The Actuality of the course paper

ҚАЗАҚСТАН РЕСПУБЛИКАСЫ БІЛІМ ЖӘНЕ ҒЫЛЫМ МИНИСТРЛІГІ

АҚТӨБЕ ГУМАНИТАРЛЫҚ КОЛЛЕДЖІ

 

 

КУРСТЫҚ ЖҰМЫС

«TEACHING ACTIVE LEXICS THROUGH EXERCISES AND GAMES»

(ШЕТ ТІЛІН ОҚЫТУ  ӘДІСТЕМЕСІ БОЙЫНША)

0105000 – Бастауыш  білім беру

 

Орындаған:                                                           Кобейсинова Орынгул

                                                                               ШТ-410 топ студенті

Ғылыми жетекшісі:                                             Зулахужаева Индира

                                                                               Шетел тілі пәні оқытушысы

 

 

 

 

Қорғауға жіберілді (жіберілмеді)

Шетел тілі пән бірлестігінің жетекшісі

_________ Г.А.Абдуллина

«__» ______ 2013ж.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ақтөбе

Contents

 

I. Introduction

The Actuality of the course paper …………………………………………..……..3

 

II. Basic part.

CHAPTER  I. Theoretical part.

1.1. The Importance of teaching lexics at school ……………………..…………...4

1.2. Teaching active lexics ………………...…...……………………….................5

1.3.Advantages and disadvantages of using games while teaching lexics………...6

1.4. Types of games and exercises for the assimilation of lexics ………………....9

 

CHAPTER II. Practical part.

2.1. The results of the State practice at school………………….………...............27

2.2. A part of a lesson…………………………………………………………….29

 

III. Conclusion………………………………………………………..……….....35

IV. List of  literature…………………………………………………….……....36

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Introduction

 

The actuality of the Course paper: Recently, English has become an international language that is taught by many people in the world. By mastering English, people can communicate with other people especially with people from foreign countries easily and it can reduce misunderstanding in communication.

Thus, English should be taught to the children as early as possible. The aim is to make the children as the young learner familiar with English. Teaching English to the   young learners is not easy because English is not their mother tongue and it is a new thing for them. The interest of students in learning English is needed as the key to make them easier in mastering English itself. The teacher should have a good and an interesting technique to introduce English for them, so that the young learners will be interested and motivated to learn English.

There are a lot of ways to learn English to the young learners. One of them is by   using games and exercises.   As   we   all   know   that   children   like   to play,   so  by   using  games as the teaching method the students can be more interested to learn English.

The aim of the Course paper: to show how to teach active lexics with the help of games and exercises, to stimulate motivation to learning English

The subject of the Course paper: methods of teaching active lexics with the help of the strategy of using exercises and games

The object of the Course paper: teaching pupils of primary school

The structure of the Course paper: Introduction, two Chapters: Theoretical and Practical parts, Conclusion, List of Literature. Theoretical part consists of the content and methods of teaching lexics, advantages and disadvantages of using games and exercises. Practical part consists of the Results of research work at school.

Methods of  Research are: at realization of research work the following methods were applied:

• Study and analysis of methodical, psychological, pedagogical literature;
• Study and generalization of advanced methodical and pedagogical experience;
• Theoretical analysis and synthesis of the material.

Prognosis of the Research is: if to develop pupils’ lexical skills in teaching English to growing-up generation, it is possible to bring up a well-educated member of society, ready to bring the contribution to development of a society in the future of the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

II. Basic part.

CHAPTER  I. Theoretical part.

1.1.The Importance of teaching lexics at school

 

Lexics is more than a list of words, and although the size of one’s vocabulary matters, it’s knowing how to use it which matters most.

The research was made by the British linguist  about vocabulary. They were thinking about children who are constrained by a lack of lexics; those who suffer language delay, those who arrive new to English from another country, and those who are simply stuck for words. But of course, the development of lexics is an important experience for everyone and continues as one grows older.

Of course, everyday life provides most of the lexics we need – words are all around us – but taking them in takes time as we become acquainted with their many uses and the contexts in which they are appropriate. A mix of rich language experiences helps to expose us to words and appreciate their meanings, but not all pupils get this in their lives. The question was, what can we do to hasten and enhance that process?

Children start school with a lexics which has been learned mainly from their contact with parents and the literacy environment at home, as well as their experiences with the wider world. A child’s lexics at this age will largely be oral (i.e. words which they can understand when heard and use themselves), with some elements of a reading or writing lexics.

To know a language means to master its structure and words. Thus, lexics is one of the aspects of the language to be taught in school. The problem is what words and idioms pupils should retain. It is evident that the number of words should be limited because pupils have only 2—4 periods a week; the size of the group is not small enough to provide each pupil with practice in speaking; schools are not yet equipped with special laboratories for individual language learning. The number of words pupils should acquire in school depends wholly on the syllabus requirements. The latter are determined by the conditions and method used. For example, experiments have proved that the use of programmed instruction for vocabulary learning allows us to increase the number of words to be learned since pupils are able to assimilate them while working independently with the programme.

The lexics, therefore, must be carefully selected in accordance with the principles of selecting linguistic material, the conditions of teaching and learning a foreign language in school.

Scientific principles of selecting lexics have been worked out. The words selected should be:

1) frequently used in the language, the frequency of the word may be determined mathematically by means of statistic data;

2) easily combined (nice room, nice girl, nice weather);

3) unlimited from the point of view of style (oral, written);

4) included in the topics the syllabus sets;

5) valuable from the point of view of word-building. For example: use, used, useful, useless, usefully, user, usage.

The first principle, word frequency, is an example of a purely linguistic approach to word selection it is claimed to be the soundest criterion because it is completely objective. It is derived by counting the number of occurrences of words appearing in representative printed material comprising novels, essays, plays, poems, newspapers, textbooks, and magazines.

Modern tendency is to apply this principle depending on the language activities to be developed. For developing reading skills pupils need "reading lexics" thus various printed texts are analysed from the point of view of word frequency. For developing speaking skills pupils need "speaking lexics"^ In this case the material for analysis is the spoken language recorded. The occurrences of words are counted in it and the words more frequently used in speaking are selected.

The other principles are of didactic value, they serve teaching aims. The words selected may be grouped under the following two classes (M. West):

1. Words that we talk with or f о г m (structural) w о г d s which make up the form (structure) of the language.

2. Words that we talk about or с о n t e n t    words. 

In teaching lexics for practical needs both structural words and content words are of great importance. That is why they are included in the lexics minimum.

The number of words and phraseological units the syllabus sets for a pupil to assimilate is 1,200. They are distributed in the following way: 800 words in the eight-year school, the rest in the ten-year school. The textbooks now in use contain more word units than the syllabi set.

The selection of the lexics although important is not the teacher's chief concern. It is only the "what" of teaching and is usually prescribed for him by textbooks and study-guides he uses. The teacher's concern is "how" to get his pupils to assimilate the lexics prescribed. This is a difficult problem and it is still in the process of being solved.

It is generally known that school leavers' lexics is poor. They have trouble with hearing, speaking, reading, and writing. One of the reasons is poor teaching of lexics.

The teacher should bear in mind that a word is considered to be learned when: (I) it is spontaneously recognized while auding and reading; (2) it is correctly used in speech, i. c., the right word in the right place.

The difficulties pupils experience in assimilating lexics. Learning the words of a foreign language is not an easy business since every word has its form, meaning, and usage and each of these aspects of the word may have its difficulties. Indeed, some words are difficult in form (daughter, busy, bury, woman, women) and easy in usage; other words are easy in form (enter, get, happen) and difficult in usage. Consequently, words may be classified according to the difficulties pupils find in assimilation. In methodology some attempts have been made to approach the problem The analysis of the words within the foreign language allows us to distinguish the following groups of words: concrete, abstract, and structural.

Words denoting concrete things (book, street, sky), actions (walk, dance, read), and qualities (long, big, good) are easier to learn than words denoting abstract notions (world, home, believe, promise, honest). Structural words are the most difficult for pupils.

In teaching pupils a foreign language the teacher should bear this in mind when preparing for the lexical work during the lesson.

Psychological and linguistic factors which determine the process of teaching lexics. Words are elements of the language used in the act of communication. They are single units, and as such cannot provide the act of communication by themselves; they can provide it only when they are combined in a certain way.

Sometimes separate words may be used in the act of communication, however, for example:

You have relatives, haven't you?

Yes, a grandmother.

The word grandmother is used instead of the sentence pattern Yes, I have a grandmother.

Charles Fries says: "It is not the meaning of the words themselves but an intricate system of formal features which makes possible the grasp of what we generally call 'meaning'. Train, boy, house, take — conveys no meaning. 'The boy takes a train to his house' is full of meaning." He concludes, "The meaning is not in the words themselves but in the words as a pattern".

Rule I for the  teacher: While teaching pupils vocabulary, introduce words in sentence patterns in different situations of intercourse. Present the words in keeping with the structures to be taught.

Information is composed of two kinds of elements: simple (words) and complicated (sentences).

A word may be both a whole which consists of elements (speech sounds) and at the same time an element which is included in a whole (a sentence). In teaching words attention should be given both to a word as an element (in sentences) and a word as a whole (isolated unit) with the purpose of its analysis.

Rule 2 for the teacher: Present the word as an element, i. е., in a sentence pattern first. Then fix it in the pupils' memory through different exercises in sentence patterns and phrase patterns.

In teaching pupils lexics both the ear and the 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 pronounce 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); answer — reply; answer — ask; small — little (in meaning); bought — brought; caught — taught; night — right (in spelling); to fight somebody — біреуге қарсы күресу; to doubt something —бірдеңеден күдіктену (similar word combination).

The process of learning a word means to the pupil:

1) identification of concepts, i. е., learning what the word means;

2) pupils 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: to furnish explanation, i. е., to present the word, to get his pupils to identify the concept correctly; to get them to recall or recognize the word by means of different exercises; 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,  Teaching of English as a Second Language).

Sinсе there are two stages in teaching lexics: presentation or explanation, retention or consolidation Which are based on certain psycholinguists actors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.2. Teaching active lexics

Since every word has its form, meaning, and usage lo present a word means to introduce to pupils his forms (phonetic, graphic, structural, and grammatical), and lo explain its meaning, and usages. 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. 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 and in a sentence pattern or sentence patterns alongside with other words. For example: This is a book. Give me the book. Take the book. Put the book on the table.

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 lo read it (they already know all the letters and the rule of reading ‘oo’. The pupils read the word and put it down in their notebooks. In this case the pupils have two more difficulties to overcome: to 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”1.

Later when pupils have learned the English alphabet and acquired some skills in spelling 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 pronounce the new words in sentence patterns and use them in speech. Since this is the most difficult part of work in lexics assimilation it can and must be done during the lesson and under the teacher's supervision.

There are two methods of conveying the meaning of words: direct method and translation. The direct method of presenting the words of a foreign language brings the learner into direct contact with them, the mother tongue does not come in between, it establishes links between a foreign word and the thing or the concept directly. The direct method 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.

There are various techniques for the use of the direct method. 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? (The word is familiar to the pupils.) 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 pencil, but they observe the use of the word in familiar sentence patterns.

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.

Teacher: It was hot. We had nothing to drink. We were thirsty. Do people need water or bread when they are thirsty?

Pupil: They need water. Teacher: What   do   people   need   when   they  are thirsty?

Pupil: They need water (or something to drink). Teacher: It was hot. We had nothing to drink. We were thirsty. Were we thirsty?

Pupil: Yes, you were. Teacher: Were we thirsty or hungry?

Pupil: You were thirsty. 
Teacher: Why were we thirsty? 
Pupil:    You were thirsty because it was hot. 
Teacher: Are you thirsty, Pete? 
Pete: No, 1 am not.

Teacher: Who is thirsty? 
Ann: I am.

Teacher: What did she say, Mike? 
Mike: 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.

Teacher: The new word is blind. A blind person is one who cannot see. Can a blind person see?

Pupil: No, he can't.

Teacher: What can't a blind person do — see or hear?

Pupil: He can't see. Teacher: He can't sec because he is blind. Why can't he see?

Pupil: 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.

It is difficult to cover all the techniques the teacher may have at his disposal to convey the meaning of 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 it 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...? Here are a few examples. Teacher N. presented the word ball in the fifth form. She had brought a ball. She showed the ball to the pupils and said: This is a ball ... a ball. The ball is red and blue. What is the Russian for 'n ball', children? Who can guess? Of course everyone could. They cried: мячик. What is the use of bringing the ball if the teacher turns to the mother tongue? So instead of developing pupils' abilities and skills in establishing associations between the English word and the object it denotes, she emphasized the necessity for the use of the mother tongue in learning the word. Then she presented the word football. She used a picture in which some boys were playing football. She said: Look at the picture, children. You can see some boys in /lie picture. They are playing football. What is the Russian for football'? Who can guess! The pupils were not enthusiastic to answer this question because they probably found it silly. (It does not mean, of course, that the teacher cannot turn to the mother tongue to check pupils' comprehension when he uses the direct method of conveying the meaning of some difficult words not like those mentioned above — when he is not sure that everyone has understood them properly.) Consequently, the direct method works well provided that the teacher is good at applying visual aids and using verbal means when he explains new words to the pupils. Moreover, he must do it vividly to arouse his pupils' interest in the work performed, and thus to provide optimum conditions for understanding the meaning of the words and their assimilation through the foreign language. Besides various accessories (objects, pictures, movements, gestures, facial expressions, etc.) should be widely used. If the teacher cannot work with visual aids and is not an actor to a certain extent (after all, every teacher ought to be something of an actor), it is he, but not the method, who fails in conveying the meaning of new words.