real-life) event. So, try to read books or watch movies in the original language (with subtitles) and figure out what the words mean. If you see or hear a phrase or sentence that you don’t understand, write it down, look it up and start memorizing it.

5. Take it to the next level

If you want to take language learning to the next level, leave enough space for mind maps with associated words, synonyms or antonyms. If you want to get the most out of your learning process, try not to translate the word into your native language, but instead, explain and describe it in the language you’re trying to learn.

6. Find the tools that work for you

Everyone learns differently, so if you don’t already know what works for you, try as many different ways or a combination there of as possible: Flashcards, apps, lists, games, or post its, are great ways to memorize vocabulary. The same goes for finding the right time: Some people want to set apart a specific time, others learn more spontaneously. No matter which approach you choose, be sure to get into some kind of rhythm practice makes after all .

7. Make it interactive

Just like you have to find the right tools that work for you, it’s also important to make the learning experience as encompassing as possible: Don’t just read the words from cards or lists hear them pronounced, say them out loud yourself and write or type them. The more you make your encounter with the words an experience for all senses, the better.

8. Focus on useful words

If you want to expand your vocabulary because you want to work at a marketing firm abroad, you probably don’t have to read Shakespeare’s novels or focus on words that pertain to the Middle Ages. The more practical and popular the words are for your career, hobbies and real-life conversations, the easier they are to learn and you will be able to use them more often.

9. Repeat and then repeat some more

Remember to not just repeat current words, but also the “old stuff” that you think you’ve memorized already. You don’t have to look at the stored words as often as the new vocabulary, but the more you use the words, the better you’ll remember and recall them.