| Are you sometimes surprised by unexpected gaps in the vocabulary knowledge of the students you teach? A post on the Musicuentos blog – Can you control vocabulary? ,describes a student who was able to use the words environment and random in a conversation but could not come up with the word for window. It appears that all the vocabulary quizzes and ‘find a words’ in the world cannot guarantee the acquisition of new vocabulary. Liz Black in her post Nothing ventured, nothing gained……argues for the teaching of vocabulary in natural settings. “An example of learning in this ‘natural setting’ was a boy who was panicking a bit as he was going to be measured up for his helmet and waterproof gear (in preparation for an outdoor course), so I said: “Pas de panique”. He replied; “You’ve already said the words ‘fantastique’ and ‘dramatique’… they all have the same spelling pattern then?” Clare Secombe in her post It gives me great pleasure to present.......new vocabulary explores the process of vocabulary acquisition and “how we can enable our students to gather this information, and build their confidence in the oral, aural and written aspects of the vocabulary.” How do you support you introduce your students to new vocabulary and use it flexibly in new contexts? |
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