Vocabulary teaching strategies for middle school student

1、Vocabulary teaching strategies for middle school students Abstract Vocabulary teaching is one of important and difficult parts in process of English language teaching for middle school students. For this reason, how to teach students to grasp a considerable volume of vocabulary is considered as the

2、most important task for English language teaching. Meanwhile, students vocabulary size is a key factor for students to learn English well. Vocabulary is one of the basic elements in English language teaching. The size of vocabulary will greatly influence the ability of listening, speaking, reading,

3、and writing of students as well as the ability of apprehending of students. The greater size of vocabulary, the better of learning effect. This paper will detailedly introduce several vocabulary teaching strategies: game, visual aids, word-formation, classification, the specific language context, an

4、d the word wall. These strategies which this paper introduces are aimed at enlarging vocabulary size of students, improving the ability of students to rein language as well as providing some models for teachers. Key words: vocabulary teaching; middle school students; teaching strategies 摘要詞匯是中學(xué)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)的

5、重點(diǎn)與難點(diǎn)，是英語(yǔ)課堂教學(xué)的重要組成部分，而中學(xué)生能否學(xué)好英語(yǔ)的關(guān)鍵就在于對(duì)詞匯的掌握程度。在任何語(yǔ)言中，詞匯都處于基礎(chǔ)地位，英語(yǔ)也不例外，學(xué)生的詞匯量很大程度上決定著學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)英語(yǔ)的成敗。并且，學(xué)生的詞匯量也會(huì)影響學(xué)生諸如聽，說，讀，寫等方面的能力。事實(shí)證明，學(xué)生的詞匯量越大，其學(xué)習(xí)英語(yǔ)的效果越佳。因此，中學(xué)英語(yǔ)教學(xué)最重要的任務(wù)之一就是如何讓學(xué)生掌握大量的英語(yǔ)詞匯。學(xué)生能否掌握足夠量的英語(yǔ)詞匯，不僅是學(xué)生本人的責(zé)任，更與老師的教學(xué)策略有著密不可分的關(guān)系，甚至可以說，老師的詞匯教學(xué)策略高效與否決定學(xué)生詞匯量的掌握程度。本文將系統(tǒng)地介紹游戲，直觀教具，構(gòu)詞法，分類，具體的語(yǔ)境等詞匯教學(xué)策略，以擴(kuò)大

6、學(xué)生的詞匯量，提高學(xué)生駕馭語(yǔ)言的能力，以及為英語(yǔ)老師的詞匯教學(xué)提供一些藍(lán)本。關(guān)鍵字：英語(yǔ)，詞匯教學(xué)，中學(xué)生，教學(xué)策略1 Introduction1.1 Situations According to the newly enacted English curriculum standards, middle school students should proficiently grasp 1500-1600 words and 200-300 idioms as well as collocations. But, a few students can reach that level. I

7、nadequacy in vocabulary is almost faced by all students. Even, students development of other aspects was restricted by lacking of vocabulary. Generally speaking, the reason leading to this kind of situation can be divided into two aspects. Firstly, teachers are wanting of appropriate strategies, and

8、 they usually teach new words one by one. Secondly, students acquire and store vocabulary totally by mechanical memorizing. In most cases, although students spare no effort to learn new words, very little is grasped. 1.2 Significance and Background Vocabulary is one of the three elements (phonetic,

9、vocabulary, grammar) and the formation materials of language. And vocabulary is the basic of English teaching. It is impossible for teacher to teach English without vocabulary teaching. Therefore, how to improve the efficiency of English vocabulary teaching is very important. Teaching strategies det

10、ermine whether a class is successful or not. Many studies and researches have been made on English vocabulary teaching and the results suggest that active management of vocabulary learning strategies leads to a better command of vocabulary and beneficial backwash. The famous linguist Wilkins (1972)

11、said that without grammar very little can be conveyed, but without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. Michael Lewis (1993), the author of The Lexical Approach, believes that language is grammaticalized lexis, not lexicalized grammar, and lexis is the core of language learning while grammar is subor

12、dinate to it. Ellis (1994) thinks that language learners need to feel secure and to be free of stress so they can focus on language task. The use of some teaching strategies just can reach this goal. The English Language Teacher Handbook (2002) refers that students learn new vocabulary in two stages

13、. First, when they read or hear new words, they know about the word andCan usually recognize it, but they are not yet ready to use it in speech or writing. Latter, when they start to use the word, it becomes a part of their active vocabulary. However, this process of learning to use new words can ta

14、ke a long time. Usually, common and useful every day words become our active vocabulary first. To speed up this process, we can help students by providing useful ideas for recording and storing new words and giving lots of practice with new words. Zhang Ping (2006) claims that, to some degree, vocab

15、ulary is the ligament for people to communicate with each other. Without enough words, one cant communicate with each others, no matter how wonderful his grammar and pronunciation are.2 Literature ReviewAs Sarah Phillips (1993) in young learners claims that if the activity is interesting, it is easi

16、er to be memorized, and so is the language. Lewis (1999) finds that playing games in learning may develop the sense of communication in English of the students. And the combination of the game may help them with a strong communicative ability. Ellis (1998) concludes that the expression of vision is

17、a kind of powerful visual alaxiliary means of memory. Wilkins (1972) finds that no matter how well the students learn grammar, on matter how successfully the sounds are mastered, without word to express a wide range of meanings; communication just cannot happen in any meaning way. Mathews (1974) fin

18、ds that vocabulary, as compared, for instance, with language functions and other grammatical structures, is still assigned to parts of speech (noun, verb, adverb, adjective, etc) by a method which goes back for two aspects. Read (1997) finds that contextualized words provide a much richer environmen

19、t and may enhance the learners awareness of the usage of these words. Wei Zhicheng (2003) finds that word-formation in English and Chinese is not corresponding one by one, but the main word-formation also shares some similarities. Anderson (1999) claims that guessing words in context is perhaps the

20、most common vocabulary acquisition skill suggested by reading text and reading teachers. Baker & Westrup (2000) shows that students need to record and store new vocabulary in a logical and helpful way, so that they can find old words and they can add new words easily and quickly. Nation (1990) i

21、ndicates more than once in his book that guessing words from context is the most important and most powerful of dealing with unknown words. Nation (1987) finds that it is well accepted in language teaching circles that the context that surrounds a word can give clues to the words meaning. Guessing f

22、rom context is believed to be the best strategy in dealing with unknown low-frequency words in written context. Green (2003) shows that word lists on walls - which, through the process of vocabulary development and enrichment, become learning tools that are easily integrated into any classroom manag

23、ement system.lp3 Strategies3.1 GameVocabulary learning is a hard task which can sometimes be frustrating. A lot of time is spent in remembering new words, but, students tend to forget and misuse new word. Games have been proven to have advantages and effectiveness in learning vocabulary in various w

24、ays: Games bring in relaxation and fun for students. Thus help them learn and retain new words easily. Games usually involve friendly competition and they keep learners interested. Vocabulary games bring real world context into the classroom and enhance students use of English in a flexible, communi

25、cative way. To a great extent, games can greatly motivate students, and they give students more opportunities to express their opinions and feelings. I will introduce some games next.3.1.1 Jumbled Words: You can write some words that students have recently learnt on the blackboard and these words ha

26、d better associate with one given theme. Fox example, you can write a set of words like this: (plepa,repa,aananb,ceahp,otpairc,nipeaplep,rysrtawebr). Tell your students that these words are all fruit, and then ask them to put these words in order first, after that matches the adjectives. Write three

27、 or more adjectives on the blackboard. For example: small, oval, and sour. Ask your students to choose one word that can be described by all three adjectives.3.1.2 Feel the Object: Collect words as many as you can from student or daily life. Put the objects that you have collected in a bag. Take the

28、 bag and ask students to feel the objects and try their best to identify them. Then divide students into different groups, let students try to think of and note down as many things they can that consistent with a given definition and that they know in English. For example: you can put a feather of s

29、parrow, a feather of eagle, a feather of magpie, a feather of crow in a bag, then you might tell students to think of as many items as they can that work on birds. After three or five minutes, you can hold a competition to see which group can think of the most items.3.2 Word-formationThere are three

30、 kinds of word-formation in English, namely, compound, conversion, and derivation. Take advantage of word-formation when students have learnt some words. And it is very beneficial to students to enhance and enlarge their vocabulary, improve the ability of apprehension and application.3.2.1 Compoundi

31、ngCompounding, it means the joining together of two or more items to make a single compound one. That is to say, compounding word is a union of two or more words to convey a unit idea. Most compounding consists of only two terms.Noun compounds are the expressions which are usually made up of two wor

32、ds and which function in the clause as nouns, such as, handshake, earthquake, classroom, and bedroom. Adjective compounds are the expressions which consist of more than one words and which function as adjectives in clauses, Such as homesick, breathtaking.3.2.2 ConversionsConversion means adaptation

33、of item to a new grammatical function without changing its form. Namely, conversion is the formation of new words by converting one word to another. Words which are produced by conversion are usually nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Most conversions take place between nouns and verbs.Conversion to noun

34、s from verbs: such as troop, as a verb, it means to walk somewhere together as a group, while as a noun, it means soldiers, especially in large groups, or one group of soldiers, especially in tanks ,or a local of Scouts; Program, as a verb, it means to give a computer a set of instructions to make i

35、t perform a particular task, while as a noun, it means a set of instructions in code that control the operations or functions of a computer. Conversion to nouns from adjectives: such as fine, as an adjective, it means high quality or a person who is in good health, while as a noun, it means a sum of

36、 money that must be paid as punishment for breaking a law or rule; Hurt, as an adjective, it means injured physically or upset and offended by something that somebody has said or done, while as a noun, it means a feeling of unhappiness because somebody has been unkind or unfair to you.Conversion to

37、verbs from nouns: such as function, as a noun, it means a specially activity or purpose of a person or thing, while as a verb, it means to work in the correct way; Muff, as a noun, it means a short tube of fur or other warm material that you put your hands into to keep them warm in cold weather, whi

38、le as a verb, it means to miss a opportunity to do something well.Conversion to verbs from adjectives: such as silver, as a adjective, it means shiny grayish-white in color, while as a verb, it means to cover the surface of something with a thin layer of silver or something that looks like silver; c

39、omplete, as an adjective, it used when you are emphasizing something, to mean to the greatest degree possible ; while as a verb, it means to finish making or doing something, or to write all the information you are asked for on a form, or to make something whole or perfect.3.2.3 DerivationDerivation

40、 means the addition of a prefix or suffix to an item already in the language. That is to say, it is one of the word-formation which can divert a word into another by adding derivational affixes to roots. New words formed in this way are called derivatives. Derivation has a great influence on enlargi

41、ng students vocabulary. There are mainly two derivations in English. They are prefixation and suffixation.3.2.3.1 Prefixation Prefixation can create new words by adding prefixes to roots. Generally speaking, prefixation usually change the meaning of words. The following is some examples of prefixati

42、on.Negative Prefixes: de-: it means opposite; negative, such as decode, decompose, decompression, decontaminatedis-: it means negative, reverse or opposite, such as dislike, disorder, disuse, disregardin (ir, il, im): it means not, such as inability, inadequacy, irregular, irresponsible, illegal, il

43、logical, imbalance, immatureun: it means the opposite of: not, such as unhappy, uncertain, unchanged, uncommonnon: it means not, such as non-appearance, non-cooperation, non-compliancePrefixes of Degree or Size:arch-: it means supreme and most, such as arch-angel, arch-bishop, arch-deacon, arch-duke

44、co-: it means jointly, such as cohabit, co-manage, cooperatemacro-: it means large, such as macrobiotic, macrocosm, macroeconomicsmicro-: it means very small, such as microbe, microbiology, microchip, microcomputermini-: it means little, such as miniature, minibus, minicab, minigolf, miniskirtover-:

45、 it means excessive, such as overheated, overkill, overjoyedsub-: it means secondary; less important, such as subconscious, subculture, subdirectorysuper-: it means more than; beyond, such as superhero, supercomputer, superfinesur-: it means over and above, such as surpass, surplus, surrealism, surt

46、axLocative Prefixes:fore-: it means front part of, such as foretell, forehead, forefinger, foreshoreinter-: it means between: among, such as interact, interchange, interconnect, intercourseintra-: it means within, such as intramural, intramuscular, intravenoustele-: it means distant, such as telegra

47、ph, telecommuter, telegram, telemetertrans-: it means cross; beyond, such as transaction, transcend, transcribe, transformPrefixes of Time and Order:ex-: it means former, such as ex-wife, ex-loverpost-: it means after, such as postbag, postbox, postcard, postcode, postgraduatepre-: it means before,

48、in advance, such as pre-book, pre-cast, precedere-: it means again, back, such as remarriage, repaired, renew, remount, recycle3.2.3.2 Suffixation:Suffixation can create new words by adding suffixes to roots. They dont change the meanings of words, but they usually change the characteristics of word

49、s. The following is some examples.Noun suffixes:-aholic: it means a person who cant stop doing or using the things, such as shopaholic, workaholic-ant: it means someone or something that does, such as artist, scientist, physicist-ary: it means someone connected with something, such as secretary, adv

50、ersary-ee: it means someone who is done, such as interviewee, employee -er: it means someone who goes something or someone is doing something, such as writer, driver, former-ess: it means a female doer, such as actress, hostess, princess-ian: it means someone or something of, from, or connected with

51、 something, such as comedian, musician, magician-ist: it means adherent to beliefs and behaviors, such as scientist, psychiatrist, novelist, feministVerb suffixes:-en: it means make or become, such as strengthen, broaden, threaten-ify: it means make or endow with, such as classify, notify-ize: it me

52、ans involving or related to, such as apologize, symbolizeAdjective suffixes:-able: it means possibility, such as honorable, respectable, admirable-ic: it means of, like or connected with something, such as linguistic, historic, heroic-ish: it means somewhat like, approximately, such as childish, foo

53、lish-less: it means without, such as careless, priceless, hopeless-ly: it means have the quality of, such as friendly, kindly, manly-y: it means somewhat like or characterized, such as windy, cloudy, grassy3.3 The Word Wall For middle school students, the most difficult in leaning English is how to

54、store vocabulary in their brains. Remember that students need lots of practice with new vocabulary; whats more, they also need to revise old vocabulary regularly (Heather, 2000). According to the curve of forgetting: The more time elapse after learning a stimulus set, the more information is forgott

55、en. The finding reveals that the best performance of recall occurs soon after the learning has taken place Ebbinghaus (1885). So, during the process of vocabulary teaching, teacher not only should pays attention to teach students new words, but also pay attention to help them timely review what they

56、 have learnt. In order to help students store more vocabulary in their brains, I strongly suggest The Ward Wall.For example, teacher can divide students into several groups. After every class, one of the groups is asked to make some beautiful and creative cards on which the vocabulary they just have

57、 learnt are written. And these cards should be pasted on the wall beside blackboard so that every student can see them clearly and momentarily. After a week, teacher dictates all words that they have learnt. Whoever will get a prize, if he can remember all words. Keep in mind that the cards must be

58、changed regularly.3.4 ClassificationsWhen teaching new words, Teacher can disrupt the sequence of words in textbook, and classify words into different categories. Thus, the efficiency of students vocabulary memory can be improved. Besides, this kind of way can effectively prevent the new words from being misused. In this way, people often organize words into group naturally according to meaning, part of speech, formal or informal language forms, alphabetical order, or types of clothing, food, and so on.For example: Color: black,