Helping students to deal with the problems of learning new words

Because the vocabularies decide what you speak, how you write,what you listen to and what you understand in the passage.Butuntil now, no theory has shown exactly that what you should do

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

I SOME BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF ENGLISH.

In present time, English is an important and globle language It is the key toinergrate into the world English has become an essential tool not only bring success

in business, industry, economy, transport, politics, science, culture, and education, butalso in life Moreover, it is the only language to help people to travel all over theworld Hence, without English, we are like the blind who can not see the world

In recent years, English has become a compulsory subject in secondaryeducation programme and it is one of three main subjects in GCSE examinations.It is

a basic subject deciding that you are qualified enough or not to graduate fromuniversities A big question raised to every English is “How to improvestudents’English skills and to help them learn it effectively?”.Understanding theimportance of English and having been an English teacher for 10 years, especiallyteaching in moutainous areas in Trieu Son, I am always finding the best way to give

my students a hand in studying this subsect Today, I am so excited about presenting

my own long time experiences in teaching English to you so that it may assist yousomething in your present career and lovely students

II THE REASONS FOR CHOOSING TOPIC.

As you know, there are four skills when learning English: reading, speaking,listening and writing In order to study one of them more effectively, students must

have a good knowledge of vocabularies Because the vocabularies decide what you

speak, how you write,what you listen to and what you understand in the passage.Butuntil now, no theory has shown exactly that what you should do to learn wordsbest.Someone says that they learn by heart all the words the teacher gives, some otherpeople say that they learn word by doing exercises everyday, or the others say thatthey learn words by reading books, newspapers, stories in English, watching TV,listening to music in English and so on…All of them are correct but what they said isnot enough And I think that everyone has their own way of studying English,especially vocabularies After along time of looking for and doing research, I havemade decision to change the methods helping my students to focus on studying new

words and chosen the topic "Helping students to deal with the problems of

learning new words" in my experience initiative to help them reinforce and practice

English exercises effectively and achieve good results in the exams

PART TWO: CONTENT

Traditionally, teachers still have the habit of teaching vocabularies that theyalways follow books, teachers are the centre of the lesson Therefore, changing theteaching methods makes almost teachers amused Teaching vocabularies in newmethod effectively needs the following steps:

- They should collect documents, pictures related to the teacher’s lesson

- They should prepare their lessons carefully and in detail before going toschool

- Theyshould find and look up new words before gong to school

- They should practise pronouncing English everyday

- They should pay attention to what the teacher gives during the lessons, anwserher questions actively, take part in working in pairs or in groups voluntarily

II WARMING UP

Depending on each lesson, the teaher must considerate how to start the lesson

Teachers need to lead their students to concentrate on the lesson in differentways For example, giving suggestions with some simple questions related to thetopic requiring students to brain storm and answering them personally From thatbase, the teacher introduce the lesson to students

Giving active and creative rights to students: In the past, teachers were thecentre of the lesson but now students are the peoples doing much more than teacher so

as to form many confident skills of communication for studentds and use their source

of new words more often.Therefore, teacher must discove activities and games ingroups or in pairs so that students can make the lesson better Basing on the demand

of each skill, teacher can use suitable techniques for every lesson Teacher shouldoperate activities well and let students do with them flexibly but not rigidlyin anyforms

III SOME PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING NEW WORDS

In each lesson, teachers should find out from five to eight newwords to teachbut not all, and these words have to belong to be active vocabularies which mean thatthey are used veryoften during the lesson in order to practise simple skills, especially

to practise speaking and writing skills

Teachers should not let students repeat these words many times becausetechnical word repeatation will not bring good effects in understading the words butthis may make the lesson become boring and waste students’time and effort As well

as teacchers

Teachers should not write the pronunciation of the words in English on theblack board as students’ Vietnamese understanding is still limited but shouldconcentrate on learning the words inVietnames and English systems If teachers givestudents the signals of pronunciation, they will misunderstand between the writingand pronunciation of a word

IV STEPS FOR PRESENTING NEW VOCABULARY

1-Use a suitable technique to elecit or show the meaning of the newvocabulary

2-Model the pronunciation clearly ( 3 times )

3-Ask students to repeat the word chorrally and individually.

4-Correct students’ s pronunciation

5-Write the words on the board and students’ s copy down on their notebooks.6-Check that students clearly understanding the meaning and pronunciation.7-Draw students’ attentionto aspect of vocabulary such as part of speech,callocation, frequency etc…

8-Give students a written record

(May be teacher ckecks that students write well in their vocabulary notebooks )

V ELECITING TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY

Example

Translation

taxi driver architecture singer actor

Picture of Ha Long Bay

Teacher takes a toothbrush then brushes her teethTasks: “ what am I doing ?”

Ss: You are brushing your teeth

T: now repeat “ brush” ( 3 times )

V.3 Realia

- Use real things

(teacher brings clock, chair, telephone, an apple, flowers……… Into theclass)

V.4 Situation/Antonym

- Use the questions

Ex: What’ s another word for “ holiday”?

V.6 True or False statements

Teacher gives some statements and asks students to choose the best answer

Ex:A carpenter

T says:

a- Carpenter takes care of a forest

b- Carpenter often works with wood

c- Carpenter uses many tools

V.7 Example

ex1: rice, meat ,and fish are food (unc)

ex2: bananas, apples oranges …are fruits

ex3:shirts, trousers, jeans, shorts, dresses are clothes

Ex4: beds, tables chairs are furniture furniture (unc)

11

Besides, teacheers can teach many words together to save time if they are

in the same group or they are synomym

Ex: To teach “ smile” teachers should draw smiling symble and say:

T: Look at the picture he is smiling Now look at me I’m smiling, too “Smile” is a verb You smile when you happy Repeat “ smile smile smile”

1- You can see the following symbols with synonyms, antonyms, traslationsand pictures

= is the same as ex: good = nice

# is the same opposite ex: good # bad

2- You can use the following symbols to show the stress or the link of sounds For the stressed syllable

For linking final consonants with vowels

Ex: an orange

3- You can see the following words or abbreviationsfor the part of sentence

- To – for verbs ex: to visit

- a/an _for countable noun ex: a destination

- (unc) _ for uncountable noun ex: rice ( unc )

- (adj ) _ for adjectives ex: excited (adj )

- ( adv) _ for adverbs ex: quickly(adv)

4- you can use the following symbols for translative verbs; someone

for “someone” or him/her …ect

ex: (to) ask

5-You can simple underline prepositions or gerunds

Ex: (to ) stay (with / for / in )

PART THREE: CHECKING TECHNIQUES FOR VOCABULARY

I RUB OUT AND REMEMBER

1-Teacher presents or elicits the vocabulary and builds up the list on the

blackboard

2- After each word teacher puts the Vietnamese translation

3- Teacher asks the students to copy into their books and then close theirbooks

4- Teacher rubs out the new word one at a time

5-Eacher time teacher rub out a word in English, point to the Vietnamesetranslation and aks What is this in Vietnamese?

6- When all the Engkish words are rubbed out teacher go through the

Rub out and

Slapon the board

Slapon the board

7- If there is time, teacher get the students to come to the black board and writethe English words again

*Note: it helps leaners to memories new vocabulary.

Ex: English 10-Unit 6 - Lesson 1

1… :Kỳ nghỉ 5- : điểm đến

2- : thành nội, thành cổ 6- : thăm

4… : ở ( cùng với)

II SLAP THE BOARD

1-Teacher puts the new words in English on the balck board in bubbles not in alist

2- If you want to check the understanding, put the Vieetnamese translationofthe new words or picture on the blakboard

3-teacher divides the class in to two teamsof five or six to front of the class.4-Teacher choose a student from each team and they stand at equal distancefrom the blackboard

5-Teacher calls out one of the new word in a low voice in Vietnamese

6- Two students must runs forward and slap a word the word in English on theboard

7- The one who slaps the correct word first is the winner.If students are playing

in teams ,the win team gets a mark

8- Then teacher ask two more studentsto come forward … etc

* Note: There are two points to remember inS the B.If you use only English,leaners are only recognizing the word in through listening.However if you useVietnamese translation or picture you can checkthe meaning of the new vocabulary

Ex: English 11 - Unit 4 - Reading

Checking vocabulary: slap the board

III WHAT AND WHERE

1- Teacher writes the new words in the cicles on the black board not in a list.2- When all the words are on the board, teacher ask the students to repeat thewords in cicles

3- Teacher rubbed out one of the words but doesn’t rub out th cicles

4-Teacher gets the students to repeat the words including the rubbed out words

by poiting at the empty cicles

5- Teacher rubs out another word but leaves the cicles

6- Teacher pointthe woed or empty cicles, students read and have to rememberall the words

7-Continues till the cycles are empty

8-Techer aks the students ( 6 or 8 at the time 0 to come to bb and fill in thecicles with the correct words

Ex: English 11 –Unit 11- Lesson 1

donation

* Note: This check technique is good for leaners to memorise the newwords

and also good for revision of vocabulary

IV MATCHING

1- T writes the newwords in the list on the left hand side of the bb

2- T writes the definitions, translation or draws pictures on the right hand side

of the bb

3- T asks the Ss to come to the bbto match the items on the left with those onthe right by drawing a line between them

Ex1:English 7 –Unit 11-Lesson 5-Period 72

*Keys:

1-c;2-e;3-a;4-b;5-g;6-d;7-fEx2:

V JUMBLED WORDS

1-T sticks 6 flash cards with jumbled words on the board

2-T.asks Ss to rewrite the words in the right order

3-T tells Ssthe first two groups with the right word will get two points

4-T corrects them

5-T asks Ss to read again

Ex: Unit 10 –English 10 - Period 61

1-T.draws box on bb and asks Ss to copy

2-T Asks Ss to rewrite 6 new words they’ve learntin the box

3- T tells Ss that she/ he will say some words (8-10-12-15)

4- If Ss hear the word, they cross it out Like this:

5-When Ss croos out all six words, shout “ bingo” Who say “bingo”first will

be the winner

* Note: This activities can be used to check and revise the newwords you haveintroduced during the week

* Ordering:

1-T writes the vocabulary on the board randomly

2-T have Ss to copy the words in to their exercise books

3- T read the phragraph aloud

Ex: English 8 –Unit 12 –period 77

“Mrs Quyen & her husband visited many places in hthe USA while theywere First, they went swimming at Waikiki Beach situated on the Hawaiian Island

of Oahu There they could see the lava pouring out of the Kilawea Volcano whenthey flew over head They also saw the the head of 4 American President carved in

to the rock of the Mount Rushmore

4-T asks Ss to compare their answer withtheir partner

6-T asks Ss to give the anwers and read the text again to correct

*Answer keys:

A bay

Overhead (7) pouring out (5)

PART FOUR: EXERCISES OF USING WORDS

After ter understanding the meaning of the words, teacher may ask students to

do some exercises to help them understand more about the usage of the words through some activities in the class

These exercises are often combined with the practice of using skills such as listening, speaking There are some following suggestion exercises:

1-TPR:Total Physiccal Response Teacher gives some orders and asks students

to act Ex:T says “stand up”

Ss: Thực hiện hành động đứng lên T: “sit down”

Ss: Thực hiện hành động ngồi xuống T: “clap your hands”

Ss: Thực hiện hành động vỗ tay 2- Group the words according to their topics)

beef milk lemonade wheat beans

………

………

………

………

3- Cicle the word which doesn’t belong to the group:

ex:scientist chemist physican mathematics

history literature English school

walk read watch TV

4-Fill in the empty cicle:

a-Work in pair to talk about your favorite food and drinks

Ilike……… I don’t like………

b- Intervew your partner about his /her favorite food and drinks then write thereport

food

Drink s

What do you like to eat ?What do youlike to drink?

He/She likes………

He/She doesn’t like……

c- Complete the sentnce to write about your daily meals:

I usually have…… meals a day.I have……… at ……….o ‘clock I like

………for breakfast but I don’t like…………because it’s ………… For lunch ,Iusually have…… and… Ilike to drink ………….because it’s ……….I oftenhave………….for dinner

5-Macth the verbs in column A with the appropriate words / phrases in columnB:

+ The way to do:

- Cut the cards of group A and the cards of group B, mix them, then devidethem into equal parts and give them to each group with 4,5,6,7,8

-Each group is given one card group A and one card group B to join into 2sentences of the conversation

- Teacher goes pass every desk to check Each group reads their own twosentences If they are right, they can leave the games and given one mark However, ifthey are wrong, they will not be given any marks Teacher shoul not give the answersand continues to check the rests.This exercise keeps on until the coubles of sentencesare suitable

Ex Card group A

1-How old are you?

2-Do you mind if I smoke?

3- I hope England wind the World Cup

4-Help yourself to a drink

5- Would you help me with this, please?

6- I can’t come tonight I’m afraid

7-Today’s the 4th, isn’t it?

8- Could you give me lift home, tonight?

9-Is it far to the station?

10- I’m sorry, I’m late

Card group B

a- No, of course not

b-No, not very

c- Very well thank you

d- What’s a pity

e- Yes ,that’s right

f-You are wellcome

g-Thanks, the same to you

h-Yes, I’d be glad to

i-Yes, certainly