Chapter 7.

Vocabulary
 Key Question

• How can you, as an English teacher

integrate 4 strands for a well-balanced
class, and make students fluent in
English?
 Goals of this chapter
• provide your own definition of the term
vocabulary.

• distinguish the different types of voca and

describe how a teacher should deal with
them.

• describe the strands of a well-balanced

course and the conditions they require to
be effective for voca learning.
 What is vocabulary?
• Multiword unit: words – vocabulary –
groups of words(as a unit)

• Word families: ex) agree / like

• Core meaning: ex) neutral

Background to teaching voca(1)
• Meaning-focused input(MFI) learning
 from listening and reading
 learners know 98% of words and guess
2% from context.
• Language-focused learning(LFL) learning
= Form-focused instruction/language-
focused learning = language study
 Attention to sounds / spelling / voca /
grammar(memorizing & translation)
Background to teaching voca(2)
• Meaning-focused output(MFO) learning
 from speaking and writing
 learners focus on communicating
messages.

• Fluency development
 to help learners make the best use of
what they already know
 Principles for teaching voca
• Focus on the most useful voca first.
(5000-10000)
• Focus on the voca in the most
appropriate way.
• Give attention to the high frequency
words.
• Encourage learners to reflect on and take
responsibility for learning.
 Classroom techniques & tasks
• MFI activities: silent reading/listening

• Deliberate learning activities: cloze/spelling

• MFO activities: verbal/written interaction

• Fluency activities: 4/3/2

 Voca in the classroom
• Focus on the most useful voca first.

• Focus on the voca in the most

appropriate way.

• Balance attention across 4 strands.