Teaching Vocabulary

As we know, teaching vocabulary is really important for our students because that is the only way they can be more fluent and express their ideas correctly.
Learners usually start by noticing , then by reconigzing a word before they are able to produce it , so here I have four stages for new vocabulart acquisition:

The learner notices the new word (with help)

The learner learns to recognize it (with help)

The learner recognizes it on his/her own

The learner can both recognize and produce it.

Also, here I have ways to make vocabulary learning interesting for students:

Since students need to be motivated to learn vocabulary constantly, it is important that vocabulary review is as interesting as possible. Teachers can vary the types of exercises, strategies and activities. The visual element is equally important. Here are some of the activities I would like to use in my classroom.

Stage 1: Noticing the word: the visual element

• Flashcards
• Pictures

 

 Stage 2: Recognition

• True/false
• Categorize the words
• Matching. (this category is huge with both open and closed types of exercises)Matching the word to its definition, L1-L2, opposites, adjectives and nouns, verbs and adverbs, word to the picture, match two words that go together
• Multiple choice
• Drawing the word
• Bingo games
• Circle the word you hear

Stage 3: Production

• Dictation
• Answering questions
• Guessing games: I’m thinking of:
• Picture description
• Miming

Final Words: Points to consider

• Try to have as many success oriented activities that are geared to the age groups you teach.
• Gradually progress from one stage to another but vary the activities within each stage.
• Consider appealing to the various multiple intelligences. The visual element in learning is particular important – for all age groups but particularly important for younger children.

Reflection : 

I do really believe that teaching  vocabulary is really important for our studens by following this stages I have posted .I really like the way os using  flashcards to teach vocabulary to my students because then I would be able to make  games with them such as...''Matching pictures with names'' or ''guessing the name of the picture''  and so on, actually there are many ways guys, you and only you as  a  manager have to find the correct  way to teach them.

Grammar Activities

Grammar activities and games make learning of grammar fun for many students. Here is an example of a grammar activity.

The grammar race game

Preparation: 

1. The teacher needs to prepare two sets of cards: easy cards and harder ones. Examples of an easy card:

A. Add some or any: I like those roses; please give me…; what a pity there aren't... red ones!
B. Insert since or for: I haven't seen you ... three days.

Examples of a harder card:

A. Put the verb into the correct tense: Id rather you (pay) me now; suppose he (ask) me for the money tomorrow?
B. Complete: If I had known he was here,...

2. Make a grid like the following one on an OHP transparency, using different colors for the different players/teams:

Grid 1

You can make the grid any shape you want (round, hexagonal) and as big as you want, depending on the size of your class or the rime you want to devote to the game: the more squares, the more teams can play and the longer the game is.

How to play:

1. Each player/team throws the dice. The player/team with the highest number begins.
2. If you land on a square with the figure two on it you take an easy card. If you answer correctly you score two points; if you don't, you lose two points.
3. If you land on a square with the figure four on it you take a harder card. If you answer correctly you get four points but if your answer is not correct you lose four points.
4. If two players/teams land on the same square, the one that has been caught up with has to return to his/her starting point without answering any questions.
5. The first player/team home (the start square) gets eight extra points.
6. The player/team with the maximum number of points wins.

Reflection:

I strongly believe that games are a good way to make students learn and understand English grammar and also to make them remember the structure without think a lot because since they practice grammar in a fun way ;I mean, in a way they like (using games), it would be easier for them to understand and remember unconsciously the structure of any sentence because if they play grammar games ,they would have repeated and practiced a lot while during the game ;so that, instantly they would be able to talk using the grammar already learned when a person talks to him/ her.

READING ACTIVITIES

EXTENSIVE READING

It is related to further progress in language learning under the teacher's guidance. It provides a basis for explaining difficulties of structure and for extending knowledge of vocabulary and idioms.  It will provide material for developing greater control of the language and speech and writing. Students will study short stories and extracts from novels, chosen for the standard of difficultly of the language and for the interest they hold for this particular group of students. Intensive reading is generally at a slower speed and requires a higher degree of understanding to develop and refine word study skills, enlarge passive vocabulary, reinforce skills related to sentence structure, increase active vocabulary, distinguish among thesis, fact, supportive and non-supportive details, provide sociocultural insights.

ACTIVITIES FOR EXTENSIVE READINGS

Drawing and Designing

·Design a new cover for your book.

·Draw a series of pictures illustrating the story or main events of the story.

·Draw a map showing where the story takes place.

·Design a movie poster for your book.

·Make a time line of major events in the book

·Create a bingo game which includes words like names of characters, places and items from the story.

·Design an advertisement for T.V., radio or newspaper, trying to sell the book.

·Make up a “wanted” poster for one of the characters.

Writing

·Write a letter to one of the characters.

·Write a diary for one of the characters.

·Make up a different ending for the story.

·Make up a different beginning for the story.

·Have an interview with one of the characters

INTENSIVE READING

It develops at the student's own pace according to individual ability.  It will be selected at a lower level of difficulty than that for intensive reading. Where frequency word counts are available for the language being learned, extensive reading will conform to a lower frequency word count than intensive reading. Material will be selected whose choice of structure is habitually less complex and whose vocabulary range is less extensive.  The purpose of extensive reading is to train the students to read directly and fluently in the target language for enjoyment without the aid of the teacher. Where graded texts are available, structures in texts for extensive reading will be already familiar, and new items of vocabulary will be introduced slowly in such a way that their meaning can be deduced from context or quickly ascertained. The student will be encouraged to make intelligent guesses at the meaning of unfamiliar items. Material consists of authentic short stories and plays, or informative or controversial articles from newspapers and magazines. A few adaptations of vocabulary and structure will be made. The style of writing should entail a certain amount of repetition without monotony. Novelties of vocabulary should not coincide with difficulties of structure. It means reading in quantity and in order to gain a general understanding of what is read.  It is intended to develop good reading habits, to build up knowledge of vocabulary and structure and to encourage a liking for reading, Increase total comprehension, enable students to achieve independence in basic skill development, acquaint the student with relevant socio-cultural material, and encourage recreational reading.

ACTIVITIES FOR INTENSIVE READINGS

looking at  main ideas versus details

understanding what is implied versus stated

making inferences

looking at the order of information and how it effects the message

identifying words that  connect one idea to another

identifying words that indicate change from one section to another

I really think that the activities already mentioned for intensive and extensive readings are important things to make in class  to develop not just students reading skills, but also others . Also students can learn more vocaulry by reading  authentic or non authentic readings from many books.

Listening Activities

As you know, you can do listening activities to supplement the work you are doing in your English class. Listening Activities are really simple and don’t take so much time because technology is unbelievable and you can find many videos ,songs, games that you can download from internet and use it in class or send WebPages to your  students as  a homework to practice  online. But the most important thing you should know is that listening activities are really important to develop the listening skill of students.

Listening activities with songs…

In class, you as a teacher should play a song with specific vocabulary that students are recently learning, it could be verbs and so on. Then, you have to give them a paper with the song lyrics and spaces in blank to complete the specific vocabulary you need them to get and understand from the song. For example, let’s use the song ‘’ALWAYS (Bon Jovi)’’

Well, in this case is online, so you can copy the lyrics into a paper to give  students in class or also you can just give them the webpage to exercise as  a  homweork.

Listening activities with videos…

In class, you can play a video. It could be authentic or not it’s your decision according to the level of your students or other facts. Well, you have to play a video; for example, a tv comercial of two people talking about any topic, then you have to make students questions such us…what are they talking about? , what does the man think? And so on, so that, students will be able to answer you, and you will be able to evaluate if  students are understanding what you want  to teach them.Or other  way could be to send the video to their e-mails and type the questions in order that students aswer and send you the e-mail back.

Reflection..

I think that listening activities are really helpful to develop students skills not also to understand but also to learn new vocabulary maybe..or to know how to use any word and many things more. In my opinion Its better  to make speaking activities in class because you as  a  teacher  will be able to check if they  are  really working otherwise if you send it  as  a homework on line  you won’t be able to know  who is working and who is really understanding or to answer students doubts.

SPEAKING ACTIVITIES

One –on-one speaking activity

This is a common activity used by many teachers. Since I was in basic courses, teachers used to make us discuss or explain something to the person sitting next to us, and I think that this activity is really useful because we can interact with people we don’t know since the first day of class or also we can interact with teachers.

In- class Debates

This activity involves two groups of students who have different points of view. They discuss about any topic while they can improve the way they speak and add more new vocabulary .This activity is applied by many teachers to make students loose shyness; I mean, to learn to give opinions and reasons in public.

I believe that speaking activities are really important because it really help students to improve their speaking skill and also to lose shyness, to learn how to work in groups and so on. Also I believe that this is  a good way to practice to be fluent and speak accurately.

How  to deal with disruptive behavior in class

First example:

Cell phones ringing in a classroom, text messaging, chatting online.

 

If in a classroom I notice phones ringing  or students sending messages to people or chatting ;First, I would make a big poster with a big picture showing that cellphones are not allowed in class  and paste this poster on a  visible wall ;so that ,they will notice that I have heard those phones ringings and also that I have seen them using the phone to chat or send text messages . After this , If I still see them using the phone I would tell them to turn it off and put it on their bags .But , if phones are  still ringing ;I mean, They don’t turn it off ,I would simplily seize the phones and don’t give their phones back until one of the parents come to talk with me about the issue.

Second Example:

The student who talks incessantly while you are delivering a lecture.

If in a classroom I find a  student or a  group of  students talking about things out of the topic at the moment I read, explain something or talk with someone;First, I would make a noise with the board, the table or something  strong to make them realize that I don’t want to hear them talking  but  if after this I still hear them talking , I would interrupt my lecture to call them by their full names and tell them directly that I don’t want to hear them talking again . But As many of  us already know, children are really disobedient and I know that they wont stop easily ;so, the third thing I would do is to separate that group of people talking ;I mean , to change their places. In the last of the cases I would call their parents to talk about the issue.