Strategies for Learning Vocabulary of High School Learner's in

Iraqi-Kurdistan Region

Vocabulary has been very important for speaking, listening, and studying. I

have also come to appreciate the fact that acquiring new vocabulary is not easy. It is

believed that vocabulary is better learned incidentally for both first and second

language learners.

Nation (1990) suggested that a second language learner needs to know

approximately 2,000 high-frequency words to understand about 85% of most texts.

They argued that direct instruction of those words allowed pupils to learn the high-

frequency words that they required to understand texts. Chall’s work (1987) suggested

that decisions to use incidental versus conscious approaches can only be made by

considering students’ ages and proficiency levels.

Marttinen 2008 Vocabulary knowledge is essential when using a foreign

language since one is unable to communicate without words. Learners are usually

aware of the importance of words in a language and they also usually realize the fact

that learning strategies can help them in their vocabulary learning. Children’s

vocabulary acquisition is a key predictor of later school success Dickinson, Dickinson

& Porche, (2011). Harmon, Hedrick, and Wood (2005) identified several effective

strategies for students struggling with content area texts.

The importance of choosing an instructional method based on the instructional

goals and needs of the individual student was highlighted by Jitendra, Edwards, and

Sacks (2004). Anderson, 1999) has reported students meticulously referring to a

bilingual dictionary for every word that they don’t understand.

 In other contexts, students might give up trying to understand the meaning of

the text if sentences or an entire paragraph contain a small number of unknown words

(Huckin et al, 1993). These encounters suggest that some learners might not have the

knowledge to handle words they do not understand.

References

Anderson, P. (1999). Perspective: Complexity theory and organization science. Organization

Science, 10(3), 216-232.

Chall, J. S. (1987). Two vocabularies for reading: Recognition and meaning.

Dickinson, D. K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2010). Speaking out for language: Why

language is central to reading development. Educational Researcher, 39(4), 305-310.

Harmon, J. M., Hedrick, W. B., & Wood, K. D. (2005). Research on vocabulary instruction in the

content areas: Implications for struggling readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 21(3), 261-

280.

Huckin, T., & Bloch, J. (1993). Strategies for inferring word-meanings in context: A cognitive

model. Second language reading and vocabulary learning, 153, 178.

Jitendra, A. K., Edwards, L. L., Sacks, G., & Jacobson, L. A. (2004). What research says about

vocabulary instruction for students with learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 70(3),

299-322.

Marttinen, M. (2008). Vocabulary learning strategies used by upper secondary school students studying

English as a second language.

Nation, I. S. P. (1990). 1990: Teaching and learning vocabulary. New York: Newbury House.
 The Impact on Listening Skill on Second Language Learning

Introduction

Listening is a purely distinctive pivotal skill of language that individuals first acquaint

within the natural procedure of first language (L1); it initially sets the ground for the

basic foundation of speaking. It is branded as one of the receptive skills; thus, was

supposed that listeners only receive information that is emitted by the speaker Nation

& Newton, (2009). The receptive skill of listening was overlooked and not

consistently considered as an effective skill in language acquisition consequently

there was a shortage of devotion to implementing this skill in language teaching

(Feyten, 1991).

There was a controversial argument to label a regular effective course in

language pedagogy. Abdalhamid (2012) states that in the 1970s, more consideration

was paid to listening comprehension and the prominence of listening altered from

being incidental and peripheral to a status of ultimate rank. This led to set a new form

of identification of listening skill and inevitably dramatic modification. Some

researchers genuinely attempted to define its dynamic nature in enhancing language

acquisition in fact and its engagement in shaping communication.

References

Abdalhamid, F. (2012). Listening comprehension strategies of Arabic-speaking ESL learners. 2000-

2019-CSU Theses and Dissertations.

Feyten, C. M. (1991). The power of listening ability: An overlooked dimension in language

acquisition. The modern language journal, 75(2), 173-180.

Nation, I. S. (2009). P & Newton, J.(2009). Teaching ESL/EFL listening and speaking, 270.