Teaching vocabulary in primary school

In teaching pupils vocabulary both the ear and organs of speech should take an active part in the assimilation of words. Pupils should have ample practice in hearing words and pronouncing them not only as isolated units but in various sentences in which they occur.

          Rule 3 for the teacher: While introducing a word pronounces it yourself in a context, ask pupils to pronounce it both individually and in unison in a context, too.

         Any word in the language has very complicated linguistic relations with other words in pronunciation, meaning, spelling, and usage.

          Rule 4 for the teacher: In teaching words it is necessary to establish a memory bond between a new word and those already covered.

          For instance: see – sea; too – two; one – won; (in pronunciation); bought – brought; caught – taught; night – right (in spelling); to fight somebody – бороться против кого – либо; to doubt something – сомневаться в чем – либо; to mention something – упоминать о чем – либо (similar word combination).

          Hence there are two stages in teaching vocabulary; presentation or explanation, retention or consolidation which are based on certain psycholinguistic factors. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

How to teach vocabulary in school

          The process of learning a word means to the pupil: (1) identification of concepts, i. e., learning what the word means; (2) pupil’s activity for the purpose of retaining the word; (3) pupil’s activity in using this word in the process of communication in different situations.

          Accordingly, the teacher’s role in this process is:

           (1) to furnish explanation, i. e., to present the word, to get his pupils to identify the concept correctly;

           (2) to get them to recall or recognize the word by means of different exercises;

           (3) to stimulate pupils to use the words in speech.

           “The true art of teaching is not the application of the best system, but the ability to stimulate pupils to worth while activity.” (Morris, The Teaching of English as a Second Language).

           Teaching and learning words are carried on through methods you are familiar with; the teacher organizes learning and pupils are involved in the very process of learning, i. e., in the acquisition of information about a new word, its form, meaning and usage; in drill and transformation to form lexical habits; in making use of the lexical habits in hearing speaking and reading, or in language skills. Various techniques are used to attain the goal – to fix the words in pupil’s memory ready to be used whenever they need them.

              The techniques of teaching pupils the pronunciation and spelling of a word are as follows: (1) pure or conscious imitation; (2) analogy; (3) transcription; (4) rules of reading.

              Since a word consists of sounds if heard or spoken and letters if read or written the teacher shows the pupils how to pronounce, to read, and write it. However the approach may vary depending on the task set (the latter depends on the age of pupils, their progress in the language, the type of words, etc.). For example, if the teacher wants his pupils to learn the word orally first, he instructs them to recognize it when hearing and to articulate the word as an isolated element (a book) and in a sentence pattern or sentence patterns alongside with other words. (This is a book. Give me the book .Take the book. Put the book on the table, etc.)

            As far as the form is concerned the pupils have but two difficulties to overcome: to learn how to pronounce the word both separately and in speech; and to recognize it in sentence patterns pronounced by the teacher, by his classmates, or by a speaker in case the tape-recorder is used.

          If the teacher wants his pupils to learn the word during the same lesson not only for hearing and speaking but for reading and writing as well, he shows them how to write and read it after they perform oral exercises and can recognize and pronounce the word. The teacher writes down the word on the blackboard (let it be spoon) and invites some pupils to read it (they already know all the letters and rule of reading too). The pupils read the word and put it down in their notebooks. In this case the pupils have two more difficulties to overcome: learn how to write and how to read the word; the latter is connected with their ability to associate letters with sounds in a proper way.

       Later when pupils have learned the English alphabet and acquired some skills and reading they may be told to copy the new words into their exercise-books and read and write them independently; this work being done mainly as homework. The teacher then has his pupils perform various oral exercises during the lesson; he makes every pupil pronouns the new words in sentence patterns and uses them in speech. Since this is the most difficult part of work in vocabulary assimilation it can and must be done during the lesson and under the teacher’s supervision.

        There are two ways of conveying the meaning of words: direct way and translation. The direct way of presenting the words of a foreign language brings the learner into direct contact with them, the mother tongue does not come in between, and it establishes links between a foreign word and the thing or the concept directly. The direct way of conveying the meaning of foreign words is usually used when the words denote things, objects, their qualities, sometimes gestures  and movements, which can be shown to and seen by pupils, for example: a book, a table, red, big, take, stand up, etc. The teacher   should connect the English word he presents with the object, the notion it denotes directly, without the use of pupils mother tongue.

        The teacher uses various techniques for the purpose.

        It is possible to group them into (1) visual and (2) verbal. The first group involves the use of visual aids to convey the meaning of unfamiliar words. These may be: objects, or pictures showing objects or situations; besides, the teacher may use movements and gestures. E. g., the teacher uses objects. He takes a pencil and looking at it says: a pencil. This is a pencil. What is this? It is a pencil. Is it a pencil? Yes, it is. Is it a pen? No, it is not. Is it a pen or a pencil? It is a pencil. The pupils do not only grasp the meaning of the word in familiar sentence patterns.

        One more example. The teacher uses pictures for presenting the words small and big. He says: In this picture you can see two balls. This is a small ball, and that is a big ball. This ball is small, and that ball is big. Now, Sasha, come up to the picture and point to the small ball (the big ball).

        Then the teacher shows another picture with two houses in it - a small house and a big house, and so on. The teacher may use gestures, for example, for conveying the meaning of stand up, sit down. He says: Lena, stand up. He shows with his hands what she must do. Lena stands up. Now, sit down. Again with the movement of his hands he shows the girl what she has to do. The other pupils listen to the teacher and watch what Lena is doing. Then many pupils are invited to perform the actions.

        The second group of techniques involves the utilization of verbal means for conveying the meaning of unfamiliar words. These may be: context, synonyms, antonyms, definitions, word-building elements, etc. the context may serve as a key to convey the meaning of a new word. 

T e a c h e r: It was hot. We had nothing to drink. We were thirsty. Do people need                  water or bread when they are thirsty?

P u p i l : They need water.

T e a c h e r: What do people need when they are thirsty?

P u p i l: They need water (or something to drink).

T e a c h e r:  it was hot. We had nothing to drink. We were thirsty. Were we      

                          thirsty?

P u p i l : Yes, you were.

T e a c h e r: Were we thirsty or hungry? (The pupils are familiar with the word

                       hungry).

P u p i l : You were thirsty.

T e a c h e r : Why were we thirsty?

P u p i l : You were thirsty because it was hot.

T e a c h e r:  Are you thirsty, Pete?

P e t e : No, I am not.

T e a c h e r : Who is thirsty?

A n n ; I am.

T e a c h e r : What did she say, mike?

M i k e : She said she was thirsty.

   

     There is no need to turn to the mother tongue as pupils can grasp the meaning of the word thirsty from the context. Besides, while presenting the new word a conversation takes place between the teacher and the class, so they have practice in listening comprehension and speaking.

      The teacher may use a definition.

T e  a c h e r: The new word is blind. A blind person is one who cannot see. Can a    

                       blind person see?

P u i l : No, he can’t.

T e a c h e r:  What can’t a blind person do – see or hear?

P u i l : He can’t see.

T e a c h e r; He can’t see because he is blind. Why can’t he see?

P u p i l : Because he is blind.

     Thus, through a definition pupils get acquainted with the word blind and have an opportunity to observe its usage: a blind person, be blind. The mother tongue has not been used.

      Now some examples of the use of the word-building elements for conveying the meaning of words. 

T e a c h e r: You know the words: worker, teacher…Now guess the meaning of the word writer. Writer – writer. Name a writer you like, children.

P u p i l : Tolstoy.

P u p i l : Chekhov.

P u p i l : Gorky.

T e a c h e r:  That’s right. Is Sholokhov a writer?

P u p i l : Yes, he is.

T e a c h e r : Is Repin  a writer?

P u p i l : No, he is not.

T e a c h e r : Is Kataev a writer or a teacher?      

P u p i l : He is a writer.

      The pupils are familiar with the word teacher. The new word is teach.

       The teacher asks the pupils to form a verb by dropping the ending – er; this work may be done on the blackboard. 

teacher- teach

T e a c h e r : Who teaches you English ?

P u p i l : You do.

T e a c h e  r: Who teaches you geography?

P u p i l : Maria Ivanovna does.

T e a c h e r: Does M. V . teach you English or Russian?

P u p i l : She teacher us Russian.

      The teacher may also use synonyms to convey the meaning of a new word. For example, the word town may be presented through the familiar the word city; receive – get; reply – answer, etc. 

T e a c h e r: You know the word city .Moscow is a city. What is Leningrad (Kiev,

                     Minsk) ?

P u p i l : Leningrad is a city.

P u p i l :Kiev is a city.

P u p i l : Minsk is a city.

T e a c h e r : That’s right. The new word is town. It is s synonym of city.  Moscow is a city. Norilsk is a town. So a town is smaller than a city. Name a town you like.

P u p i l : Zagorsk.

T e a c h e r : That’s right.

        The pupils answers to the teacher’s questions testify to their comprehension of the word. So there is no need to turn to the pupils mother tongue.

          It is difficult to cover all  the techniques the teacher may have at his disposal to convey the meaning of the new words directly without the help of the mother tongue. There are teachers , however, who do not admit that pupils can understand what  a new word means without translating into the native tongue, and though they use some techniques of the direct method for conveying the meaning of new words , they immediately ask their pupils to say what is the Russian for…? Then 

      The direct way is usually a success provided the teacher can skillfully apply audio-vision aids and verbal means.

       3 Linguistic factors:

         (1)  abstract or concrete notions; for conveying the meaning of  abstract  notions the translation is preferable;

         (2) extent (range) of meaning in comparison with that of the Russian language ; in cases where range of meaning of a word does not coincide  in the mother  tongue  and in the target language, the translation – interpretation should be used ( e . g., education)

        Retention of words. To attain the desired end pupils must first of all perform various exercises to fix the words in their memory.

         For this purpose it is necessary to organize pupils work in a way permitting them to approach the new words from many different sides, in many different ways, by means of many different for his pupils provided he relies he relies upon pupils sensory perception and thinking upon auditory, visual, and kinesthetic analysers so that pupils can easily recognize the words while hearing or reading, and use them while speaking or writing whenever they need.

          For this reason two groups of  exercises may be recommended for vocabulary assimilation:

          Group I. Exercises designed for developing pupils skills in choosing the proper word.

           Group II. Exercises designed to form pupils skills in using the word in sentences.

          Group I. I may include:

         1.Exercises in finding the necessary words among those suggested. For example:

- Pick out the words (a) which denote shool objects:

          (1) a pen, (2) a cup, (3) a blackboard, (4) a desk ,(5) a bed, (6) a picture, (7) a car.

         2.  Exercises in finding the necessary words among those stored up in the pupils memory. For example:

- Name the object the teacher shows (the teacher shows pupils a book, they say a book)

- Play a guessing game. The teacher , or one of the pupils, thinks of a word. Pupils try to guess the word by asking various questions: Is it a …? Is it big or small? Can we see it in the classroom?    

     It is next to impossible to give all the exercises the teacher can use for developing pupils' skills in finding words both among those suggested (when/pupils just recognize the necessary words) and those stored up in their memory (when pupils "fish out" the words they need to do the exercise). There are plenty of them. Those mentioned, however, will be helpful for consolidating and reviewing the vocabulary in ten-year schools.

     Group   II may include:

     1.   Exercises in inserting the necessary words in word combinations, phrases, sentences; the words and sentences being suggested. For example:

     -  Combine the words:

     (a)   sky          fine       (b) speak     late

             rain         blue            run        fast

                            snow        heavy         come     loudly

                            weather   white

(Pupils have to say (or to write): (a) blue, sky, heavy rain, white snow, fine weather; (b) speak loudly, run fast, come late.)

     -   Insert the words met; built; posted in (1) The house was ... last year. (2) The delegation was ... at the railway station in (lie morning. (3) The letter was ...  three days ago.

     - Make statements with: a few days, a few words, a few people, a few friends, a few hours: e. g., We worked in the field for a few hours.

     - Connect the sentences: 
 

You must be careful                           because   they   had   to   complete

                                                              their work.

He should stay at home                         because  the traffic  is heavy  in

                                                               the street.

They couldn't come in                         because he has caught cold.

          time

(Pupils should join the sentences on the left with these on the right.)

     2.   Exercises in using word combinations, phrases, sentences stored up in pupils memory in connection with situations given. For example:

     - Say what you can see here. (The teacher shows his pupils pens and pencils of different co lour and size for them to say a blue pen, a long pencil, etc. Or he can use situational, pictures for the purpose.)

     -  Say where the pen is. (The teacher puts the pen in different places for pupils to say on the table, in the box, under the bag, over the blackboard, and so on.)

     -  Make statements. (The teacher either displays objects or uses pictures for pupils to say this is a blue pencil, it's raining hard, the girl can't skate.)

     -  Make two (three) statements on the object (or the picture). (The same objects or pictures may be used for the purpose.)

     Exercises of this type are more difficult since pupils should search their memory for the necessary words, word combinations, or even sentences to describe an object or a picture.

     3. Exercises which help pupils to acquire skills in using vocabulary in speech which may be stimulated by (a) visual materials; (b) verbal means; (c) audio-visual materials.

     A few more words should be said about the use of audiovisual aids and materials in teaching vocabulary.

     The teacher has great possibilities for pictorial and written representation of words on the blackboard. He can use •either printed pictures, or pictures drawn by himself or by the pupils for classroom teaching and, finally, pictures cut out of periodicals. He should use slides, film-strips, maps, plans, objects, etc.