Targeting Vocabulary for Junior High School

Chemda Benisty

ETAI International
July, 2010

Copyright © Wondershare Software

• Sets numerical lexical targets
• Includes suggestions to facilitate
the transition from receptive
knowledge to productive use of
target vocabulary


• Some insights from the literature
• The situation in Israel
• Syllabus design
• Presentation of the syllabus
• Pedagogical recommendations
• Questions


• It is the basis of language and crucial
for the functioning of the four skills
• It is closely tied to comprehension


• Vocabulary acquisition includes the
learning of lexical chunks
• Corpus linguistics provides support
for this claim


Two main complementary processes
for acquiring new vocabulary:

• Explicit learning
• Implicit learning


Deliberate decontextualized attention:
• Establishes the form meaning link
(Schmitt 2008)
• Facilitates acquisition within a limited
time
• Results in higher gains in acquisition
• Better for the most frequently used
words

Enhances vocabulary knowledge and
the acquisition of new vocabulary while
engaging in different language activities:
• Depends on 8-15 exposures
• Exposures must be in frequent
intervals


Nine aspects of word knowledge
• Form: spelling, sound, and word parts
• Meaning: concepts and referents, and
associations
• Use: grammatical functions, collocations,
frequency and register

Nation 2005


• Each aspect impacts both receptive
knowledge and productive use
• Productive learning involves deeper
processing of vocabulary
• Productive learning necessitates
deliberate attention


• Depth of knowledge is as important
as vocabulary size.
• Unfortunately, most learning stops
following the provision of a
translation (Schmitt, 2008).


The Israeli English Curriculum for All
Grades (2001) does not incorporate a
lexical syllabus.


• Teachers make decisions about
vocabulary.
• Teachers rely on textbooks.
• Textbooks don’t necessarily have clear
criteria for vocabulary selection.
• Vocabulary is often marginalized in favor
of a focus on grammar.


• To set numerical goals for vocabulary
instruction
• To standardize vocabulary instruction in Israel
• To inform and improve the quality of
vocabulary instruction
• To enable the assessment of students’
progress


Selection Criteria

Usefulness for Relevance to the
Frequency Learning burden
TEFL learners’ world


This basic lexis: 2000 word families for less
proficient students by the end of JHS

Note:
This basic high frequency lexis is essential for
a variety of spoken and written texts.


ADOPT
· adopted
· adopting
· adoption
· adoptions 1st list

· adopts


• All inflections of verbs, adjectives
and nouns
• Items familiar to learners from
elementary school
• Irrelevant items for Israeli students
Exclusions


• Divided into two lists
• American English spelling preferred
with references to British spelling
• Headwords alphabetized and bolded
• Other parts of speech underlined


• Examples italicized
• Verbs proceeded by to
• Multiple meanings differentiated by
the use of lower case letters


• Spoken language given special
attention
• Lexical chunks added to most entries
• On a disc


1st list 2nd list


(to) categorize (categorise), category:
divide sb/ sth into categories, group
sb/ sth under categories, put sb/ sth
in/ into categories, create categories,
categories of


(to) approve/ disapprove: (a) like sb/
sth: strongly/ very much approve of
sth/ sb, (b) agree to sth: formally
approve, approval/ disapproval:
need/ receive/ give/ show full/ final/
written/ formal approval


• Collocations- crucial for developing
productive aspects of language
• Collocational competence contributes to
fluency

Note: Not all can be explicitly taught;
consider level (tracking)

• Allotting time to productive aspects
• Recycling
• Pushing learners to produce and
make use of newly taught lexical
items


• Production contributes to vocabulary
acquisition:
The need
The search
The evaluation
Hulstijn and Laufer, 1995, cited in Schmitt, 2008.


• Successful production increases the
likelihood of memorization
• Successful production impacts
motivation


Targeting Vocabulary for Junior High School

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