Classroom Strategies for Vocabulary Development
In this blog, I will share two of my favorite vocabulary skill development strategies that have been very effective in my ESL classroom. I will share the steps of implementing these strategies, the target population, and the rationale and benefits of implementing these vocabulary strategies in an ESL classroom. It is essential that teachers use effective ESL vocabulary strategies because vocabulary development aids in reading comprehension, fluency, listening comprehension, and in expressive language (writing and speaking) understanding and development.
Strategy: Total Physical Response
Target Population (The Stages of Second Language Acquisition): Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency,
Age: All Learners (Grade K-12)
Setting: Small Group, Whole Group
Steps to Implement:
Teacher begins by saying an action word/verb.
After stating the word the teacher demonstrates it’s meaning with gestures and dramatization.
The teacher then uses this word in a command. For example, teacher says “Stand up!”
Students respond to this command by engaging in the action (standing up).
As students’ language skills progress, the teacher can use more elaborate and complex commands.
Variations of TPR can be done and incorporated into games (Simon Says). These variations can allow students a chance to practice speaking by taking on the role of the teacher.
Another variation includes giving students cards on which an action is written down and having the students act out the definition or meaning of the words.
Rationale and Benefits:
By engaging in Total Physical Response students learn new words through active participation (watching, imitating, and responding to the teacher’s command).
As students are exposed to more elaborate and complex commands they will have the opportunity to learn other parts of speech such as (nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and function words).
By having to actively listen to the teacher’s commands in order to engage in TPR, students are also practicing and developing their listening skills.
Total Physical Response is an enjoyable way to learn new lexicon and allows students to learn in a low anxiety environment.
This strategy promotes long-term retention of the targeted words and their meanings because students learn new vocabulary in “meaningful, grammatical contexts”.
Total Physical Response is simple to implement. It caters to the needs of students who are kinesthetic, visual, and auditory leaners.
Strategy: Word Wall Dictionary
Target Population (The Stages of Second Language Acquisition): Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency, Advanced Fluency
Age: All Learners (Grade K-12)
Setting: Small Group, Whole Group, Individual/Independent
Steps to Implement:
Teacher post words usually on a bulleting board that is accessible to students. Words need to be put in a place where every student can see them. Word wall dictionary are arranged in ABC order.
These words may come from the current theme being study, a story you are reading, or from topics you are teaching.
Next to each word, the teacher writes a short definition or uses a picture/symbol of the word to convey meaning.
When students know a word well enough it can be removed from the wall to make room for new words being learned.
Rationale and Benefits:
Word Wall Dictionary promotes a print rich classroom environment.
Through constantly reviewing and viewing the words on the word wall student will familiarize themselves with the word shape, meaning, and pronunciation.
Word Wall Dictionary provides easy access to words students need.
This strategy can be use to demonstrate the use of ABC order in finding words in both dictionaries and picture dictionaries.
It provides students opportunities to become aware of the alphabet and its sound/symbol relationship.
Word Wall Dictionary is utilized as learning reference when students are reading and writing.
Reference:
Peregoy, S.F., & Boyle, O.F. (2013). Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K-12 English Learners. (6th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
