interesting texts and stimulating activities which ephemeral) syllabuses and methods over the years,

encourage, though perhaps do not ensure, effective vocabulary has had to make do with mere technique:
reading. D no one has worked out how to move forward from the
Gordon Sloven, London 'situations' of the 1960s and the 'notions' of the 1970s
Received April 1987 to ways of incorporating vocabulary into foreign-lan-
guage learning programmes which adequately reflect
Rmfmrwtcm*
its importance in communication and learning.
Grellct, F. 1981. Developing Reading Skills. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. I fear that we are stuck with this state of affairs, and
N u t t a l l , C. 1982. Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign will have to continue with our sense of fumbling inade-
Language. London: Heinemann Educational Books. quacy where the organization of the vocabulary com-
Walter, C 1983. Authentic Reading. Cambridge:ponent is concerned. Certainly, I searched Gairns and
Cambridge University Press. Redman's book in vain for a dear and coherent set of
beliefs about how vocabulary learning and teaching

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should fit into the overall programme. The nearest I
Working With Words—A Guide to came tofindingsuch a thing was in Part B, 'Principles
Teaching and Learning Vocabulary in Learning and Teaching Vocabulary'. Here, under
Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman 'Student responsibility and teacher responsibility', the-
authors mention several ways of dealing with the prob-
Cambridge University Press 1986 200pp. £4.50 lem of satisfying the vocabulary needs and wants of
ISBN 0 521 31709 6 different individuals in a group, for example when
handing a text. The three possibilities seem to be:
The words of a foreign tongue which we commit to (a) make a random selection, (b) don't focus on any
memory are prisoners of war, incessantly trying to items in particular, or (c) give students a dictionary
escape, and it requires great vigilance to detain each and let them follow up the words they individu-
them; for unless our attention be continually ally consider important. The authors conclude, rather
directed towards them, and unless we muster them ominously: 'Some readers may feel this is an anarchic
frequently, they steal away into the forest, and dis- approach to teaching... in other words an abdication
perse. But when they are bound together in sen- of responsibility. These criticisms do have some valid-
tences, the same degree of watchfulness is not ity, but weighed against them are two important
required, because they escape with difficulty, and a advantages . . . Firstly, there is the motivation derived
whole gang of them may easily be traced and recap- from learning what one wants to learn; and secondly,
tured at once. allowing the students the responsibility for making
This is not a quotation from Chapter One of Gairns decisions . . . may well help engender greater discrimi-
and Redman's excellent new handbook, but it does go nation ..." Ifindnothing to disagree with here, but the
to show how long vocabulary has been preoccupying approaches suggested fall short of offering struggling
the second-language teacher. It comes from Prender- teachers a reassuringframeworkwithin which to plan
gast's 1864 book The Mastery of Languages, a book my their teaching. I think I would have preferred a frank
Cither acquired in the Charing Cross Road some discussion at the start of the book of the difficulties of
decades ago and which—more importantly—was trying to ensure that vocabulary receives the methodi-
recently discussed at length by Tickoo in this Journal cal attention it deserves in the scheme of work and in
(1986). the language classroom. In its place wefind:'The aim
Prendergast's interest in the problems of learning of this book is to assist the teacher in making the most
second-language vocabulary is echoed frequently in prudent selection and organisation of lexis for the
staffroom discussion and books for teachers. So the classroom, and to offer as wide a range of practice ideas
first line of the authors' preface sounds very familiar: as we can summon up' (p.l)—very worthy aims, the
'In recent years, vocabulary has not received the limitations of which need to be recognized.
recognition it deserves in the classroom...' (p.l). A There have been few enough books on the teaching
truism, but there are good reasons for this state of and learning of vocabulary. Wallace (1982) was brave
affairs. First, vocabulary, unlike sentence patterns and but flawed (see reviews in ELTJournal Vol 38/1), and
features of grammar, or even 'communicative func- French-Allen (1983) was straightforward in a basic
tions', is not readily susceptible to ordering and sim- sort of way. It is thus reassuring tofindthat Gairns and
plification. The body of words available for learning is Redman have managed to bring discussion of vocabul-
huge, and it cannot be sensibly argued that a compe- ary into a new era. Not only is their book packed with
tent user of the language needs only the most common good ideas for the classroom, but many background
items, simply because the vocabulary required issues are explored at some length (though not in
depends on the individual and the context. Secondly, impenetrable depth). In thefirstmain section, 'Words:
while grammar and functions—and even the famous their meanings and forms', there is a fairly comprehen-
'skills'—have been encompassed by coherent (if sive overview of the lexical 'theory' explored in the

Reviews 301
1970s by Leech, Palmer and, most exhaustively, by
Lyons. The authors explore the main concepts of
meaning, style and register, sense relations, idiom,
collocation and the rest clearly and patiently. More-
over, they leaven the whole experience, which for the
newcomer is potentially fearsome, with an intriguing
variety of 'reader activities'. These unpatronizingly
help lift off the page and into the mind the most com-
plex of concepts. Here is an example from p.27:
To each of the following gradable antonyms add the
rest of the scale, as in the example above for 'big' and
'small'.
ing but naive. The factors that are crucial, surely, are
those least easily controlled, such as relevance of a
word to an individual's immediate wants, needs and
interests, the impact on his or her 'affect' of thefirstfew
encounters, and the number ofopportunities to bring it
into active meaningful use. Ultimately, as I implied
above, it is learners who decide—usually uncon-
sciously—which words in the 'input' we provide they
incorporate into their personal lexicons, and how 'pro-
ductively' they can use them. In my own experience,
they are just as likely to seize on words I have not
'presented' as on those that I choose to highlight and
practise. This would not necessarily stop me from

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1 hot/cold (water) 3 interesting/boring (a film) 'presenting' eight new words per hour (the problems of
2 love/hate 4 good/bad (a book) deciding which ones are much more likely impedi-
ments) because I, like the authors, am worried at the
And just in case you find you are still not sure what thought of not doing anything 'systematic' about
gradable antonyms are when you are trying to do this, vocabulary. But I prefer to put down low correlations
a key is thoughtfully provided in the back. Many other between my 'input' and their 'output' to natural pro-
reader activities reconnect conscientiously with the cesses of language acquisition rather than to my own
classroom, just in case anyone starts wondering what incompetence. Am I just hiding behind psycho-
the 'relevance' of all the 'theory' and 'jargon' is. linguistics? If so, I'm not alone.
The second main section, already discussed above,
deals with issues such as selection criteria, teacher- Part C brings us to classroom activities and ranges
centred and student-centred approaches to meaning, over visual aids, authentic (yes, that word again) read-
and the theoretical aspects and practical implications ing texts, dictionary use, speaking activities, and
of memory and 'storage' (what I would call record- games, questionnaires, and problems. This is the part
keeping). In this difficult and (since Mackey 1965 and of the book that is most similar to (if less flamboyant
Howatt 1984 at least) fairly well-prospected terrain, than) Morgan and Rinvolucri (1986). Each activity is
the authors' touch is a little less sure. But again there is
dealt with under the headings level, suggested pro-
very reassuring exemplification and illustration, as cedure, and 'comment'. This is a rich self-service coun-
well as readable accounts of some of the more interest- ter of activities, most of which imaginatively 'practise'
ing memory experiments. Just one dangerous dicho- groups of words. But, as with other examples of teach-
tomy I feared I would find perpetuated and did: that ing material in the book, one feels a little sorry for the
between 'receptive' and 'productive' vocabulary. reader abroad who is not a native speaker and who is
Apart from the oddity of the phrase 'receptive vocabul- not familiar with the weird array of stimulus materials
ary', is this and the parallel distinction between commonly served up to students of English visiting
'active' and 'passive' vocabulary any use to anyone in Britain. 'Channel Sex Shock for Mrs Whitehouse',
this student-centred age? It is surely up to learners to 'Smash Girl in a Tizzy', 'Brave Noele is Back', 'LAU-
determine how quickly items of vocabulary will move RA'S HOODOO HOLS!' yell the headlines of
along the continuum from initial understanding (in a 'authentic' material reproduced here. What will the
given context) to active use (in several contexts), or teachers in the average Mediterranean—not to men-
whether they will be consigned to oblivion. tion Far Eastern—secondary school make of this?
The authors at times seem to have a view of teaching True, it is hard for authors immersed in the special
which is dangerously dose to the 'input = output' mysteries reserved for the mixed-nationality classroom
model: in London to provide examples that illustrate clearly
the transferability of the excellent activities
. . . it is impossible to be dogmatic about the number exemplified. But is it so impossible? Come to that, do
of new lexical items that should be presented in a the authors really use only this sort of ethnocentric
sixty minute lesson. We would suggest an average of junk in their classrooms?
eight to twelve productive items (sic) as representing
But this is a quibble. Working With Words, which ends
a reasonable input.
with a dozen sample pages of vocabulary activities
They go on to say that the reason why the student who drawnfromcoursebooks and annotated, offers trainees
is being taught eight items per hour probably cannot as well as experienced teachers a comprehensive and
achieve a 'productive vocabulary' of 1,000 words after very accessible review of the main issues in vocabulary
a 125-hour course is due to factors like 'interference', teaching and learning, and a wealth of ideas and tech-
'memory failure', amount of homework, and the like. niques to take into the classroom. It is, of course, not
This view of the language teacher's control over what the definitive book on vocabulary, because it falls short
learners learn (and, presumably, acquire) is hearten- of exploring fully, let alone solving, the problems »ur-

302 Revievus
rounding the status of vocabulary in the foreign-lan- 'It is curious to reflect that so litde importance has
guage curriculum, but it could well be used been given to vocabulary in modern language teach-
systematically on a training course, and is a must for ing. Both die behaviourist/structural model and the
the staflroom library. • functional/communicative model have, in their dif-
Richard Ressner, Bell Language Institute, London ferent ways, consistently underplayed it.' So begins
Rtctived March 1987 Alan Maley's foreword to die book. It is also curious to
note diat since Wallace's (1982) and French-Allen's
ffafaraneas (1983) books, diere has been litde written on die sub-
French-Allen, V. 1983. Techniques of Teaching Vocabul- ject anywhere, until two first-rate, and in many ways
ary. New York: Oxford University Press. complementary, books appeared in late 1986. Working
Howatt, A. P. 1984. A History of English Language Teach- with Words (Gairns and Redman, 1986) has imme-
ing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. diately superseded Wallace's earlier book, and must
Leech, G. 1974/81. Semantics. Harmondsworth: become die standard text on die subject for die trainee
Penguin.

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teacher, die teacher and die teacher-trainer. Alongside
Lyons, J. 1977. Semantics. Vols. 1 & 2. Cambridge: it on die shelf, die practising teacher will also want
Cambridge University Press. Morgan and Rinvolucri's book—one of die early tides
Mackey, W. F. 1965. Language Teaching Analysis. in OUP's promising-looking series of'Resource Books
London: Longman. for Teachers' edited by Alan Maley.
Morgan, J. and M. Rinvolucri. 1986. Vocabulary.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. John Morgan and Mario Rinvolucri have been asso-
Palmer, F. R. 1976/81. Semantics. Cambridge: ciated for some years widi die Pilgrims language-
Cambridge University Press. teaching and publishing enterprise. One has come to
Prendergaat, T. 1864. The Mastery of Languages or the expect Pilgrims to be1in die van widi interestingly-
Art of Speaking Foreign Tongues Idiomatically. London:slanted new materials, and Vocabulary is another work
Richard Bendey. in die 'recipe-book' format: 101 tried and tested ideas
Tictoo, M. L. 1986. 'Prendergast and the "Mastery for aiding die acquisition of vocabulary. There is a
Method": an assessment.' ELTJournal 40/1:52-8. breezy four-page introduction which gives die reader
Wallace, M. 1982. Teaching Vocabulary. London: who is unfamiliar widi die autiiors' odier work die feel
Heinemann. of dieir approach. The initial sensitizing activity sets
die tone and forces die reader to think about what
vocabulary is; diere follow anecdotes and examples,
background' and ideology. The emphasis is clearly
Vocabulary towards 'die student's own process ofleaming'. We are
John Morgan and Mario Rinvolucri not in a land where die 'dominant teacher . . . towers
Oxford University Press 1986 125pp. £3.95 over die learner', altiiough diose unfamiliar widi die
ISBN 0 19 4370091 7 'Pilgrims approach' may be put off by claims diat die
authors 'have tried to find exercises diat are new,
Draw a series of concentric circles on a piece of paper unexpected and . . . strange', and would be in no way
and write your name in the central circle; ask a col- appeased by die audiors' desire to give learners 'die
league to do the same. Look at the words below: chance to explore radically new territories via die
foreign language'.
Printer Textbook Writer
Illustrator Typesetter If you feel put off by such statements, it is probably
Reader Bookseller better to move on to die body of die book. It is divided
Publisher Reviewer into seven sections by 'styles of activity'. The contents
Series Editor Publisher's Rep. section lists all die activities by name, indicating level,
time needed, and preparation/materials necessary,
Now, without looking at each other's paper, write the widi die tides of sample texts included. This is by far
above professions in the circles, with those which are die most complete and useful Contents section of any of
closest to you—for whatever reason—nearest to die their books so far, but its strength is somewhat under-
centre, and those with which you feel least connection mined by a radier weak diree-page 'How to use diis
furthest away. When you have finished, discuss your book' section, consisting of generalizations about what
results, sharing and comparing your reasons for die seven sections contain, and often giving
position. unnecessarily detailed examples of die exercises to be
found later.
If you enjoyed that activity, and feel diat the Each of die 101 activity-recipes is neady organized
approach is one to which you can relate, and one which into easily accessible sections, giving level, timing,
might help your learners to better acquire lexical preparation, what to do in class (in first class; in next
items, then Vocabulary is probably a book you would class; in later class), and examples, sample texts, and
want to add to your collection. variations where appropriate.

Reviews 303