Teaching Vocabulary to Non-English Majors: A General Perspective

International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1994

This article discusses major issues concerning vocabulary learning and instruction. The different “knowings” that constitute knowledge of a word are discussed, with the point made that students should develop a depth as well as a breadth of knowledge of vocabulary. Different ways that vocabulary is taught in the classroom are briefly reviewed. Though direct vocabulary teaching methods play an important role, students are the best judges of which words are useful for them to learn. The main point of the article is that, in order to help intermediate and advanced learners develop a depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge, it is important to help them develop the skills and abilities to understand and learn vocabulary on their own. As learning through exposure to vocabulary in oral and written contexts is a major source of vocabulary development, helping students develop strategies and knowledge to use internal and external contexts to infer meanings is a major step towards helping them become independent learners.

History of teaching English language reaches to Middle Ages. Over such a long period of time linguistic methodology faced to reforms many times. The aim of these papers is not to map development of all methods used within the history but I focused on two, commonly used in today's conditions: grammar-translation method and communicative approach.

This paper attempts to project vocabulary as one of the basic components of language proficiency which provides the basis for learners’ performance in other skills like speaking, reading, listening even though the teaching of vocabulary was not popular in the beginning, only with the advent of structuralism, the significance of vocabulary and its importance in learning a language got widely accepted and further examines the importance of the need for vocabulary acquisition and the strategy to be adopted at the undergraduate level in India where English is taught as a second language. Vocabulary is one of the basic components of language proficiency which provides the basis for learners’ performance in other skills, such as speaking, reading, listening and writing. During the time of traditionalists, Vocabulary learning and teaching were given not much importance. It was widely assumed that vocabulary learning was not essential as it could develop by itself; therefore, the teaching of vocabulary was not popular. However, with the advent of structurlism, the significance of vocabulary and its importance in learning a language have become more accepted. This paper aims to make

History of teaching English language reaches to Middle Ages. Over such a long period of time linguistic methodology faced to reforms many times. The aim of these papers is not to map development of all methods used within the history but I focused on two, commonly used in today's conditions: grammar-translation method and communicative approach.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal

This study is meant to have a through argument about the main topic of this research, which is the challenges of teaching methods of English vocabulary to non-native students. The researchers try to introduce a conceptual coverage of certain areas that are relevant to English vocabulary teaching / learning. This conceptual coverage includes: the definition of the term vocabulary, kinds of vocabulary, the importance of vocabulary, general principles for successful vocabulary teaching, teaching vocabulary in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context is challenging, techniques of teaching vocabulary, and the need for teaching vocabulary. Among the qualitative methods the researchers chose the record keeping method. This method makes use of the already existing reliable documents and similar sources of information as the data source. This data can be used in a new research. The researchers have collected a number of relevant studies and quarrying critically and deeply in these stu...

Vocabulary learning is an essential part in foreign language learning as the meanings of new words are very often emphasized, whether in books or in classrooms. It is also central to language teaching and is of paramount importance to a language learner. Recent research indicate that teaching vocabulary may be problematic because many teachers are not confident about best practice in vocabulary teaching and at times don't know where to begin to form an instructional emphasis on word learning (Berne & Blachowicz, 2008) In this article, I summarizes important research on the impotence of vocabulary and explaining many techniques used by English teachers when teaching English, as well as my own personal view of these issues.

The advantage of acquiring vocabulary in the complex process of acquisition of a foreign language (L2), specifically English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is indisputable and easy to prove. To be convinced of this advantage is enough to make a simple question: When people travel to a foreign country, specifically in an English-speaking, what do they take with them: a dictionary or a grammar book? Vocabulary is a central component of language and has great significance for foreign language learners. Words are blocks that constructed a language, because they label objects, things, actions, ideas without which people can not convey meanings that they want to express. The primary role of the acquisition of vocabulary in learning the second language (L2) or foreign language (EFL) is unequivocally accepted by theorists and researchers in the field. Accordingly, numerous types of approaches, techniques, exercises and practice have been introduced into the field to teach vocabulary. It has been suggested that teaching vocabulary should not only consist of teaching specific words but also aim at equipping learners with strategies necessary to expand their vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary learning strategies are one part of language learning strategies which in turn are part of general learning strategies. Language learning strategies encourage greater overall self-direction for learners. Self-directed learners are independent learners who are capable of assuming responsibility for their own learning and gradually gaining confidence, involvement and proficiency.

Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2011

This study gives an overview of the nine twentieth-century approaches to language teaching and demonstrates how vocabulary teaching was regarded and what techniques were used to teach vocabulary in each of the approaches. The reasons of the emergence of a new approach to language teaching are pointed out for each approach as well. Finally, the current status of vocabulary teaching and the causes of debates among vocabulary researchers are discussed. It can be concluded that although a systematic and principled approach to teaching vocabulary has not yet been found, teaching vocabulary learning strategies explicitly has attracted the attention of many researchers around the world.

2007