effective vocabulary strategies
Effective Vocabulary Teaching Strategies For The
English For Academic Purposes Esl Classroom.
ABSTRACT
Vocabulary learning is an important and indispensable part of any language learning process.
This study focuses on effective vocabulary teaching strategies in the English for Academic Purposes ESL classroom. Drawing on findings obtained from observing three English for Academic Purposes ESL classrooms across Bekaa, several current databases and my personal experience as a teacher and learner, I discussed various effective vocabulary teaching strategies in the English for Academic Purposes classroom which could greatly assist English language learners in their journey of language acquisition and therefore expedite the language learning process.
INTRODUCTION
" The more one considers the matter, the more reasonable it seems to suppose that lexis is where we need to start from, the syntax needs to be put to the service of words and not the other way round." (Widdowson in Lewis, 1993: 115)
Vocabulary teaching and learning is a constant challenge for teachers as well as students because historically there has been minimal focus on vocabulary instruction in the ESL classroom. Due to this, an increased emphasis on vocabulary development is crucial for the English language learner in the process of language learning. According to Colorado (2007, as cited in Adger, 2002) the average native English speaker enters nursery school knowing at least 5,000 words while the average English language learner may know 5,000 words in his/ her native language but only a few words in English. The reality is that native speakers continue to learn new words while English language learners face the double challenge of building that foundation and closing that language gap. The following table indicates how many words are needed for effective communication in an L2.
LEVEL NUMBER OF WORDS TEXT COVERAGE %
HIGH-FREQUENCY WORDS 2,000 87
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 800 8
TECHNICAL
English For Academic Purposes Esl Classroom.
ABSTRACT
Vocabulary learning is an important and indispensable part of any language learning process.
This study focuses on effective vocabulary teaching strategies in the English for Academic Purposes ESL classroom. Drawing on findings obtained from observing three English for Academic Purposes ESL classrooms across Bekaa, several current databases and my personal experience as a teacher and learner, I discussed various effective vocabulary teaching strategies in the English for Academic Purposes classroom which could greatly assist English language learners in their journey of language acquisition and therefore expedite the language learning process.
INTRODUCTION
" The more one considers the matter, the more reasonable it seems to suppose that lexis is where we need to start from, the syntax needs to be put to the service of words and not the other way round." (Widdowson in Lewis, 1993: 115)
Vocabulary teaching and learning is a constant challenge for teachers as well as students because historically there has been minimal focus on vocabulary instruction in the ESL classroom. Due to this, an increased emphasis on vocabulary development is crucial for the English language learner in the process of language learning. According to Colorado (2007, as cited in Adger, 2002) the average native English speaker enters nursery school knowing at least 5,000 words while the average English language learner may know 5,000 words in his/ her native language but only a few words in English. The reality is that native speakers continue to learn new words while English language learners face the double challenge of building that foundation and closing that language gap. The following table indicates how many words are needed for effective communication in an L2.
LEVEL NUMBER OF WORDS TEXT COVERAGE %
HIGH-FREQUENCY WORDS 2,000 87
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 800 8
TECHNICAL