Strategies For Teaching, Learning English Vocabulary
Learning new vocabulary words helps keep the mind sharp and makes one sound intelligent during conversation. An expanded vocabulary also helps in clear communication, and thus avoids the frustration of lacking the right word to express your thoughts. Expanding your students’ vocabulary will take effort and patience. At first, you may grow frustrated as you try to teach all the new words they come across. Carry on with it and soon they will have a larger repertoire of words at their disposal.
The Basics
The basics of English vocabulary should be a starting point before adding more complex words. Basic vocabulary groups include colours, numbers, days of the week, foods, family members, greetings, time and weather. Vocabulary worksheets and flash cards are a way to begin vocabulary memorization. Add simple drawings or pictures to worksheets and flash cards containing the vocabulary words. Images can assist in associating a new word with an object.
Learning Vocabulary in Themes
When teaching the basics, have students memorize the words in groups. Numbers are one beginning group. After memorizing numbers one through one hundred and counting, move to another themed group, such as days of the week. This technique can help the brain keep each new word learned properly categorized.
Games and Quizzes
Online games and quizzes are another learning reinforcement tool. Try games and quizzes after students memorize three to five groups of vocabulary words. Some of these online games include hangman, word searches, crossword puzzles, matching games and scrabble. Online games also can prove useful when teaching more complex vocabulary words. These games could be used to test knowledge of antonyms, homophones, root words and prefixes.
Watching Movies
Watching movies is another way to teach and retain vocabulary. Listening to a spoken word has a greater difficulty level than reading or recalling a word. Do not attempt to show movies in English until students have built a large vocabulary of word groups. When a student hears a sentence that he or she does not understand, stop the movie and have him or her look up the unfamiliar words. Also review the scene so that the student understands the way words are formed in sentences. Watch the movie several times to ensure listening and speaking proficiency.
One can expand vocabulary almost as fast as one wants to. There are countless examples of people who have done so. Remember, one starts out in life knowing no words, and now you know thousands.
You can teach your students new words everyday and expand their vocabulary by leaps and bounds..