Understanding the meaning of a word is a key part of communicative ability and is extremely important for both the construction and conception of a foreign language. To learn a word, one needs to know about its general usage and situational limitations, know its original form and the forms that can be derived from it, the networks it can form with other words and, all the meanings of this particular word(Richards 1976 cited in Ghazal, no date).
In relation to the importance of vocabulary learning, Pikulski and Templeton suggested that students learning new words will lead to improve listening, speaking, reading and writing vocabularies. With a further enhancement in comprehension and production in the foreign language (Pikulski and Templeton 2004). This is corroborated by an investigation by (Nassaji 2004) who found that students of English as a Foreign Language who had a greater vocabulary knowledge were more efficient in using English which was a direct testament to their vocabulary knowledge.
This suggests that vocabulary is important in English Language. The Saudi classroom does not always allow for the best methods of learning English and therefore there is the need for a supporting method of learning, one that can be completed outside of the learning environment and used in an interactive environment. Mobile phone apps intended for English vocabulary purpose may be the solution.
Vocabulary Learning
In order to help improve the learning of English language, and vocabulary specifically, it would be helpful first to understand what it means to learn a new word. Once it is understood how a new word is learnt, it is important to discuss the process of how this new word is learnt.
(Nichols and Rubpley 2004) referred to what...
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...ere is a possible benefit to be realized in the event of the use of mobile apps to teach vocabulary .
As mentioned in my discussion, successful examples were observed by certain researchers on the increased usage of mobile phone app technology. This in comparison to traditional vocabulary learning methods could be directly linked with the current situation in Saudi Arabia. This is because there is an extremely high number of people who own and efficiently use their mobile phones in Saudi Arabia with people generally tending to use their mobile phones for entertainment and education purposes. Also mentioned in my discussion, the accessibility and portability of the mobile phone is extremely important. As this offers a huge country the ability of always being able to learn new vocabulary at any time and at any place, "on-the-go" as long as there is internet access.
The method of vocabulary building will help the students understand the kind of objects that are found in the community. As such, they will be able to relate to these objects and their corresponding names in the society/
This study used 40 academic staff at Anadolu University who were getting an intensive English course in order to take a proficiency exam. In addition, two intermediate-level classes were also used. There was an experimental group and a control group. The subjects were not assigned randomly. Each group had 20 examinees. The experimental group received visual stimuli and keywords, but the control groups only received vocabulary in a list form, and were asked to memorize them. Results from this research indicate that the keyword method is proved to be effective in recalling and comprehension performance. The findings also indicate this method is an effective method that is used to improve students’ vocabulary recall and
In order to enhance their vocabulary, to improve their comprehension of the text, students much first have background knowledge of basic definitions that will help them connect and build new vocabulary with former vocabulary. The students must also have the ability to look at the context of an unfamiliar word and be able to decipher the meaning based on the words or phrases that surround it. The foundational skills of accomplishing this is through studying early fundamental vocabulary words and then connecting new words with priorly known words of similar meaning. (Center for Research on Education, n.d.)
This research was prepared by Rashid Ahli for the English Language subject, taught by Mr.Abass Abdulsamad.
... Without adequate vocabulary, students do not have the ability to understand, discuss, and learn. However, teaching specific vocabulary in a meaningful and explicit way improves ones vocabulary and allows them to understand and gain knowledge from the classroom within which that vocabulary is being used. Consequently, learning vocabulary skills addresses the problem of students being able to read but not having sufficient vocabulary skills to understand what they are reading within and outside the classroom environment. Works Cited Gibbons, P. (2000).
Vocabulary development should give the students the ability to learn the meaning of new words and concepts that are presented to them in their text. Learning this skill will help students with comprehension and their content area curriculum. By teaching students vocabulary development, students will have a reserve of new words, connect new words with their previous knowledge, gain the ability to understand and comprehend the text, and lastly, it will increase a students’ word knowledge to connect with their comprehension and success.
You can further improve your vocabulary by learning another language. "The more languages you know, the more you are human," (Masaryk "Why Should I Learn a Language?"). If you have had a background of language classes you will have it easier in the long run. Improving your vocabulary will improve your life in many ways. And on...
Vocabulary knowledge is highly correlated with reading comprehension and general academic success. Oxford Dictionaries defines vocabulary as “the body of words used in a particular language” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2013, para. 1). Vocabulary knowledge can be demonstrated in two ways: receptively or expressively. Knowledge of the words we see and hear would be described as the individual’s receptive vocabulary. Expressive vocabulary consists of the words that are used to convey information, by either writing or speaking. Typically, receptive vocabulary is larger than expressive vocabulary. Although individuals may understand the general idea of a word in their receptive vocabulary, they might lack the knowledge of the true definition that would be needed in order to use the word in their expressive vocabulary (Kamil & Hiebert, in press). Vocabulary development is important for a variety of reasons.
The use of Glossary of terms was one of the approaches chosen when embedding English into my session. As it recaps previous sessions and offers several benefits for the learner’s potential to progress academically. Simultaneously developing both the learners’ standard of English and ability to
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality literacy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language.
According to the Lexical approach, language demands immense exposure to lexis. But, text books, the only source of exposure to language for the ESL learners, are unable to cater learners need in learning lexis. Hence, it is important to make the learners get acquainted with supplementary materials.
1. The development of new vocabulary, as indicated for speaking, is an activity which spans all the skills of language and will be an ongoing challenge for all pupils. Brainstorming activities and dictionary-based activities (described above) are both excellent means of leading into a written task. Brainstorming gets the pupils involved in the task from the outset and activates their thoughts and previous learning. Using a dictionary effectively is particularly important for pupils whose literacy in English is at a lower level than the peer group. This skill will transfer into other areas of learning.
Vocabulary is the very basis of all human communication. We start building our vocabulary from the day we are born. An individual’s vocabulary is the words or signs of their language that they are familiar enough with to understand and or use. Acquiring a large vocabulary is indispensable to comprehension and communication. Of the many different vocabulary banks one person can reference, the two most relevant are receptive and active. We have a degree of knowledge for each word within your vocabulary banks. Vocabulary knowledge goes much deeper than simply knowing the meaning of a word. Isabel Beck does a great job scaffolding vocabulary into tiers for a deeper understanding of why we should teach in levels. (Tyson, 2013)
It is necessary to draw a distinction between foreign language and second language learning. According to (Wisniewski, 2007), a language lear...