SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT SEMANTICS (FINAL ASSIGNMENT ) Title TEACHING VOCABULARY ITEMS THROUGH CONTEXT TO ELEMENTARY EFL STUDENTS Name Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh Course K18 C Instructor M A Ha Cam Tam Deadline 28072010 HA NOI – YEAR 2010 TEACHING VOCABULARY ITEMS THROUGH CONTEXT TO ELEMENTARY EFL STUDENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Problem.
SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT SEMANTICS (FINAL ASSIGNMENT ) Title : TEACHING VOCABULARY ITEMS THROUGH CONTEXT TO ELEMENTARY EFL STUDENTS Name: Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh Course: K18 C Instructor: M.A Ha Cam Tam Deadline: 28/07/2010 Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT HA NOI – YEAR 2010 Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT TEACHING VOCABULARY ITEMS THROUGH CONTEXT TO ELEMENTARY EFL STUDENTS INTRODUCTION Problem statement and background to the study Vocabulary as a major component of language learning has been the object of numerous studies each of which has its own contribution to the field Laufer (1997) states that vocabulary learning is at the heart of language learning and language use In fact, it is what makes the essence of a language Without vocabulary speakers cannot convey meaning and communicate with each other in a particular language Although vocabulary has been the subject of many studies, few researches have revealed the effective techniques of vocabulary teaching So it is of prime importance to attempt to find the most effective technique of vocabulary teaching According to Allen (1983), all experienced language teachers confirm the important role of words and know that the lack of them leads to feeling of insecurity; on the other hand, the teachers’ attitude toward teaching vocabulary and the classroom techniques varies enormously Different techniques are used by teachers, such as teaching the words: through lists, translation, synonyms, antonyms, contexts, realia, and so on Some teachers believe before teaching vocabulary to their students, they should have been taught the grammar of the foreign language Therefore, they give little or no attention to vocabulary Allen (1983) also states that in many English language classes, even where teachers have devoted much time to vocabulary teaching, the results have been disappointing Sometimes, after months or even years of English, many of the words most needed have never been learned Especially in countries where English is not the main language of communication, many teachers want more help with vocabulary instruction than they used to receive Vocabulary is an inseparable part of any language learning process It would be impossible to learn a language without vocabulary The important role of vocabulary has been emphasized in all different methods in language teaching Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT According to Rivers (1981), “vocabulary cannot be taught It can be presented, explained, included in all kinds of activities, but it must be learned by the individual” (p 110) She continues, “As language teachers, we must arouse interest in words and a certain excitement in personal development in this area” (p 110) She suggests that language teachers must help their students by giving them ideas on how to learn vocabulary and some guidance on what to learn Poor vocabulary knowledge of elementary EFL students is a matter of serious concern among those in and around education, and their quest for finding suitable remedies is getting more and more intense If this study manages to show an effective technique in vocabulary teaching, we may get some steps closer to finding of a remedy for poor vocabulary knowledge of our elementary EFL learners Therefore, this study presents a contextualization method in order to find one of the most effective techniques of vocabulary teaching The new words are taught in the context using contextual clues and the students infer the meaning of words from the context It should be noted that the method together with the traditional way of teaching vocabulary through definitions, synonyms, and translations are mostly used by teachers to teach vocabulary items to elementary EFL students So it is of prime importance to find the most effective technique ofvocabulary teaching DEVELOPMENT I Theoretical background 1.1 Definition of context There are various definitions about context I present general agreement of it by summing up the essentials stated by several experts as follow: Background, environment, framework, setting, or situation surrounding an event or occurrence Words and sentences that occur before or after a word or sentence and imbue it with a particular meaning Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT Circumstances under which a document was created, including its function, purpose, use, time, the creator, and the recipient 1.2 Definition of vocabulary Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (1995) presents six meanings of word “vocabulary” as follow: - All the words that someone knows, learns or uses - The words that are typically used when talking about a particular subject - All the words in a particular language - The word failure/ compromise, etc is not in somebody’s vocabulary used to say that someone never thinks of accepting failures, etc - A list of words with explanation of their meaning in a book for learning foreign languages - A list of the codes or terms used in a computer system 1.3 Importance of vocabulary and vocabulary learning in EFL context In the context of learning EL as a foreign language, the vital role of vocabulary is inevitable This has been claimed by many linguists and experts in the field Wilkins (cited in Thornbury, 2002: 13) learly stated that “without grammar, very little can be conveyed; without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” To be short and concise, when comparing the important of grammar and vocabulary, both mentioned statement above show that most of learner’s improvement was created when learner himself/herself learned more words and expressions It was also emphasized when it came to communicate that “you can say very little with grammar, but you can almost say anything with word” (Thornbury, p 13) You can understand vocabulary words based on the context of the passage - the words, clauses and phrases around the unknown vocabulary word You don’t have to memorize all the vocabulary words in the dictionary! For example, you might not understand the word, acerbity, by itself, but this sentence, “The acerbity of the lemon caused the little girl to spit out the bite she had just taken ” makes you understand that the general meaning of acerbity must be “bitter or sour” The context clues "lemon" and "spitting Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT out the bite", which provide more information in the sentence, help you understand what the vocabulary word means Context clues are words and phrases in a sentence which help you reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word Oftentimes you can figure out the meanings of new or unfamiliar vocabulary by paying attention to the surrounding language The table below gives the types of clues, signals and examples of each clue Type of Context Clue Definition Signals Examples but, in contrast, howeve Antonym or Phrases or words that Contrast Clue indicate opposite r, Unlike his quiet and low key instead family, Brad is garrulous of, unlike, yet is defined as, means, the term, Definition or Phrases or words that Example Clue define or explain [a term Sedentary individuals, in people who are not very boldfac active, often have diminished e or health italics] set off with comma s Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT The information The meaning is derived from the General Knowledge experience and background knowledge of the reader; "common sense" and logic may be someth ing basical ly familia Lourdes is always sucking up to the boss, even in front of others That sycophant just doesn't care what others think of her behavior r to you in other word, that is, Another word or also Restatement or phrase with the same known Synonym Clue or a similar meaning is as, used someti The dromedary, commonly called a camel, stores fat in its hump mes called, or In addition to context clues are word parts: prefixes, roots and suffixes 1.4 Stage of teaching vocabulary through context 1.4.1 Presenting Actually, the very least learners need to learn both the meaning and the form of a new word Therefore, one of the easiest way to help learners to understand new word is context Teachers give examples including interesting and easy situation so that learners can refer the meaning of new words through that context For example, with beginners, teachers can present some new words through context by making sentences such as following: 1- All the family are in the living room The father is reading newspaper and the Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT children are watching TV 2- Jame’s mother is in the kitchen now She is cooking lunch 3- The boys are playing with a ball in the garden They are playing under the apple trees 4- A: Where is your car? It is not in your house B: I have parked it in the garage … 1.4.2 Practicing In this case, the use of planned activities for recycling and reactivate the new vocabulary is of necessity 1.4.3 Consolidating and Revising In accordance with presenting and putting words into practice, checking students’ comprehension and revising those words are a final important stage I teaching this specific field For this stage, learners can give more contexts that new words are used to understand better III Implications for teaching Elementary EFL students Since vocabulary is a very important part of the language, a teacher must equip himself with up-to-date techniques and methods of teaching them So, the results of this research can be valuable for language teachers Teachers should think of ways to provide less successful learners with vocabulary learning strategies This should be done by making them aware of the need to become independent learners by recognizing the strategies they possess and those they lack Learner’s attention should be directed toward the strategies successful learners benefit from EFL teachers should make learners practice a wide range of vocabulary learning strategies ranging from decontextualized and medical strategies to contextualized one This enable learners to deal with any unknown vocabulary they many encounter both in and out of class context The strategy for teachers Several of these columns this year have explored ideas for nurturing student vocabulary growth Researchers like Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2002) maintain that explicit vocabulary instruction is a significant but often missing component in developing reading comprehension in our classrooms Vocabulary study that is embedded in Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT discussions of written texts is particularly valuable Step 1: Select a core of tier words for student examination from material students are reading in class Teachers may typically identify “difficult” words from a text, ask students to ascertain the meanings of these words, and then quiz them in some fashion, perhaps asking for definitions and demonstration of usage in a sentence Beck, McKeown, and Kucan caution against this practice, arguing that many students merely copy a simplistic definition from the dictionary, fixating perhaps on a familiar synonym, without really gaining a solid understanding for the new word As a result, nearly two-thirds of the sentences penned by students are out of sync, as students misuse the new word or create awkward, odd, or nonsensical usages Instead, when identifying tier words from, say, a chapter or short story, focus on vocabulary that can be connected to key themes or ideas in the text These tier words represent the most meaningful vocabulary to highlight for instruction, because they will naturally coincide with discussions and other activities in which students will be engaged As a result, these words become part of the discourse of learning while students explore a written text It can certainly be suggested that all of the words in the opening paragraph could merit further study But which of these words are especially germane to the study of this work of literature? Although we are talking about only a small sample of vocabulary from this chapter (from only a single paragraph), we can already notice some words that might be especially relevant to an understanding of “The Great Gatsby.” Step 2: Rather than sending students to the dictionary, start with a knowledge-rating activity Ask students to evaluate their current level of knowledge about each target word: K - I know it; H - I have a hunch what it means; S - I’ve seen it but I don't know it; and N - I've never seen it before today Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT Next produce from the story the actual contexts for each of the target words, and display with an overhead projector For example, students will meet our Gatsby words in the following contexts: “I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men” and “Most of the confidences were unsought – frequently I have feigned sleep ” Step 3: Now that students have taken stock of their own level of knowledge of the target words and have been provided with further information about each word with an example of usage, ask students to begin to “explain” each word in terms of what they know or think they might know Emphasize that you are not seeking a “tidy” definition, but instead are seeking to articulate useful associations and various facets of a word’s meaning For example, some students may note that Revelations is a book of the Bible Or that sometimes an athlete feigns injury to get out of practice Or that an outdoor toilet, such as in state parks, is referred to as a privy by some people During these vocabulary explanations, offer at least one additional example for each word that expands understanding beyond the original context Step 4: Embed these target words in classroom activities and purposefully interject them into ongoing discussions of the texts so that students are hearing them as well as reading them Provide students with multiple opportunities to “test-drive” these tier words as they talk about and write about the book, story, or selection In particular, include them in assessments For example, students could be asked: “Explain how the following words can be related to an understanding of Gatsby’s character.” In addition, ask students to self-select other tier words that can be useful in talking about each of the characters in a novel or ideas in a passage These words should be logged into their personal “word banks,” which are comprised of new words they spot in their reading Remind students to include the contexts (phrases or sentences) of these new words as they record them in a section of their class notebooks Also, it could help those dealing with foreign language teaching, such as syllabus Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 10 SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT designers, material developers, test makers, and the like For example, teachers can design some following tasks to teach new words in context: Task 1: vocabulary in context "Every second, hectare of the world's rainforest is destroyed That's equivalent to two football fields." What does "equivalent to" mean? a) more than b) less than c) the same as "In British Columbia, where, since 1990, thirteen rainforest valleys have been clearcut, 142 species of salmon have already become extinct." What does "clearcut" mean? a) a few trees have been cut down b) many trees have been cut down c) all the trees have been cut down "Logging, however, provides jobs, profits, taxes for the government and cheap products of all kinds for consumers, so the government is reluctant to restrict or control it." What does "reluctant" mean? a) doesn't want to b) is not allowed to c) would like to Task 2: use the context to find approximate meaning of these words or expressions team-mates youth rose murdered _ poorly NBA _ fans _ amaze _ Task 3: using context to find the meaning of italic worlds Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 11 SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT 1- Scotland is a cold country In winter, there is often a heavy fall of snow 2- Damavand is a very high mountain near Tehran Next Friday, I’m going to climb it 3- There is a big lake near our city You can swim and go fishing there 4- There are three ways here I don’t know where to go Take out your map, and show me the right way 5- The children tied a piece of rope to the tree and used it as a swing 6- Horse is a nice animal It carries many things and you can also ride on it CONCLUSION Vocabulary is central to language and is of great significance to language learners Words are the building blocks of a language since they label objects, actions, ideas without which people cannot convey the intended meaning The prominent role of vocabulary knowledge in second language learning has been recognized by theorists and researchers in the field Accordingly, numerous types of approaches, techniques, exercises and practices have been introduced into the field to teach vocabulary It has been suggested that teaching vocabulary should not only consist of Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 12 SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT teaching specific words but also aim at equipping learners with strategies necessary to expand their vocabulary knowledge As we listen and read, we often meet new words in contexts O’Harra (1984) claimed that context is the setting or surroundings of a word; therefore, when we listen to someone’s talk, the context of a word is the statement that includes the word Sometimes we read words in a written context Thus, the paragraph may tell us what the new word means, or enough clues may be provided in the sentence which contains the word; or even one or two nearby words may explain the meaning of a new word we find in the text when reading Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 13 SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT REFERENCES Allen, V (1983) Techniques in teaching vocabulary New York: Oxford University Press Bowen, J J & H Madson, A Hilferty (1985) TESOL techniques and procedures London:Newbury House Brown, H D (2006) Principles of language learning and teaching NJ: Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall Carter, R & M McCarthy (1988) Vocabulary and language teaching London: Longman Farhady, H., Jafarpoor, A & Birjandi, P (1996) Language skills testing: From theory to practice Tehran: SAMT Hatch, E & Brown, C (1995) Vocabulary, semantics, and language education Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Raimes, A (1983) Techniques in teaching writing Oxford: Oxford University Press Rivers, W M (1981) Foreign language skills Chicago: University of Chicago Press Weatherford, H.J (1990) Techniques for learning vocabulary New York: Oxford University Press Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 14 SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT Nguyễn Thị Như Quỳnh – K18C 15 Final Assignment –General Linguistics Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh – K18C 16 ... K18C SEMANTICS – FINAL ASSIGNMENT TEACHING VOCABULARY ITEMS THROUGH CONTEXT TO ELEMENTARY EFL STUDENTS INTRODUCTION Problem statement and background to the study Vocabulary as a major component... vocabulary items to elementary EFL students So it is of prime importance to find the most effective technique ofvocabulary teaching DEVELOPMENT I Theoretical background 1.1 Definition of context. .. language teachers must help their students by giving them ideas on how to learn vocabulary and some guidance on what to learn Poor vocabulary knowledge of elementary EFL students is a matter of serious