Teaching Vocabulary (Theory and Practice)

            In introducing grammar, elicitation is an appropriate way to present the words without translating it into their L1. It can be maximized through the things arround the teacher. Also, it can use the gesture to indicate verbs. The second way to invite the language using chunks. The teacher can integraed it in speaking skill where the learners are shown a picture. They should produce some missing phrases regarding to the pictures. Then, the teacher plays the audio to let the students match their answer with the recording. The next is presenting the words with the description which aim is to facilitate the learners with vocabulary. The description of the vocabulary can be utilized when they forget the term. It is similar to crossword.

In practicing the vocabulary, the students must be triggered to utilize the language cmmunicatively. There are three activities proposed. The first is word circle which is adressed to young learner through compound nouns. The second is word map which is addressed to all learners from diffecent categories. The third is proposed for adult learner by commanding them to describing people.

Vocabulary games involve three activities. The first Got it! It can be used for all learner levels through word familiarization. The second is Back to the Board game which engages the students to decribe the meaning. The last is Snap game which aim is to familiarize the simple word meaning.

Also, dictionaries can be exploited through 4 ways. The first is to train them using it generally. The dictionary should be bilingual.  The second is focussion on the explanation. The next is a collocation game which integrates dictinay training and language awareness. Finally, the last activity is faciltatng the knowledge of vocabulary through films. In using the dictionary as a media, the teacher needs to consider the types of the vocabular based on the activities. Also, the teacher should be able to convince them the use of dictionary to enrich their vocabularies. In running the activities, the teacher should monitor and manage the classroom in order to be conducive and avoid the disruption.

Common Questions

Question	:	Learning new vocabularies means learning new words. However, the students tend to forget the words after the class end. As a teacher, what is your solution regarding to this problem?
Answer	:	The students must be given more chances to experience and experiment with the language. Therefore, some activities should be provided in the classroom which can be integrated with the vocabulary learning. Also, it can be done to perform the elicitation learning. Reading a text or singing a song can be done to emphasize the new words. Moreover, if the learners are young, the teacher should provide more activities ragarding to use the vocabularies communicatively because they count on the teacher as the main source.
Question	:	How to enrich the vocabulary if the learners are low motivated?
Answer	:	The teacher should vary the activities inside the classroom in order to avoid the students’ boredom such as watching videos or a movie and playing games. Also, outdoor activities can be implemented to make the students feel the new atmosphere. Before doing those, the teacher needs to observe the learners’ interest, strength, and weaknesses to determine the suitable and appropriate activities. Furthermore, the parents’ roles are needed to support this. It will be useless if the supportive and educative environment are only exist at school.

Critical Analysis

Vocabulary takes a big role in conveying the message and the meaning because those can be described through the appropriate vocabularies. The incorrect vocabularies may lead to the different meaning. Learning vocabulary cannot only be done through presenting some words and asking them to find the meaning. It can be implemented in some interesting ways that will help both the teacher and the students to minimize the boredom such us watching a film and playing games. The use of other facilities should be maximized. The best way teaching it is by letting them experience and experiment with. Therefore, it will make them remember the new words longer.

References 

Harmer, Jeremy. 2007a. The Practice of English Language Teaching. Malaysia: Pearson Education Limited.

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