EduLearn2Change

Strategies for teaching vocabulary.

teaching vocabulary methodology

freepik.com

6 effective strategies for teaching vocabulary, last updated 5 december 2023/ by zineb djoub.

A student’s vocabulary knowledge and skills determine his or her proficiency in comprehension and language use. Therefore, whether we are teaching writing, reading, or supporting our students to communicate more effectively their ideas, vocabulary should be part of our daily instruction. But, what strategies we should use for teaching vocabulary?

The average high school student is estimated to have a vocabulary of 50,000 words and learn about 3,500 new words each year (Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2002).

To build that amount of vocabulary, we should not just focus on using dictionaries as the sole source for word information and asking students to fill in word definitions. But, we should also involve them in developing their vocabulary.

This is through actively engaging them in word exploration and stimulating their interest in knowing more words.

Research evidence indicates that vocabulary development is more successful when learners are fully engaged in activities that require them to attend carefully to the new words and even to use them in productive tasks (Hulstijn & Laufer, 2001)

So, to develop your students’ vocabulary skills, I have compiled a list of engaging strategies for teaching vocabulary. These include both direct and indirect instruction.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

1. Word Wall

To help your students get more engaged in vocabulary development, you need to nurture word consciousness . This means raising students’ awareness of, and interest in all sorts of words and their meanings.

A Word Wall can help you achieve this. This is a collection of words that are displayed in large visible letters on a wall, bulletin board, or other display surfaces in a classroom.

teaching vocabulary: word wall

                            Source: ELL STRATEGIES & MISCONCEPTIONS

So, set this wall and encourage your students ‘to walk the wall’ and hang their favourite words, new or unknown, on it.

Then, invite their classmates to add sticky notes with pictures or graphics, synonyms, antonyms, or related words. Then, student partners walk along the wall to quiz each other on the words (Graves & Watts-Taffe,2008).

Use the Word Wall one or more times a week. You’ll help your students make connections between new and known words.

Since this is an ongoing activity during the whole year, you can keep observational notes of those students who are posting, and responding to their words and those who are not adding words to the wall.

This will help you better understand what your students need to expand their vocabulary.

2. Word Box

Word Box is one of the strategies for teaching vocabulary. This is a weekly strategy that can help students retain and use words more effectively.

Students select words to submit to the word box on Friday. These are words they find interesting or ones they want to understand better. They either use the word in their own sentence or take the same sentence where this word was found.

Then, select five words to teach the following week.

Monday : Introduce the five words in context, explain them, and then tack them to the Word Wall. Tuesday : Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation of the words. Wednesday : Discuss the meaning of the words allowing think-pair-shares. Thursday : Ask students to write sentences using those words. Friday: This is the day to assess students’ learning of the five words using this activity.

Ask one student to answer fill-ins for five words. Give students three cards that can hold up: green cards show they agree with the student’s answer, yellow they are unsure, and red ones they disagree.

For assessing, use a checklist with the vocabulary running horizontally across the top margin and the class list running vertically down the side. (Adapted from Grant et al., 2015, p.195)

3. Vocabulary notebooks

Ask your students to maintain vocabulary notebooks throughout the year where they write the meaning of the new words.

You can introduce a new word each week and work together with students to explore its meaning. Then, ask them to sketch a picture to illustrate the word and present their drawings to the class at the end of the week.

Another way to use vocabulary notebooks :

Students create a chart. The first column indicates the word, where it was found, and the sample sentence in which it appeared.

The other columns depend on your students’ needs.

You can include a column for meaning ( where students define the word or add a synonym), for word parts and related word forms (where they identify the parts and list any other words related to it), a picture, other occurrences (if they have seen or heard this word before, they describe where) and for practice or how they used this word. (Lubliner, 2005)

4. Semantic mapping

These are maps or webs of words that can help visually display the meaning-based connections between a word or phrase and a set of related words or concepts.

Teach your students how to use semantic mapping . Pick a word you intend to explain, draw a map or web on the board ( or on Zoom whiteboard or any digital tool in case you’re teaching online), and put this word in the centre of the map. Then, ask students to add related words or phrases similar in meaning to the new word. (see the example below)

Source:weebly.com

5. word cards.

Word cards can help students review frequently learned words and improve retention.

On one side of the card, students write the target word and its part of speech (whether it’s a verb, noun, adjective, etc.).

On the top half of the other side, they write the word’s definition (in English and/ or a translation). They also write an example and a description of its pronunciation. The bottom half of the card can be used for additional notes once they start using the word.

Ask students to add more information about the word each time they practise or observe it (sentences, collocations, etc.).

Yet, advise them not to add too much information to facilitate reviewing the cards.

Devote regularly class time for students to bring their word cards to class. Involve them in activities such as describing the new words, quizzing one another, and categorizing them according to subject or part of speech.

Also, show your students how to store and organize those cards. This is, for instance, by putting them into a box with the categories they select or ordering them in terms of difficulty. (Schmitt & Schmitt, 2005)

6. Word learning strategies

Our students often have only partial knowledge of the words they learn in the classroom. This is so since a word can have different meanings that they may not be familiar with.

Therefore, teaching students word-learning strategies is important to help them become independent word learners. This is by teaching, modelling, and providing a variety of strategies that serve different purposes.

Here are some examples of word-learning strategies.

a) Using word parts

Breaking words into meaningful parts facilitates decoding. So, studying words’ parts can help students guess the meaning of new words from context.

There are three basic ways that word parts are combined in English: prefixing, suffixing, and compounding.

Teach those parts. But, focus on the most occurrent ones.

Providing explanations about their use and meanings with illustrations is necessary. Yet, it is still not enough.

You need to provide opportunities for students to experiment with word-building skills.

For instance, you can hand out a list of productive prefixes and have students compile a list of words using them. Then, ask them to compare the function of the prefixes in the various examples.

However, consider your students’ level since word parts are more useful to students with larger vocabularies. For instance, a student who doesn’t know the meaning of the adjective content cannot guess the word discontent.

Remember also that learning word parts is an ongoing process. So, encourage your students to continue experimenting with them. (Zimmerman, 2009a)

b) Asking questions about word

Knowing a word means knowing about its many aspects: its meaning(s), collocations, grammatical function, derivations, and register.

So, you can encourage your students to explore a new word’s meaning(s) by asking them to address detailed questions about those features and answer them.

Students will ask questions like these : • Are there certain words that often occur before or after the word ? (collocation) • Are there any grammatical patterns that occur with the word ? (grammar). • Are there any familiar roots or affixes for this word ? (word parts) • Is the word used by both men and women? ( register /appropriateness) • Is the word used in both speaking and writing? (register/appropriateness) • Could it be used to refer to people? Animals?Things? (meaning) • Does it have any positive or negative connotations? (meaning) (Zimmerman,2009a)

c) Reflecting

When students learn new words it does not necessarily mean they’ll use them. Students may avoid using words in writing because they are unsure of the spelling. When they speak, they may not be willing to use certain words as they roughly understand them in context.

Encouraging students to self-assess their knowledge of each new word they learn can help them focus on areas needing practices. Here is an example of a self-assessment scale students can use.

Teaching vocabulary: Self-assessment scale

Besides these 6 engaging strategies for teaching vocabulary, here are some essential tips to follow while using them :

1.  Identify the potential list of words to be taught. Keep the number of words to a minimum (three to five words in one lesson) to ensure there is ample time for in-depth vocabulary instruction. Yet enough time for students to practice them.

2.  Expose students to multiple contexts in which the new words can be used. This will support them to develop a deeper understanding of these words and how they’re used flexibly.

You can do so by giving students frequent opportunities to hear the meaning of the words, read content where these words are included, and also use them in speaking and writing.

Remember that there are four types of vocabulary:

  • Listening vocabulary includes the words students hear and understand.
  • Speaking vocabulary is made up of the words we speak.
  • Reading vocabulary includes the words we comprehend when we read.
  • Written vocabulary is composed of the words we use in our writing. (Reutzel & Cooter, 2013)

3.  Encourage extensive reading because this gives students repeated or multiple exposures to words and is also one of the means by which students see vocabulary in rich contexts.

Grant, K..B., Golden, S.E., & Wilson, N.S.(2015). Literacy Assessment and Instructional Strategies: Connecting to the Common Core . USA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Graves, M.F., & Watts-Taffe, S.M. (2002). The place of word consciousness in a research-based vocabulary program. In A.E. Farstrup 1 S.J.Samuels (Eds.), what research has to say about reading instruction (3rd ed., pp.140-165). Netwark, DE: International Reading Association.

Graves, M.F., & Watts-Taffe, S.M. (2008). For the love of words: Fostering word consciousness in young readers. The Reading Teacher , 62 (3), 185-193.

Hulstijn, J. & Laufer,B.(2001). Some empirical evidence for the involvement load hypothesis in vocabulary acquisition. Language Learning 51/3:539-58.

Lubliner, SH.(2005). Getting into Words: Vocabulary Instruction That Strengthens Comprehension . Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing.

Reutzel, D.R., & Cooter, R.B.(2013). The Essentials of Teaching Children to Read: The Teacher Makes the Difference (3 rd ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Schmitt, D., & Schmitt,N.(2005). Focus on Vocabulary . New York: Longman.

Zimmerman, Cheryl. B.(2009a). Word Knowledge: A vocabulary teacher’s handbook. New York: Oxford University Press.

Zimmerman, Cheryl. B.(2009b).(ed.). Inside Reading: The Academic Word List in Context. Four Levels. New York: Oxford University Press.

Share this story

Previous posts.

teaching vocabulary methodology

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

4 time management tips for teachers.

How often have you run out of time in your lesson and felt upset as you couldn’t accomplish your plan? Whether it’s the ringing of the bell or students telling you  ‘it’s time !’, we all have experienced those moments and felt the need to use more effective time management tips. Time management refers to the process of organizing and planning the amount of time you have to teach your classes and achieve your goals.

teaching vocabulary methodology

TEACHING STRATEGIES

How to use bloom’s taxonomy in teaching.

Bloom’s taxonomy is one of the most recognized learning theories in the field of education. This hierarchical classification of the different levels of thinking is widely used by educators to encourage higher-order thought in their students. Besides understanding the different levels of cognition suggested by this taxonomy, it is important to apply it more effectively in teaching. In this post, we are suggesting 4 ways to use Bloom’s taxonomy in teaching.

teaching vocabulary methodology

8 Engaging Reading Comprehension Strategies

Reading is a dynamic process where familiarity with print, attention to graphics, prior knowledge, degree of interest and many other factors interact. Constructing meaning is an essential component of such a process. Because what sets ‘good’ readers apart from striving readers is their ability to move from decoding to comprehension. So, what are the reading comprehension strategies that enable students to engage with the text and make sense of it?

Leave your reply.

'  data-srcset=

Thank you for sharing these strategies! I love the idea of the word wall and word box. There is an element of surprise about what word they will learn and also remember it.

'  data-srcset=

I am glad you found those strategies for teaching vocabulary helpful. Thank you for your feedback.

© [2024] · EduLearn2Change.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Type and press Enter to search

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

FluentU Logo

How to Teach Vocabulary to ESL Students: 5 Teaching Methods (and Activities) that Work Amazingly Well

Vocabulary is the heart of any language, so teaching it well is important.

So why not teach vocabulary the way you learned it as a child? That’s what I’ve started doing and it’s been working super well.

Native speakers learn new words in their youth in context and by immediately  using them in a practical way .

By teaching vocabulary words with visual stimuli, in the context of other words, in word clusters and spoken out loud, and by choosing practical words that students actually need to know, you’ll get new vocabulary words to stick in your students’ minds.

Let your ESL students blossom into confident English speakers using a volume of new words with these five effective vocabulary teaching methods, each with their own set of corresponding activities.

1. Present Words with Visual Stimuli

How to teach esl vocabulary with visual stimuli:, 2. attach context to vocabulary, how to teach esl vocabulary with context:, 3. build confidence with word clusters, how to teach esl vocabulary with word clusters:, 4. keep new words practical, how to teach esl vocabulary with practical exercises:, 5. let your students’ voices be heard, how to teach esl vocabulary out loud:.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Visual learning has long been a staple of learning .

From the time we’re kids and throughout our entire academic careers, visual learning plays a big role. Presenting new words using visual stimuli is also a great way to step away from more humdrum methods (like those vocab lists) and spice up the classroom.

One way I recruit visuals to join this battle is by using flashcards. Of course, this is a classic teaching and learning method. However, there are plenty of ways to make them into a new, exciting and visual activity.

For example, you won’t simply have your students write the new words and their meanings on flashcards— boring!  Rather, you’ll let them build a visual experience that will support comprehension. We’ll show you how to take this even further in the teaching method outlined below.

I had to suggest a top method for how to teach vocabulary to ESL students, this would be it.

  • First, compile a healthy stack of magazines. The material should be appropriate to your students’ ages.
  • Grab stacks of flashcards, glue sticks and scissors. Hopefully you have some of this stuff lying around already. Make a few flashcards yourself. Pick a new vocabulary word and cut out pics from magazines that represent it. These homemade illustrated flashcards will serve as examples for your students.
  • It’s class time. Present a few new words to your class, discussing the definition and usage of each.
  • Show examples of your creative flashcards and let them loose in groups to develop their own using the words you presented at the beginning of the activity. The groups will support communication, a great ESL sub-skill.
  • Once your ESL students have developed their flashcard masterpieces, it’s time to present. Each student will explain their new word, definition and the photos they chose for that specific word. This creates a lasting visual memory, boosting comprehension when opportunities for practical use come knocking.

Attaching context to the vocabulary you present to your students will connect them with those new words in a more meaningful way. It’s how I remember students’ names, so I know the method works well.

Many English teachers place the most emphasis on this vocabulary teaching method due to its efficacy.

There are a few strategies based on teaching with context. For one, you can group words together using context. You’ll want to show how vocabulary words work together in sentences and paragraphs. You’ll want to present words to students with a complete story or a video clip that utilizes all of it.

By teaching vocabulary to ESL students this way, you’re much more likely to get students to remember key words.

  • Find a subject first. The chosen subject will put everything else in place. For this sample activity, we’ll use the weather as the subject. After all, the weather will sooner or later be a talking point for your students outside of the classroom. Find a weather broadcast from a news channel website or YouTube.
  • Pick five to seven new words you’ll focus on from the weather video. Transcribe how they were used in the video and write down their definitions for your lesson plan material .
  • Present the vocabulary in context to your class. Show them the video. Then present the new words, their definitions and transcriptions. Have a little discussion and answer questions as needed before moving on.
  • Show the weather broadcast video again, but this time have your students raise their hands every time they hear the new target words. You can do this two or three times.
  • Once you have etched the new words into your students’ minds with context, it’s time for contextual action. Break up your eager students into small groups of three or four, then unleash them to develop their own weather scripts using their freshly presented vocabulary. They can work together in their peer groups and simply modify the transcriptions from the video, or they could even create totally new and compelling scripts of their own.
  • Have the groups present their scripts in front of the class in order to build confidence and have them learn that vocabulary once and for all.

Another exceptional and effective way to keep building vocabulary comprehension is to deploy word clusters in the classroom. I’ve seen from personal experience that students tend to enjoy relating words to other words and this approach often leads to new areas that I hadn’t even planned on.

They also allow you to check in on your students’ comprehension levels quite easily. They could be a bit boring if you simply give your class a worksheet of word clusters to decipher—but you don’t want to be the boring English teacher , now do you?

Word clusters basically map out relationships between words (see here) . Students will need to identify which words are closely related and draw it all out.

You may also want to consider using Visual Thesaurus for examples for this activity as well as further activities and learning possibilities. Visual Thesaurus is exactly what it sounds like, a thesaurus that uses word maps to display the relationships between words. Because of its interactive, engaging nature, students may end up using it not just to find the “right” word, but to add new words to their vocabulary without even realizing it!

  • There’s nothing wrong with a little competition, so pair up your students  for this vocabulary building activity. Each pair will be competing for points and cluster champ bragging rights.
  • Browse your previous vocabulary lesson plans in order to find the target words you’ll use for this activity. You’ll want to have lots of descriptive words that are synonyms and antonyms to one another, if possible. Let’s say you decide to utilize the five to seven words you presented in context during the weather-related vocabulary building activity. These words will be the centerpieces for your students’ word clusters.
  • In order to warm your class up a bit, recap the words you’ll be building clusters for. This could be a simple classroom discussion after you present the words again, or you can let the class watch the weather broadcast again and point out the new words.
  • Once the warm-up is complete, let the cluster creation begin. Each student pair will have a blank sheet of paper or you can provide them with a blank template . You’ll say and write the first cluster word, and they’ll write the word in the center of their blank paper.
  • Start the timer. Your students must attempt to get as many words linked via lines to the core word as possible before time runs out. Five minutes is generally a good amount of time per word.
  • Once time is up, your pairs will present the words they have clustered. They get a point for each word, and another point if the word is spelled correctly.
  • You’ll repeat and answer questions as they arise during the activity. Ensure that you’re encouraging communication and collaboration between your students. The classroom should be nowhere near quiet during this activity.

Keeping new words practical will let students know exactly how to use them when they need them the most.

In fact, building ESL skills through practical use is essential to language growth. Plus, it adds excitement to any activity. You can mold your students’ communication skills faster while building quicker response times in a practical setting.

This could prove valuable to ESL students abroad or during English testing. Improvisational activities in the classroom are effective for presenting and learning vocabulary in a practical way.

This is my secret weapon when it comes to how to teach vocabulary to ESL students.

  • First, you’ll need to identify five to seven new words to present to your class. Sticking with the practical use theme, it’s a best practice to use vocabulary associated with the time of year or an event currently happening, for example.
  • If a big sporting event is taking place or is about to take place soon, you can utilize it for your practical vocabulary building activity. The Olympics is a fantastic example. You can build plenty of vocabulary using the Olympics as your subject.
  • Choose five to seven words associated with the Olympics. This can be a specific event or a concept like teamwork that’s involved in the happenings of the world-renowned athletic event. Let’s say you want to focus on track and field. You could introduce words related such as marathon, sprinting, high jump, time, teammate and competition, among others.
  • After presenting the new Olympic track and field vocabulary, pair up your students. You’ll give them roles. Student A will be a sprinter and student B will be a marathon runner. You can give them opening lines or a scenario to get them started, but then let them converse naturally after.
  • The use of the new vocabulary in such a practical manner will drive them to think fast by answering questions or coming up with questions to ask. For example, Student A the sprinter placed first in his run, and Student B the marathoner is congratulating his teammate. This will allow your students to develop their vocabulary, confidence and thought processes. And it’s fun to get some improv acting going in any classroom, for you and your students.

Your students want to build vocabulary and they want to be heard.

So, let them do both  with an out-loud activity that will boost their confidence, communication and comprehension. Having your students practice their new vocabulary out loud will also help develop proper pronunciation of their new words. Hearing them use the new words you presented will allow you to make on-the-spot pronunciation fixes while still building momentum within an activity.

You can combine this vocabulary teaching method with the Total Physical Response (TPR) method as well. You’ll be instructing students around the classroom, making the two-method combination an exceptional way to build ESL skills, English response time and language use confidence.

  • First, present the new words to your students in a fun way to set the mood for the rest of the lesson. For example, let’s say your subject is clothing. You can run around the classroom and define the clothing that you or your students are wearing in a loud, goofy way.
  • Once you have shown and presented the new words such as pants, shirt, shoes, etc., you can expand those new words on the spot. Choose the first student and instruct them to move toward another student. Then ask them to describe what that student is wearing. The correct answers would be pants, shirt and so on.
  • Next, you’ll ask the student what type of pants they’re wearing (for example, they might be jeans, slacks, sweatpants, corduroy). Then you’ll ask the color and so on. They’ll answer everything out loud and with a strong, confident voice, even if they’re wrong.
  • Correct pronunciation and any questionable answers on the spot, allowing your students to make real-time corrections.
  • The student who was just described will be the next student to describe a classmate, and so on. They’ll bop around the room with excitement, not even realizing how much they’re learning and comprehending as they go.

Now you’ve got an excellent assortment of ESL vocabulary teaching methods that can boost a variety of language skills.

So, don’t settle for just any old method. Focusing on vocabulary teaching methods that incorporate confidence-boosting activities that touch on other ESL skills is always a best practice.

Learning vocabulary is an ESL cornerstone and sets the tone for future growth.

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

teaching vocabulary methodology

Prestwick House

Top 3 Product Matches

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Retail Price: $9.95 Our Price: $7.46 or less

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Reproducible

Our Price: $19.95

Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Downloadable PDF File

Our Price: $14.95

  • Prestwick House Blog
  • Free Library
  • Teaching Guides
  • Grammar & Writing

4 Methods of Teaching Vocabulary

4 Methods of Teaching Vocabulary

  • by Alana Domingo

A well-developed vocabulary is essential for student success, both in the classroom and beyond. That’s why it’s so important to give students comprehensive vocabulary instruction at every stage of their academic journey.

However, like most areas in English language arts instruction, there’s no single best method for teaching vocabulary. Instead, successful vocabulary instruction blends indirect and direct teaching methods to help students build stronger language skills.

Read on to learn about four different vocabulary teaching strategies to work into your lesson plans!

1. Direct: Roots-based Vocabulary

Studying Latin and Greek roots is certainly an effective way for students to build better vocabularies. After all, over 60% of all English words contain Latin or Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. If your students understand a word’s etymology, they'll have a huge advantage when it comes to learning new words and deciphering word meanings on their own.

While it’s possible to structure your entire vocabulary curriculum around Latin and Greek roots, you don’t have to make any drastic changes to cover root study. Just as you can teach students a few vocabulary words each week, you can teach them a few roots, prefixes, and suffixes, focusing on commonly used ones like uni- , tele- , and -logy .

One fun way for students to study Latin and Greek roots is to have them construct and define their own words using a few roots, prefixes, and suffixes. It doesn't matter if the words your students create are "real" words. As long as students can attach a realistic definition to the words they build, they're on the right track. The more practice your students get with roots, prefixes, and suffixes, the more confident decoders they'll become, and students love activities in which they can show a little creativity.

Roots-based vocabulary learning is also beneficial for ESL students. Many languages, such as Spanish and French, include words that are based on Latin and Greek roots. For instance, both the English word primary and the Spanish word primero contain the Latin root prim-, which means “first.” By making direct connections between roots and words in their native language, ESL students can learn to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar English words.

2. Indirect: Vocabulary in Context

Although learning words in isolation may help students memorize vocabulary lists in the short term, using this method on its own probably won’t help students retain that word knowledge after test day.

Instead, try to teach vocabulary in context . Not only will this strategy help students determine word meanings from surrounding context clues, but it also invites them to actually think about what they’re reading and draw meaningful inferences from the text.

One quick way of developing larger vocabularies through reading is by helping your students learn to identify the following context clues:

  • Root words: A frog’s life cycle is complete when it metamorphoses into an adult.
  • Logic: Many frogs are carnivorous , eating only insects, fish, and small mammals.
  • Compare/Contrast: Unlike humans, a frog’s ears are internal , hidden by a layer of skin.
  • Definition: Aquatic frogs primarily live in the water.
  • Illustration: Some frogs inhabit terrestrial environments, including deserts, jungles, and mountains.

Whether you're writing your own examples or selecting specific passages to teach vocabulary , one thing is always important: You must make sure the selection you choose gives students enough context to determine the meaning of the word you're teaching.

3. Direct: Vocabulary from Literature

Want your students to remember the vocabulary words you're teaching them? Make new words an integral part of your literature curriculum. Teaching your students vocabulary words that come from the books they're reading for class is a great way to combine literary and vocabulary study .

Before starting a unit on a specific text, read through the book and identify potentially challenging words from each chapter or section. Then, you can build activities and exercises based on those words. The words you include in these activities will be familiar when your students encounter them in the text.

Another approach is to identify themes in the text you're teaching and create vocabulary word lists that relate to those ideas. This is a great way to bring in words not found in the text but that may be relevant—and vocabulary study needs to be relevant, or students simply won't store the words you teach in their long-term memories.

4. Direct: Domain-specific Vocabulary

Teaching domain-specific vocabulary is more important than ever, thanks to the emphasis placed on it in the Common Core State Standards .

Domain-specific words, sometimes called Tier 3 words , are technical terms or jargon relevant to a specific subject, such as tangent in mathematics, constitution in history, and explicate in language arts. Some Tier 3 words have multiple meanings—for example, aside from being a legal document, constitution can also refer to a person's state of health. But their domain-specific meanings are important to any student who needs to write about or discuss those words in context.

If your students read nonfiction or informational texts , they'll be sure to encounter domain-specific vocabulary words. Before your class begins reading, consider creating a list of the words your students should expect to encounter. You may want to have students attempt to define words in context using some of the previously mentioned strategies before turning to the dictionary, though some nonfiction texts make this task more difficult than others.

If you find yourself struggling to come up with domain-specific vocabulary terms, you can enlist your students to help. Have them discuss and analyze terms from other classes, like math or science, that they may have trouble understanding. Not only will exercises like these help strengthen vocabulary skills, they’ll also reinforce students’ knowledge in other areas of academia.

A Blended Program

Trying to implement multiple vocabulary teaching strategies into a single course can be tough, especially when you have so many other English language arts areas to cover.

That’s why we developed a digital program designed to strengthen students’ core vocabulary skills in just minutes a week. Vocabulary Power Plus Online takes a multifaceted approach to vocabulary instruction, combining short lessons and interactive exercises to maximize learning. If you’re interested in learning more about this exciting program, download our white paper !

Newsletter Signup

Information and Products

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Popular Searches
  • Payment Information
  • Grammar & Writing
  • More Resources
  • Order By Catalog Code

Customer Service

1.800.932.4593

Connect With Us

Copyright 2024 Prestwick House. All Rights Reserved.

Norton Shopping Guarantee

teaching vocabulary methodology

Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary: Theory and Technique

The theory and techniques for teaching vocabulary may not be as fun as the ideas that I’ll share in the next post or as perusing the books in the last post, yet this is the theory applicable to all ages and types of readers. It is the knowledge that will enable you to choose the right activities and strategies for your content and grade level.

PURPOSES FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY

In my experience, we teach vocabulary for a variety of reasons. It’s important to think about the vocabulary instruction in your teaching practice by considering why you are doing it. That will help you determine which theories and techniques you should use (or at least try).

Reasons include:

  • Improving reading comprehension in general.
  • Improving subject-specific mastery and performance.
  • Improving writing and speaking skills.
  • Test preparation (SAT, ACT, etc.).
  • Deepening students’ ability to put their thoughts into the most appropriate word possible.

These techniques and theories are in no particular order.

This post is Part 2 of a four-part series on teaching vocabulary. If you would like to check out the rest of the series, visit the posts below

  • Teaching Vocabulary: The books
  • Theories & Techniques that work (and don’t)  (this one)
  • 21 Activities for Teaching Vocabulary
  • Ideas for English Language Learners

EXPOSURE RATES MATTER

Students need to be exposed to the vocabulary over and over if they are to understand and use the words effortlessly. When stories or texts are repeated, students gain more word knowledge.

Research shows that students hearing stories more than once have a 12% gain over their peers who only heard the story one time when tested on the vocabulary in context.

Want to read the research? Look for the studies done by Biemiller and Boote (2006) and Coyne, Simmons, Kame`enui, and Stoolmiller (2004).

DEFINE THE WORDS WHILE YOU READ

It works better to share vocabulary in context, rather than just learning definitions. Giving students lists of words and having them look up the definitions is useless and ineffective. You’re shocked, aren’t you?

It’s also important to emphasize and practice pronunciation of new/unfamiliar words. Don’t assume that regular decoding skills will work with academic vocabulary. Practice saying the words.

Want to read the research? Look for the study done by Nash and Snowling (2006).

TIERED WORDS: VOCABULARY IN THE CORE

To decide whether or not a word from a story or lesson should be directly taught, consider:

  • Is it unfamiliar but able to be understood?
  • Is it necessary for comprehension?
  • Does it appear in other contexts?
  • Is it likely to show up again?

One particular model divides words into three categories, or tiers. This model was developed by Isabelle Beck in Bringing Words to Life .

  • Tier One words are the words of everyday speech usually learned in the early grades. These are not necessary to teach explicitly (except for in ELL acquisition).
  • Tier Two words are what the Common Core standards refer to as academic words . They are more to be read by students in texts that heard in conversations. They may be in informational or technical texts, or in literary works with sophisticated vocabulary. They often make language more precise (saying “wended their way” instead of “walked along,” for example). They are words that cross domains, so you may see them in a variety of disciplines.
  • Tier Three words are the domain-specific words that you would only see in relation to a specific content area. They are the ones you see bolded in textbooks and/or listed in the glossary.

You can watch a video about this at Engage NY .

(Note: The words that she mentions in the beginning of the video that you would see only in certain areas are Tier Three words.)

ASK QUESTIONS

Students learn the vocabulary best when teachers actually integrate questioning and discussion into lessons, rather than just defining them.

Here are some example questions:

  • What other words do you know that are similar to this word?
  • How can we use this word in [insert other thing you’ve studied]?
  • Do you recognize any of the parts of this word?
  • If I said that [insert another word here] is the same or similar as this word, would that be true?

Want to read the research? Look for the study by Ard and Beverly (2004).

THE FOUR COMPONENTS

Michael Graves  argues that there are four components of an effective vocabulary program:

  • Teach individual words: Teach new words explicitly, meaning on purpose. Make sure students understand the definition. Make sure the definitions are in student-friendly vocabulary. It doesn’t help you to understand a word if you don’t know the words in the definition, either. Show the word in a variety of contexts. Have students generate their own definitions. Have them engage with the words interactively, playing with them. Vary the methods so you’re not teaching the same way for every word.
  • Provide rich and varied language experiences : We need reading, listening, speaking, and writing experiences across multiple genres. Yes, there is math poetry. Read out loud to students. Encourage book clubs and reading challenges. The idea: create an environment saturated with words.
  • Teach word-learning strategies : Teach students how to infer word meaning from context clues. Teach students how to infer meaning from morpheme clues. Teach students how and when to use a dictionary and a thesaurus. We can’t assume that students know the strategies they need to make sense of words.
  • Foster word consciousness : Point out useful, beautiful, powerful, or painful lessons. Be playful with words.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

When testing students’ command of vocabulary, use a self-assessment that is non-judgmental, using prompts such as:

  • I have never seen or heard the word before.
  • I’ve seen or heard the word, but I don’t know what the word means.
  • I vaguely know the meaning.
  • I can associate the word with a concept or context.
  • I know the word well.
  • I can explain and use it in general or in writing.
  • I can explain and use it with a full and precise meaning.

EASE METHOD

  • Enunciate new words syllable-by-syllable and then blend the word.
  • Associate the word with definitions and examples that students already know.
  • Synthesize the words with other words and concepts that they have already studied and they have the opportunity to demonstrate deep knowledge of the new word.
  • Emphasize new words in classroom discussion.

SIX STEP MODEL OF VOCABULARY INTRODUCTION

  • Step one: The teacher explains a new word, going beyond reciting its definition (tap into prior knowledge of students, use imagery).
  • Step two: Students restate or explain the new word in their own words (verbally and/or in writing).
  • Step three: Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation of the word (a picture, or symbolic representation).
  • Step four: Students engage in activities to deepen their knowledge of the new word (compare words, classify terms, write their own analogies and metaphors).
  • Step five: Students discuss the new word (pair-share, elbow partners).
  • Step six: Students periodically play games to review new vocabulary (Pyramid, Jeopardy, Telephone).

DICTIONARIES

Use dictionaries to work with words that already somewhat familiar. It is not helpful to have students try to look up words they can’t spell.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

Kate Kinsella’s ideas of what doesn’t work include:

  • Incidental teaching of words 2. Asking, “Does anybody know what _____ means?” 3. Copying same word several times 4. Having students “look it up” in a typical dictionary 5. Copying from dictionary or glossary 6. Having students use the word in a sentence after #3,4, or 5 7. Activities that do not require deep processing (word searches, fill-in-the-blank) 8. Rote memorization without context 9. Telling students to “use context clues” as a first or only strategy or asking students to guess the meaning of the word 10. Passive reading as a primary strategy (SSR)

Watch a video of her teaching about vocab instruction and find related activities here .

IDEAS FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY

This article has focused on the theory of teaching vocabulary. Be sure to check out the third article in the series for loads of activities for teaching vocabulary in your classroom.

  • 21 Activities for Teaching Vocabulary (the one with loads of activities!!!)

THE ULTIMATE METHOD FOR TEACHING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

I think academic vocabulary is so important that I’ve spent decades perfecting a method of teaching it that works like a dream! It’s called the Concept Capsule method, and I’ve written an entire book about it.

Find out more here (and get a 50% discount for reading this article!).

teaching vocabulary methodology

Note: This content uses affiliate links, which means that if you order one of the things I recommend, I may geta a small commission.

  • Read more about: Excellent Teaching , Vocabulary

You might also like...

teaching vocabulary methodology

15 Fabulous Picture Books about Family

teaching vocabulary methodology

What are the Depth and Complexity Icons?

teaching vocabulary methodology

Using Haiku Poetry in the Classroom

teaching vocabulary methodology

Browse the Blog

Important links, free classroom coupons.

These super fun, editable student coupons let you recognize students with dozens of little (free) ideas for things they love.

© Gifted Guru

word magnets on background with text strategies for teaching vocabulary theory and practice

  • Prodigy Math
  • Prodigy English

From our blog

  • Is a Premium Membership Worth It?
  • Promote a Growth Mindset
  • Help Your Child Who's Struggling with Math
  • Parent's Guide to Prodigy
  • Assessments
  • Math Curriculum Coverage
  • English Curriculum Coverage
  • Game Portal

7 Creative Strategies To Improve Vocabulary Teaching

A teacher and student work together in the classroom on vocabulary strategies.

Written by Melanie Arden

Reviewed by Meredith Melvin, B.Ed.

Prodigy English is here! Get your students playing — and learning — today.

  • Teaching Strategies

How is vocabulary knowledge developed?

Effective vocabulary learning techniques, using word-learning strategies, additional vocabulary activities.

Vocabulary skills are critical to each student's academic achievement. In and out of the classroom, student success depends on grasping reading comprehension and English language development. Effective vocabulary strategies help you educate children as they learn new words. 

Developmental delays, reading difficulties and infrequent exposure to new words can cause setbacks in student progress. However, most teachers agree that passive learning isn't the best way to help students grow their vocabulary skills.

What teaching strategies should you use instead to streamline vocabulary instruction?

A young girl focuses on a vocabulary strategies worksheet.

Vocabulary is understanding how to use words in relation to their meaning . Developing new vocabulary involves more than just looking up words in a dictionary and using those words in sentences.

Students' vocabulary grows throughout their lifetime through direct and indirect learning.  You can adopt direct teaching methods such as:

  • Introducing specific word instruction geared toward increased comprehension and vocabulary.
  • Leading wordplay activities that build upon previously learned words.
  • Encouraging students to read often to boost their word knowledge and language development.
  • Using the dictionary to teach word meanings and asking students to use those words in sentences during class participation.
  • Utilizing Cognate Awareness (ELL) to teach kids similar words in English and other language s, such as Spanish. Cognates are two words in different languages that have similarities including spelling, meaning, and pronunciation.
  • Making speaking skills a priority when learning vocabulary.
  • Reading stories to your students . It helps them to question and learn specific words. Books that contain pictures may help reinforce the 'bigger' words for your students. 

Deepening vocabulary skills takes a lifetime. It’s vital that students understand how to learn new words so that they don't feel singled out if they're struggling to enhance their vocabulary.

A teacher and student work together on vocabulary activities in the classroom.

When teachers use word learning techniques and teaching strategies like dictionary use, morphemic analysis , cognate awareness and contextual analysis , students catch on quickly and can recall new words, synonyms and antonyms. Each of these components builds on their prior knowledge of other words to create their own vocabulary library.

Effective teaching strategies include various methods you can use in the classroom today:

  • Expose students to the same word many times to support learning
  • Give students the definition of the word and ask them to write that word in a sentence
  • Use graphic organizers to define new words
  • Teaching kids to be independent and learn how to correct their own errors — it's ok to make mistakes!
  • Bring technology into the classroom and use digital tools suited to teaching vocabulary.
  • Let students practice often

Simple and effective vocabulary strategies help your students build an impressive vocabulary. But we have more tactics to share with you!

Be sure to have a look at the comprehensive list of targeted strategies to help you teach vocabulary to your students.

1. Take a student's perspective

You understand what it's like to grow your own vocabulary — you’ve been doing it for many years! With your higher education and experience in reading and writing, there is much wisdom you can pass onto your students.

Adjust lesson plans to accommodate any problems that students encounter as they learn new words. Show them how to take a word they've never heard of before, sound it out and show its use in a sentence or two. They'll pick up on its meaning through the sentences.

One way to level-up this language technique is to take a culturally-responsive approach . And you can do this by framing new words in examples that are familiar to your students whether it's geographically, culturally or socio-economically, for example.

2. Try using a word wall

A word wall encourages kids to focus on learning new words. Word walls are easy to create! Simply type or handwrite a list of words in large letters and hang them up on a bulletin board or a wall where students can see it every day. Be sure to add new words throughout the year so that your students deepen their knowledge of unknown words and their meaning.

Invite your students to take part in creating a bigger wall and add pictures, synonyms and antonyms to each word. If they're having trouble grasping the meaning of specific words, adding synonyms can help ease confusion.

Word walls provide a fun way to increase your students' vocabulary skills.

3. Create vocabulary notebooks

A young boy sits in class and completes vocabulary activities in a workbook with a pencil.

Vocabulary notebooks encourage students to expand their prior knowledge and boost their English language proficiency. Hand out notebooks so that they can jot down new words and their meanings. You can motivate students to think about writing synonyms and antonyms beside each new word.

To make vocabulary notebooks more fun, ask your students to draw pictures or create charts to show how they used a word in a few sentences. It gives them an opportunity to practice that word a few times and reinforce its definition.

And speaking of opportunities, a perfect time for students to practice their language with vocabulary notebooks is during writing periods.

A regular cadence of writing periods coupled with their vocabulary notebooks will encourage students to reflect on the words they’ve learned and to actively use them in their writing to get additional practice.

These vocabulary word books remind students of their advancement. It'll help them realize just how much they've progressed throughout the year.

4. Connect word meanings with semantic mapping

Semantic mapping is a type of graphic organizer that displays a relationship between specific words and phrases.

Select one student to draw a keyword on the chalkboard. Next, encourage students to participate in creating the map and write words that are connected to the keyword. For example, a student or teacher could write the keyword "farm" on the chalkboard. Your students would take turns writing words such as cow, barn, horse, hay and farmer.

Semantic maps help build students' vocabulary and reading comprehension. Teachers can add more challenging words each week. As students grow their vocabulary, they'll become confident in their reading and writing abilities.

5. Make word cards

Word cards help students to develop their ability to learn new words and highlight their meaning. There are a few ways you can get students to create their own word cards.

In this example, students can write single keywords on separate blank cards. They'll determine if that word is a noun, pronoun, adjective or verb. Make sure they write the definition below each word. Instruct them to use those words in a few sentences, or turn the word into a quick writing prompt .

Consider putting students into small groups of two to four kids. They can help each other to develop their vocabulary by introducing keywords to each other and asking them to use those words in a sentence.

Weekly word cards support English language development and enhance reading comprehension.   

6. Encourage reading comprehension

A teacher and student read a book to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledges in the classroom.

It's crucial to every student's academic success to develop reading comprehension abilities. A variety of teaching methods, combined with consistent reading assignments, should help build comprehension and vocabulary development. 

Below, you’ll find a few tips to help strengthen your students' reading comprehension skills:

  • Class discussion about books they're reading . Talking about books helps students to remember the stories and promotes comprehension.
  • Phonics. Practicing phonics is a fun way for kids to build their vocabulary skills. Phonics helps students master sounds and differentiate between letters that sound the same as "s" and "th".
  • Reading grade-appropriate books. Give your students books suited for their grade level. Books should be easy enough for kids to understand the story's meaning but challenging enough to expand their vocabulary.
  • Read aloud. Get students to take turns reading aloud to help them see words and to hear them, too. They can learn how to pronounce the words as they go. Be mindful of students who might find reading aloud in front of the whole class to be daunting. If any students come to mind, it can help them to read aloud to a partner, teacher, parent or small group.

7. Use visuals and situations

When possible, use meaningful visuals in your classroom. Flashcard tools like Vocabulary Cartoons help students connect words to fun cartoons through memory techniques. This program works well from the elementary grades through to high school.

Use the following visual vocabulary teaching strategies with your students:

  • If you've created a word wall, ask your students to make paper flashcards with new words and their definitions. Display the flashcards for the entire class to look at every day. Make sure you change the words each week so that they continuously learn new words and phrases.
  • Turn your students into word detectives ! This fun activity gets kids to read books while searching for keywords. Hand them a list of keywords to find in the book. When they find the keywords used in sentences, encourage them to use those words in spoken and written sentences.
  • Kids love art, so why not get them to create drawings to express their understanding of words? Students can form their own connections to new words through drawings, patterns, and other examples.    

Make new words fun to learn! Combine visuals such as graphics and photos with auditory learning to cover a range of learning styles and make it easier for students to learn new words.

Students use word-learning strategies while sitting at a group of desks in a brightly-lit classroom.

Word-learning strategies allow students to familiarize themselves with words and phrases. Instead of having partial knowledge, they'll learn the meaning of the word and any related words. Students can develop word consciousness with the help of quality reading materials and practical teaching methods.  

Break down words into meaningful parts

Word parts are root words you can add a prefix or suffix to make a new word.

Allowing students to read keywords and add prefixes or suffixes helps them garner the meaning of those words based on how it's used in a sentence. Give your students opportunities to guess the meaning of word parts to support their vocabulary growth.

Word parts work best for students with a larger vocabulary.

Ask questions about a word

One way for students to learn words involves understanding the definition, how it works grammatically and its subtext. Motivate your students to ask questions such as:

  • Does the word have a masculine or feminine version similar to other languages?
  • How can I use the word in more than one sentence?
  • Does the word have several meanings? Homonyms such as "pen" can mean an instrument to write with, or an animal enclosure.   

When students deepen their word knowledge, they'll gain confidence in their ability to strengthen their vocabulary.

Reflect and practice new words

Some words are easier to learn than others. Inspire your students to test their word knowledge and determine areas where they need help. They might require assistance in boosting their confidence to use those words in sentences or to speak them with confidence. Also consider that they may not fully understand the meaning of those words.

Encourage your students to reflect regularly on new words and use them in their everyday conversations. This is where vocabulary notebooks come in handy to build word knowledge!

A young student, working at a table filled with other students, works on a vocabulary activities worksheet.

Bring words to life through vocabulary development activities! There are lots of fun things you can do in the classroom that encourage students to practice vocabulary.

Try these activities to boost kids' vocabulary skills:

  • Guided word sorting . Give your students a list of words to sort into various categories, such as parts of speech (noun, verb, etc.), geography (cities, towns), or something they can relate to. Students develop an understanding of new words as they group them into categories. Turn word sorting into a fun game!
  • Word fixes (on-purpose errors). Use a word incorrectly in a sentence and ask your students to correct the mistake. Choose one or more students to write the word correctly in a sentence and share it with the rest of the class.
  • Make mind maps. Mind mapping involves the use of colored pencils and pens to create a graphic of how the keyword connects to other words, similar to the semantic map.

With these fun activities, vocabulary isn’t just another spelling quiz — it’s a core part of your instruction that supports everything else you teach.

Prodigy English is a brand-new adventure that helps students master key vocabulary skills in a world of their very own.

Every correct answer gives students more energy they can use to gather resources, craft items and build their very own village! Create your free Prodigy teacher account to track student progress, send assignments and help build a love of learning.

A Cambium Company

Mastering Words: Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

Voyager Sopris Learning Icon

New words are added to the dictionary every year, causing English to be a constantly growing language. While it is always evolving, it also has a solid foundation that—if taught effectively—can help learners approach new words with confidence and ease. Whether young children are learning simple, everyday words or young adults are experiencing the nuances of Shakespearean prose for the first time, both ends of the learning spectrum require effective vocabulary instruction . 

Vocabulary instruction is one of the best ways teachers can help students develop language and communication. Academic vocabulary and the strategies teachers use to teach it consistently also have the ability to translate into lifelong learning and skills. This post dives into various strategies for educators to teach vocabulary effectively. Many of these strategies can be implemented with preschool-aged students and continue to be developed and strengthened throughout the rest of their school years. 

The Significance of Vocabulary

A strong vocabulary foundation is essential for academic success because it enables students to express themselves clearly in written and oral communication. A robust vocabulary also empowers students to comprehend texts, instructions, and math problems more effectively, serving as a catalyst for improved academic performance. In intervention programs, targeted vocabulary instruction plays a pivotal role in bridging learning gaps for students facing language challenges. By focusing on vocabulary development, educators can help these students overcome language barriers, enhance their comprehension, and communicate ideas more effectively, fostering a deeper engagement with academic content.

The Components of Reading Vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of the five essential components of effective reading instruction, alongside phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Each of these elements then has its own subset of important components. Here’s a closer look at the subset components of vocabulary:

Decoding Skills  

Before students can begin to understand the meanings and complexities of words, they must first learn the concept of decoding skills in reading . This involves students learning the importance of grapheme-phoneme relationships within words to break down a word into its basic parts. Strong decoding skills allow students to not only break down individual vocabulary words, but also build a foundation for decoding larger words, phrases, and texts. 

Sight Words

Sight words are recurring words students are typically taught to recognize quickly by sight. The idea is that the more comfortable students become with sight words, the more fluent their reading becomes. However, teaching sight words through memorization alone is not the best method. While some students can easily learn a list of high-frequency words, others will need more structure and strategies to help them understand the word. The science of reading offers a full body of research focused on the cognitive science and psychology behind how students learn to read. This research shows that teaching sight words in conjunction with phonics instruction will allow students to better learn spelling rules and patterns—even those that are more challenging to sound out. For example, “and,” “the,” and “of” are some of the top-ranking high-frequency words on the Fry Word List , making them a popular choice for beginning sight words. Of these, the /th/ in “the” and the /v/ sound in “of” can be challenging for students in the beginning. Therefore, teachers may lean toward teaching simple recognition of the words and gloss over the phonetic lesson as well. Teachers can infuse phonics instruction and sight word vocabulary to reinforce high-frequency vocabulary students will see in every text they experience.

Vocabulary Knowledge  

Once students become more skilled at decoding words and feel more comfortable with high-frequency words, they can explore the meaning of the words as well. Vocabulary knowledge refers to a more well-rounded knowledge of the word in addition to the construction and definition of the word, which is important for reading comprehension because it allows students to go beyond a dictionary definition and learn how to utilize it in a proper context. Having a strong word knowledge of prefixes and suffixes can also help in defining vocabulary with similarities. Likewise, vocabulary knowledge for older students may include knowing concepts such as synonyms and antonyms as well. One key way to increase vocabulary knowledge is to read more diverse texts. 

Contextual Clues

Contextual clues also play a key role in vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension. Students will not always have access to dictionaries or definitions when they come into contact with new and unknown words. Therefore, teachers should encourage students to use context to decipher unfamiliar words. Sometimes these context clues are other words or phrases in the text they are familiar with, images accompanying the text, or prior knowledge of similar words. One of the best strategies for teaching this is modeling the behavior for students. For example, as students are reading a text, teachers can pause the reading when new words arise and point out contextual clues to show them how to think through new vocabulary. 

Comprehension Strategies

Vocabulary comprehension strategies extend beyond just word-level understanding. To truly comprehend what they are reading, students must be able to push past the definitions and dive deeper into word consciousness. When a student is word conscious,  they are aware of many of the intricacies and uses of the word. This then deepens a student’s comprehension of what they are reading. Some comprehension strategies for building word knowledge and word consciousness often include predicting, summarizing, questioning, and connecting.

Common Challenges and Solutions in Vocabulary Instruction

Teachers will, unfortunately—but not surprisingly—encounter challenges when teaching vocabulary. These hurdles, although commonplace in educational settings, can become more intricate and demanding in specialized reading interventions for students struggling to read . Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward addressing them effectively. Some of the common challenges include diverse learning needs, limited time and resources, engagement, and retention issues. 

Diverse Learning Needs

Intervention programs often cater to students with diverse learning needs, including those with learning disabilities or English as a second language. By implementing differentiated instruction, teachers can adapt vocabulary lessons to meet the specific needs of different student groups. Tailoring interventions, utilizing adaptive technology or resources, and employing formative assessments to measure progress offer avenues to overcome these challenges. This ensures more effective and inclusive vocabulary instruction for all learners.

Limited Time and Resources

Teachers are constantly feeling the constraints of limited time and resources, especially within intervention programs. Educators often have tight schedules and minimal additional resources. Efficient vocabulary teaching techniques can be integrated into existing programs without the need for extra time or resources. For example, a teacher could use robust vocabulary instruction and create a vocabulary-rich classroom as part of their instruction strategies for the classroom . This combination of a consistent, simple routine and an overall classroom culture of interacting with new words requires little time and resources. 

Engagement and Retention Issues

Students in intervention programs may struggle with engagement and retention of new vocabulary words. By incorporating interactive and game-based learning approaches,  vocabulary instruction can become more engaging and interactive. Providing contextual learning experiences and encouraging real-world application is one of the best strategies for both engagement and retention. If students can put their learning—such as their vocabulary—into an applicable context or a real-world situation, they are more likely to enjoy and remember what they are learning. Also, for retention, consistently reinforcing new vocabulary across subjects and settings helps strengthen vocabulary skills.

Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary Effectively

There are a variety of strategies for teaching vocabulary effectively. While different age groups and subject areas will have their own specific strategies, there are several universally effective methods that can be used with preschool-age students and high school students alike. These strategies are also highly effective within intervention settings.

Contextual Learning

By presenting words within meaningful contexts, students can grasp the definition but also the nuances of usage, which aids in memory retention. Contextual learning, in terms of vocabulary acquisition, can look like focusing on sentences, short passages, descriptive stories, or even vivid images. For instance, when teaching a new vocabulary word, providing sentences or short passages where the word is used in context will give students an example of the word being used in the correct context. Likewise, using descriptive stories or visual aids to correspond with new vocabulary can help students create mental images or associations for new words. Contextual learning also allows students to understand how words function in different scenarios, fostering a more comprehensive and practical understanding of language.

Visual Aids and Mnemonics

Visual aids and mnemonic devices play key roles in making vocabulary memorable. This is because visually stimulating materials can reinforce vocabulary. This could include flashcards with images, cartoons, concept maps, or charts. These can be prepared by teachers and serve as a creative activity for students. For example, the Frayer Model is a graphic organizer used to help students explore multiple aspects of a word. This model specifically breaks down words into definitions, characteristics, examples, and non-examples. Other graphic organizers or flashcards may include images or art, either provided or student-created, which appeals to many visual learners. Mnemonic techniques, such as acronyms, rhymes, or memory hooks, also add an element of mental imagery that can help with memorization or retention of words.

Word Games and Interactive Activities

Incorporating games and interactive activities into the teaching process holds immense value beyond participation. Simple word games and interactive learning exercises are dynamic and effective. These techniques not only make the process of vocabulary acquisition enjoyable but also significantly impact vocabulary retention. One of its key advantages lies in its capacity to cater to diverse learning styles, particularly kinesthetic learners. By involving physical movement, tactile experiences, and hands-on learning, interactive activities resonate strongly and facilitate a deeper understanding and memorization of new words.

Vocabulary Journals and Flashcards

Journals and flashcards have always played a significant role in traditional education. There are many benefits of using vocabulary journals for exploration and flashcards as tools for reinforcement. Whether digital or tangible, students can easily set up and maintain vocabulary journals and record new words they encounter while they’re reading, researching, or defining them. Likewise, students can use physical notecards or digital options to create a quick-and-easy study tool for new vocabulary.  

Tailoring Strategies to Individual Needs

It is important to adapt these strategies to cater to individual student needs and abilities. Educators can modify strategies based on factors like age, learning disabilities, or language proficiency levels. These may include:

Preschoolers (Ages 3-5): Use tactile activities and visual aids like flashcards with large, colorful images to introduce basic vocabulary. For instance, materials like playdough, textured cards, or sensory bins can be used to introduce new words. These activities enable children to touch, manipulate, and explore objects associated with vocabulary words, providing a more tangible and memorable understanding. Also, colorful and stimulating visual aids serve as powerful tools by associating images directly with new words. The combination of tactile engagement and visual aids sparks curiosity, fosters exploration, and solidifies the connections between the words and their visual representations. The Voyager Sopris Learning ® program Good Talking Words ® uses some of these methods to teach students vocabulary related to feelings and behavior as they develop effective social communication skills. 

Elementary Students (Ages 6-11): Encourage word games and small-group activities to foster peer interaction. Voyager Passport ® is a research-proven intervention solution for students in grades K–5. Through explicit, systematic instruction, Voyager Passport delivers daily small-group intervention in the five essential components of reading, plus language and writing.

Middle and High School (Ages 12-18): Assign projects that require students to use new words in writing or presentations. Two Voyager Sopris Learning interventions, REWARDS ® and LANGUAGE! Live ® , offer strategies and interventions for the individual needs of students, ages 12 to 18. REWARDS is an explicit, short-term reading intervention that aims to increase student success in content-area classes, especially where advanced reading skills are needed to understand concepts and context. LANGUAGE! Live is an intensive literacy intervention for adolescents that uses real-world, age-appropriate texts to encourage thoughtful exploration as well as optional writing projects for students to collaborate and practice researching, speaking, listening, and presenting.

Encouraging a Lifelong Love for Words

One of the bigger-picture goals of vocabulary instruction is to foster a lifelong love for words, vocabulary, and language in students of all ages. Vocabulary instruction and intervention have the ability to turn adolescents into lifelong learners by showing them how to engage and interact with familiar and unfamiliar words each day. 

Cultivating a Positive Word Environment: It is important to create an environment where words are celebrated and valued. Educators can do this by infusing enthusiasm for words into the classroom, such as having a word wall with the word’s definition and word’s meaning.

Promoting Reading as a Habit: The simple act of reading plays a significant role in developing vocabulary and a love for words. Frequent reading activities can increase fluency and overall language development. Teachers can and should advocate for regular reading sessions within intervention programs.

Word Explanation and Wordplay: There is value in word exploration and wordplay for expanding vocabulary and igniting curiosity about language. Organize word games and activities that promote wordplay, such as word puzzles or word associations.

Word-of-the-Week Challenges: Another fun strategy for encouraging a lifelong love for words is hosting a “Word-of-the-Week” challenge to keep students engaged with new vocabulary. Students can be encouraged to use the word in their conversations, writing assignments, or presentations.

Vocabulary Enrichment Opportunities: Exposing students to diverse vocabulary sources is a great way to teach healthy habits for vocabulary activities they can take with them into adulthood. Some of these may include activities like crossword puzzles, Scrabble, or word-a-day apps students can enjoy independently—in the classroom and in the future. 

Passion for words goes beyond immediate academic needs, which is why Voyager Sopris Learning is committed to holistic learning. Lifelong learners and lovers of words can be cultivated in the classroom from a very early age. With effective vocabulary instruction, teachers can make unfamiliar words and challenging texts something students don’t have to fear or dread. With the right strategies and resources, teaching vocabulary can be an easy-and-effective way to enhance language development and help create a new generation of confident readers and writers. Voyager Sopris Learning is committed to creating intervention solutions to support educators and all they do for their learners.

Good Talking Words

(Grades PreK–1)

Voyager Passport

Research-Based Reading Intervention (Grades K–5)

REWARDS

Systematic Short-Term Literacy Intervention (Grades 4–12)

LANGUAGE! Live

Reinforce Literacy Foundations (Grades 5–12)

  • Classroom Activities/Strategies/Guides

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

B ecause vocabulary knowledge is critical to reading comprehension, it is important that those working with young readers help foster their development of a large “word bank” and effective vocabulary learning strategies. There are several effective explicit (intentional, planned instruction) and implicit (spontaneous instruction as a child comes to new words in a text) strategies that adults can employ with readers of any age.

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Pre-teaching Vocabulary Words

One of the most effective methods of helping children learn new vocabulary words is to teach unfamiliar words used in a text prior to the reading experience. Adults (either alone or with the child(ren)) should preview reading materials to determine which words are unfamiliar. Then these words should be defined and discussed. It is important for the adult to not only tell the child(ren) what the word means, but also to discuss its meaning. This allows the child(ren) to develop an understanding of the word’s connotations as well as its denotation. Also, discussion provides the adult with feedback about how well the child(ren) understands the word. After pre-teaching vocabulary words, the child(ren) should read the text.

Repeated Exposure to Words

It may seem common sense that the more times we are exposed to a word, the stronger our understanding becomes. However, repeated exposure to new vocabulary words is often ignored. Adults often forget a person (especially a child) needs to hear and use a word several times before it truly becomes a part of her vocabulary. Providing multiple opportunities to use a new word in its written and spoken form helps children solidify their understanding of it.

Keyword Method

Like pre-teaching, the keyword method occurs before a child reads a particular text. In this method, unfamiliar words are introduced prior to reading. However, rather than encouraging the child to remember a definition for a new word, the adult teaches him a “word clue” to help him understand it. This “word clue” or keyword might be a part of the definition, an illustrative example or an image that the reader connects to the word to make it easier to remember the meaning when reading it in context. The idea behind the keyword method is to create an easy cognitive link to the word’s meaning that the reader can access efficiently during a reading experience.

The word map is an excellent method for scaffolding a child’s vocabulary learning. Like the other explicit instructional methods, the adult (either alone or with the child(ren)) should preview reading materials to determine which words are unfamiliar. For each of these new vocabulary words the child (with the support of the adult) creates a graphic organizer for the word. At the top or center of the organizer is the vocabulary word. Branching off of the word are three categories: classification (what class or group does the word belong to), qualities (what is the word like) and examples. Using prior knowledge the child fills in each of these three categories. Word maps help readers develop complete understandings of words. This strategy is best used with children in grades 3-12.

Root Analysis

While root analysis is taught explicitly, the ultimate goal is for readers to use this strategy independently. Many of the words in the English language are derived from Latin or Greek roots. They either contain a “core” root (the primary component of the word) or use prefixes or suffixes that hold meaning. Adults should focus on teaching children the most commonly occurring roots, prefixes and suffixes. As each is taught examples of its use in common word should be shared and examined. The reader should see how the root helps her understand the word’s definition. Children should then be given practice analyzing words to determine their roots and definitions. When a reader is able to break down unfamiliar words into their prefixes, suffixes and roots they can begin to determine their meanings.

Restructuring Reading Materials

This strategy is particularly effective for helping struggling readers improve their vocabularies. Sometimes grade level materials are inaccessible to readers because there are too many unfamiliar words in them. Adults can restructure the materials in several different ways to help readers comprehend them more easily. A portion of the difficult words can be replaced with “easier” synonyms to help the reader understand the overall text. Vocabulary footnotes (definitions provided at the bottom of the page) can be added for particularly challenging words so that the reader can easily “look up” the word while still reading the text. An accompanying vocabulary guide can be provided for the text. Words that are included in the guide should be highlighted or printed in bold text to direct the reader to check the vocabulary guide if the word or its meaning is unfamiliar.

Implicit Vocabulary Instruction

Incidental Learning

Incidental vocabulary learning occurs all of the time when we read. Based on the way a word is used in a text we are able to determine its meaning. While you may not know what a specific word means, many times you can determine its meaning based on what the rest of the sentence focuses on.  Adults should model this sort of incidental vocabulary learning for children to help them develop their own skills.

Context Skills

Context skills are the strategies that a reader uses for incidental vocabulary learning. Texts are full of “clues” about the meanings of words. Other words in a sentence or paragraph, captions, illustrations and titles provide readers with information about the text that they can use to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. These features are often referred to as “context clues” because they are contained within the context of the piece of writing rather than outside it. Young readers should be taught to find and use context clues for learning new vocabulary words. Adult modeling and practice are key for helping children develop this important reading skill.

Your browser is not supported

Sorry but it looks as if your browser is out of date. To get the best experience using our site we recommend that you upgrade or switch browsers.

Find a solution

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation
  • Macmillan English
  • Onestopenglish
  • Digital Shop

teaching vocabulary methodology

  • Back to parent navigation item
  • Sample material
  • Amazing World of Animals
  • Amazing World of Food
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Mathematics
  • Transport and Communication
  • Teaching Tools
  • Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship
  • Support for Teaching Children
  • Vocabulary & Phonics
  • Spelling Bee Games
  • Phonics & Sounds
  • The Alphabet
  • Onestop Phonics: The Alphabet
  • Alphabet Booklet
  • Interactive Flashcards
  • Warmers & Fillers
  • Young Learner Games
  • Stories and Poems
  • Fillers & Pastimes
  • Fun Fillers
  • Ready for School!
  • Topics & Themes
  • Young Learner Topics
  • Young Learner Festivals
  • Festival Worksheets
  • Art and Architecture
  • Business and Tourism
  • Geography and the Environment
  • Information Technology
  • Science and Nature
  • Topic-based Listening Lessons
  • Cambridge English
  • Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET)
  • Cambridge English: First (FCE)
  • Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
  • Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
  • General English
  • News Lessons
  • Topics and Themes
  • Beyond (BrE)
  • Beyond: Arts and Media
  • Beyond: Knowledge
  • Go Beyond (AmE)
  • Go Beyond: Arts & Media
  • Go Beyond: Knowledge
  • Impressions
  • Macmillan Readers
  • A Time to Travel
  • Life & School
  • Skills for Problem Solving
  • Digital Skills for Teens
  • Support for Teaching Teenagers
  • Games Teaching Materials
  • Business and ESP
  • Business Lesson Plans
  • Business Skills Bank
  • Business Top Trumps
  • Elementary Business Lessons
  • Business News Lessons
  • ESP Lesson Plans
  • Career Readiness
  • Professional Communication Skills
  • Cambridge English: Business (BEC)
  • Everyday Life
  • Celebrations
  • Live from...
  • Live from London
  • Discussion Cards
  • Writing Lesson Plans
  • Life Skills
  • Support for Teaching Adults
  • Vocabulary Lesson Plans
  • Language for...
  • Vocabulary Teaching Materials
  • Macmillan Dictionary Blog
  • Vocabulary Infographics
  • Kahoot! Quizzes
  • Blog Articles
  • Professional Development
  • Lesson Share
  • Methodology: Projects and Activities
  • Methodology: Tips for Teachers
  • Methodology: The World of ELT
  • Advancing Learning
  • Online Teaching
  • More from navigation items

Vocabulary matters: Techniques for teaching and learning

By Adrian Tennant

We know how important vocabulary is in respect to learning a language, but how do we go about teaching and learning it? In this article we take a look at a number of techniques designed to help teach and learn vocabulary.

Introduction – teaching and learning

In the title of this article I have separated teaching and learning – why? Well, when it comes to vocabulary I think that some activities are designed for presenting and practising vocabulary, while other activities are designed to help students record and activate vocabulary. Of course, it’s not a clear divide and many activities cover both areas, but I do think it is an important distinction to make.

Therefore, I am going to divide this article into two broad sections: the first looking at different techniques and activities designed to teach vocabulary, both new and old (or familiar); and techniques and activities that focus on learning vocabulary. These later techniques and activities do need to be introduced (or taught) to the students, but once they have mastered them, they can be used independently of the teacher.

Techniques for teaching vocabulary

Introduction

In this section we’ll look at various techniques for presenting and, to a lesser degree, practising vocabulary. It is important to realize that a good teacher will not rely on just one of these techniques, but will use a combination. Different techniques are appropriate for different vocabulary items and also for different types of learner. As you read through the different techniques, try to think what words would be best taught using the technique and for which words the technique would probably not work very well.

Visuals and realia

One of the most effective ways of teaching vocabulary is to show students the word. Concrete words (mostly nouns) can usually be conveyed through pictures or realia (real objects). For example, a word like chair (as a noun) is quite easy to teach, by pointing to a chair or by showing a picture. Likewise, related words such as stool, armchair, sofa, deckchair, etc can be taught in a similar way and the distinction between each made relatively clear. Even some abstract words can often be conveyed using visuals – for example, a picture of a man and woman plus a heart could be used to convey the word love .

Mime and anecdotes

Visuals and realia are usually limited to concrete words and are probably ineffectual when it comes to more abstract notions and even some basic areas of vocabulary such as verbs, adverbs and adjectives. However, these three areas of vocabulary do lend themselves to mime and anecdotes.

It is relatively easy to mime words such as run and walk and even to differentiate between words that belong to the same group but have quite fundamental differences in meaning, e.g. run, walk, stroll, sprint, jog, wander, etc. It is also relatively easy to use mime to teach adverbs of manner, i.e. quickly, slowly, happily, etc. Getting students to mime various actions in a particular manner is great fun and a good way of making the adverbs memorable.

Another way of presenting vocabulary is to tell a short anecdote containing the new words. This gives the words a context and helps students understand not only the core meaning, but also how the words might be used. It’s also quite simple to recycle the words within an anecdote so that students hear the same word more than once. The more times students hear a word, the more likely they are to remember it. Repetition is quite natural in anecdotes and so does not seem out of place.

Eliciting and contexts

Eliciting words from students is an effective way of activating their memories. In a class of students it is quite possible that one or two may have come across the word before, even with low levels. It also helps you find out how much your students already know. There are a few different techniques for eliciting vocabulary, from drawing a quick picture on the board to giving an explanation or a short example of a situation.

It’s important to remember when you are eliciting (or explaining) vocabulary that the language you use is simpler than the language you are trying to elicit.

Giving the context for a word, just like embedding the word in an anecdote, helps students see how a particular item of vocabulary might be used. It also makes the word more memorable, helping students learn the item. Even if you are unable to elicit a word from your students, when you eventually tell them the word you were trying to elicit it is far more likely that they will remember it and its meaning.

Using synonyms and antonyms

A technique often used by teachers, especially at low levels, is to explain words by using a synonym or antonym. In many respects this is a flawed idea. Firstly, because many of the words will be of a similar level and, if a student doesn’t know one, then they won’t know the other, i.e. if a teacher wants to elicit black and they say it’s the opposite of white then this is unlikely to be helpful as the students probably don’t know white . Secondly, it can be very misleading as very few words have a direct antonym. For example, what’s the opposite of old ? Is it new or young ? Both, but then that becomes confusing. Thirdly, many words have more than one antonym or synonym all with similar meanings, so which do you use? For example, the opposite of happy  could be  sad  or unhappy , it often depends on the context.

Having said this, using antonyms and synonyms to help elicit words can sometimes be useful, as long as it’s thought through carefully. Synonyms and antonyms can also be extremely useful as a framework for recording and remembering vocabulary (we’ll look more at this in the section on learning vocabulary).

Translation

Translation is another technique that has pros and cons. Many teachers and teacher trainers see translation as a bad thing. They seem to feel that translation will in some way prevent the student from ever becoming proficient in the target language. This is quite obviously not true. There are many cases of learners becoming quite good in a language despite relying heavily on translation. In some instances translation is clearly advantageous. Where a group of students share the same mother tongue (and in particular where the teacher does too) it makes sense to make use of this facility from time to time. In fact, translation can often save time and help with comprehension. Many students use translation when they are recording the new vocabulary, whether the teacher likes it or not.

However, it is important to make students aware of some of the shortcomings of translation. It is often the case that there aren’t any direct translations (word for word equivalents), or that one language might have more than one way of saying something, depending on the context. Making students aware of these problems, rather than completely avoiding translation, may well help their learning. Students can easily become over-reliant on the teacher to translate everything so translation should only be used as one of many techniques employed in teaching vocabulary.

Dictionaries

Giving your students strategies for learning is an important part of teaching. When you consider the amount of time your students will spend outside the classroom, it is obviously essential that you help them to become independent learners. One of the best, and probably easiest, ways of learning about new words is by using a dictionary (especially a good monolingual dictionary such as the Macmillan Dictionary . Encouraging your students to use a dictionary in the classroom when reading a text, for example, will be extremely useful for them. A nice dictionary activity to develop vocabulary is to get your students to find a word they have recently learnt and read the definition, then to choose a word from the definition they either don’t really understand, or that they think is key, and then to look this word up and read the definition. Working in pairs and noting down the ‘route’ and the definitions they take can lead to an extremely productive period of learning new vocabulary and thinking about meanings.

Techniques for learning vocabulary

Once vocabulary has been presented (and often before it is practised), students will need to start learning it. Practising and using the vocabulary is part of the learning process but students usually need time to process a vocabulary item too. The first stage is to find ways of recording the various aspects of the word (see previous article – What do words mean?  to get an idea of the complex nature of knowing a word). Storing a word somewhere that can be accessed easily, or keeping it in mind, is essential. Even our mental filing cabinets (our brains) need to have a system by which they store and retrieve things. Helping our students develop a system that they can use is a must. The second stage is helping our students to be able to retrieve these items, not just as a set of letters, but as a meaningful piece of language. Here are some ideas:

Ways of recording

There are many ways of recording vocabulary and your students need to find a way that suits them. However, it is a good idea to show students what you think they could record about a word and how they might go about it. The simplest way is probably to use a kind of chart which could include the following:

Using a picture to help you remember the expression – although the meaning is not literal – is quite useful.

Making connections

Recording vocabulary is an important step in remembering it and being able to turn passive knowledge into something active. However, in order to activate vocabulary, students need to be able to retrieve it and remember the meaning and how it’s used in a sentence. To do this we often make connections; these connections help us recall the word, its meaning and how it’s used. Here are three ways we can do this:

1. Key words and pictures. This is a technique that some people have claimed helps to fix the word and its meaning in the memory. The technique is based on making a mental image that connects the new word in the L2 with a word in the students L1 that has some association (often sound) with the L2 word. For example, when I want to remember how to say ‘I love you’ in Chinese I connect the Chinese words that make up the phrase with three words/pictures in English – wall, eye and knee . When I put these English words together I can make the phrase for ‘I love you’ in Chinese! If you can’t think of a key word, then often a simple picture will help remind you of a word and its meaning.

2. Groups, scales and spidergrams.  Putting words into groups of related vocabulary items is another good technique. Groups might consist of hyponyms, such as father, mother, sister, son, cousin, aunt, grandfather ; grammar sets, such as adjectives and adverbs; or root words and derivatives, such as comfort, discomfort, comfortable, uncomfortable . Another way of grouping words is in the form of a scale. This is a common way for things like adverbs of frequency to be presented in many books, for example, always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly ever, never . It’s also useful for sets of adjectives that can be presented on a scale from one extreme to the other, i.e. boiling, hot, warm, cool, cold, freezing . Finally, using a spidergram can be extremely useful as it enables you to add more words later on. A spidergram for sport might look like this: 

3. Synonyms and antonyms  Using synonyms and antonyms is another way of grouping words. It can also be very useful to record synonyms together so that when you are writing or speaking you are able to use a variety of language and not just the same word again and again. There is a tendency for some words to be overused in English. A good example of this is the word nice , which is used to describe so many things that it has become almost bland and non-committal.

Collocations and grammar words

An important aspect of learning how to use vocabulary items is knowing what other words they collocate with. In many ways collocations are the building blocks of language and recent studies have found that native speakers often rely on pre-formulated chunks rather than putting words together one by one. Tasks in which we learn to match words to form collocations are always useful. For example, students can find out that we can have a packet of biscuits  or  a tin of biscuits but we wouldn’t have a tube or a can of biscuits .

Sometimes the collocations are almost grammatical in nature. After all, collocations are patterns of language which is exactly what grammar is. An example of this type of collocation would be with words such as make and do . We can make the bed , make breakfast , make a mistake , but we do stuff , do the housework and do language exercises !

Therefore, helping our students learn collocations is a fundamental step in enabling them to use the language effectively.

These ideas are in no way exhaustive. Some of the techniques and activities I use more frequently than others and some I don’t use at all – mostly because I do not think they are appropriate for my style of teaching or my students’ needs. Finding the best ways to teach and learn vocabulary with your students is one of the most important things as a teacher you can do, and having a range of techniques and activities aids this process. 

  • Intermediate
  • Pre-Intermediate
  • Upper-Intermediate

Related articles

A Time To Travel - index

A Time to Travel: China - The Girl in the Red Dress

Amber and Hongjun try to save a village from an evil monster during a Chinese New Year celebration.

A Time To Travel - index

A Time to Travel: USA - Man on the Moon

Amber journeys back in time to meet Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin inside the lunar module as they prepare to land on the moon. 

A Time To Travel - index

A Time to Travel: USA - Slaves No More

Amber journeys back in time to meet Abraham Lincoln and show him how his desire to pass the 13th Amendment changed the course of American history forever.

1 Reader's comment

Only registered users can comment on this article., more from support for teaching vocabulary, theme-based expressions: weather.

By Tim Bowen

Despite being snowed under Tim Bowen still finds time to share some weather related idioms with you.

Theme-based expressions: music

It’s time to make a song and dance about Your English with these musically themed expressions.

Theme-based expressions: house and home

Tim Bowen rolls out the red carpet with these latest theme-based expressions about house and home.

Join onestopenglish today

With more than 700,000 registered users in over 100 countries around the world, Onestopenglish is the number one resource site for English language teachers, providing access to thousands of resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, audio, video and flashcards.

  • Connect with us on Facebook
  • Connect with us on Twitter
  • Connect with us on Youtube

Onestopenglish is a teacher resource site, part of Macmillan Education, one of the world’s leading publishers of English language teaching materials.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Manage cookies

©Macmillan Education Limited 2023. Company number: 1755588 VAT number: 199440621

Site powered by Webvision Cloud

teaching vocabulary methodology

Explore More

Stay in our orbit.

Stay connected with industry news, resources for English teachers and job seekers, ELT events, and more.

teaching vocabulary methodology

Explore Topics

  • Global Elt News
  • Job Resources
  • Industry Insights
  • Teaching English Online
  • Classroom Games / Activities
  • Teaching English Abroad
  • Professional Development

teaching vocabulary methodology

Popular Articles

  • 5 Popular ESL Teaching Methods Every Teacher Should Know
  • 10 Fun Ways to Use Realia in Your ESL Classroom
  • How to Teach ESL Vocabulary: Top Methods for Introducing New Words
  • Advice From an Expert: TEFL Interview Questions & How to Answer Them
  • What Is TESOL? What Is TEFL? Which Certificate Is Better – TEFL or TESOL?

teaching vocabulary methodology

Lorena Siegel

  • November 25, 2022

how to teach ESL vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary in ESL is crucial to a student’s language development and communication skills. After all, without adequate words, it’s difficult to relate thoughts, ideas, and feelings about who we are and how we interpret the world around us. But how do we achieve this goal without making students memorize lists of ESL vocabulary that will be forgotten after the next pop quiz? Check out these teaching strategies for how to teach vocabulary to ESL students – whether you’re giving in-person lessons or teaching English online .

Table of Contents

What is the best way to teach ESL vocabulary?

Create context around words you teach.

It’s a good idea to think about how students will recall a word when sitting for an exam and use this as your starting point to determine how you want your students to remember what you have taught them. In other words, don’t teach new words in a vacuum. You want to create a contextual experience (an interesting story, a series of images, a dialogue) that leaves a deep impression so that when the time comes for your class to recall a particular list of words, they’ll be able to access these words with little trouble, building their ESL vocabularies throughout each class!

Teach relevant ESL vocabulary

Be aware that if you focus on vocabulary that can’t be put to immediate and repetitive use in your students’ day-to-day lives, it will be relegated to the quicksand of short-term memory and soon forgotten, thus rendering all your hard work useless. Teaching vocabulary in ESL is of vital importance to long-term use of classroom lessons. Be sure to choose vocabulary that is connected to your students’ lives and can be easily applied to their world outside of the classroom.

Learn the ins and outs of teaching English conversation.

Consider your students’ age

Teach ESL Vocabulary to Children

  • Young learners are innately curious and love to learn the names of things that surround them. Hands-on activities, songs, or colorful visuals work well for kids.
  • Teens , on the other hand, need vocabulary to help them understand the music they listen to and the shows or movies they watch, as well as words that can help them communicate with others and express their feelings.
  • Adults need the appropriate English vocabulary to help them relate to others on both a personal and business level, and they rely on you to give them the best and most common words and phrases that will help them improve their communication skills.

Learn more about the differences between teaching young learners and adults.

What are the techniques for introducing and teaching new ESL vocabulary?

Show images or drawings.

Because drawings and photos are fairly universal and understood by most people, this is perhaps the best way to present new vocabulary. The internet is chock-full of photos and pictures, and there are a variety of stock photo websites to choose from.

If you have a knack for drawing, you can make your own pictures or create your own characters, but make sure that these are large enough for everyone to see clearly if you don’t have access to a SMART board. Keep the composition of your photos or drawings simple, as too many things happening at once can confuse students.

If you are teaching online, you can make use of Skype or Zoom’s screen share function to show the images. These platforms also have whiteboard features and annotation tools, which you can use for making simple drawings on-screen

  • Pro Tip : If you like, you can also create a couple of characters that your students can relate to and use them throughout your course to present new ideas. When used consistently, students form attachments to the characters and will rely on them when learning new concepts.

Using character drawing to teach ESL vocabulary

Present vocabulary with realia

Realia is essential to the learning of ESL vocabulary. For a lesson on how to describe the flavors of different foods, for example, there is nothing better than to have students taste a variety of foods, condiments, herbs, and spices. As you give your class a taste of each ingredient, announce what it is, and give them the accompanying statement that incorporates the vocabulary you are teaching. Examples: This is sugar. Sugar is sweet. These are potato chips. Potato chips are salty. This is mustard. Mustard is sour.

Even if you’re teaching virtually, you can use traditional and digital realia in your online classroom. For example, you can use an online map to review English directions or the PDF version of a restaurant menu to practice phrases for ordering food. You can learn more about using realia in the virtual classroom by watching a past BridgeUniverse Expert Series webinar on the topic .

Bridge grad with guitar teaching English online.

Introduce new words in the context of a story or article students read

ESL readings are of great value because they expose students to vocabulary they might not encounter in their day-to-day lives but that is useful, nonetheless. To pre-teach vocabulary from the reading you’ve chosen, follow this structure:

  • Make a list of 10 to 12 words that will be found in the reading and go over these verbally with students prior to starting the lesson.
  • As you go through the list, ask your students if any of them know the meaning of each word. Give them time to discuss words and guess the meanings if they’re not sure. (It’s a good idea to have two or three words that students already know, as this gives them familiar ground to stand on.)
  • As students call out the definitions they know, write these on the board, but leave a blank space next to the words they don’t know.
  • Try to teach these words by drawing a simple picture or acting them out, if possible. If you are still unable to get your point across, let your students know that they’ll be able to figure out the meaning when they’ve read the text, and remind them that you will make sure everyone understands the vocabulary by the time the lesson is over.
  • Pro Tip: Tell your students to not copy the definitions in their notebooks until you’ve finished the first part of the activity. The reason behind this is to make sure that your students are focusing on the lesson, listening to one another, and exchanging ideas instead of getting hung up on copying words from the board.

As you continue the lesson:

  • Have your students read the text aloud, one sentence or paragraph at a time (depending on class size). Don’t interrupt as they read unless they’re having great difficulty with a word.
  • Once everyone has had the opportunity to read out loud, go over the words they don’t understand, including those that are not on your initial vocabulary list. Remind students to underline words they have difficulty pronouncing or do not yet understand.
  • Readings should always be followed by questions, first verbal and then written, to give students the opportunity to test their newly acquired vocabulary words and commit what they’ve learned to long-term memory.
  • Homework that involves students writing their own sentences or answering predetermined questions will also help to reinforce the vocab they’ve learned in class. (Be sure not to use multiple choice questions or short answers, as these do not aid in the reinforcement of either writing or speaking in the target language.)

Learn more about the importance of storytelling in the ESL classroom.

Use translation from the students’ first language (yes, sometimes it’s okay!)

If you speak the students’ language or you have a teaching assistant who can help you translate, ask students what words they would like to learn. I call this “ How do you say? ” day.

During these sessions, students are encouraged to ask questions about things that interest them or help them to communicate in school or at work. Be sure to stay away from taboo topics  as well as topics that are too personal.

These lessons are usually short and can be complemented with role-playing or ESL games that encourage students to put their new vocabulary to immediate use. Always be sure to ask the appropriate questions that promote verbal repetition.

Use antonyms and synonyms to teach and review ESL vocabulary

In order to build vocabulary, it’s a good idea to not only use the words from your chosen vocabulary list but to also incorporate their synonyms and antonyms. Using opposites to teach new vocabulary gives students the opportunity to learn twice as many words. To make a bigger impact on your students’ learning process, use pictures to illustrate sentences, or put words into short sentences that tell a story.

The following is an example of how to use opposites that can be used with beginner-level students:

Vocabulary: day/night, sun/moon, open/close, on/off

Put the following sentences on the board. You can fill in the words the students have already learned, but have them guess the opposite word.

  • The sun is in the sky during the day . We can see the ____ at _____.
  • I turn the lights off during the day, and I turn them  ____  at night.
  • I open the windows during the day, and I  ____ them at night.

Then, fill the words in as the students say them.

  • The sun is in the sky during the day . We can see the moon at night .
  • I turn the lights off during the day, and I turn them on at night.
  • I open the windows during the day, and I close them at night.

Next, ask questions that relate to your story.

  • Do you see the sun during the day or at night?
  • When do you see the moon?
  • When do you turn on the lights?
  • When do you turn them off?
  • Do you close your windows during the day or at night?
  • Pro Tip: When answering yes/no questions, students should use complete sentences. Short answers do not help in the acquisition of new vocabulary and sentence structure nor do they motivate students to practice their language skills.

Another way to incorporate antonyms into a lesson is by asking simple questions in which students get to choose the answer that suits their needs. Make up questions that incorporate new phraseology and that students can ask one another.

  • Do you like staying at home on your day off, or do you like going out with your friends?
  • What do you save your money for, and what do you spend your money on?
  • When do you feel happy , and when do you feel sad ?

(The repetition of phrases within the same question helps students commit them to memory.)

How can I make vocabulary fun with ESL vocabulary games?

Games are an essential tool in the TEFL/TESOL classroom. They allow students to think outside the box, put what they’ve learned to immediate use, create experiences with their classmates, and break away from lessons that could otherwise be tedious.

There are many simple games and activities that can be used to teach ESL vocabulary . For example, in the video below, a teacher plays a game called “Missing Object” with his online students.

This interactive game from the  Bridge Micro-credential course: Games and Activities for the Online Classroom (Very Young Learners)  is a fun way to teach vocabulary for ESL students in online or in-person classes. These games are also great for reviewing previously addressed material.

  • Show the student a collection of real items (realia) on a tray. Items could include a phone, a pair of glasses, a book, a watch, etc. You can include items that review vocabulary you’ve recently taught or items along a certain theme, such as foods.
  • Ask the student what each item on the tray is. Practice the pronunciation and ask follow-up questions (ex: “What do you use a phone for?”).
  • After you’ve reviewed the tray of items with the student and discussed them, move the tray out of his or her sight, and remove one item. Then, show the tray again and ask the student, “What’s missing?”
  • If the student cannot figure out what’s missing, provide a clue (ex: “You put these on to help you see better”).

Check out more fun ESL games and activities for young learners and teens.

What are other ways ESL students can improve their vocabulary?

If you ask students who are self-taught what methods they used to learn English on their own, they will invariably tell you the following:

  • They listen to and learn their favorite English songs and  watch movies and TV shows with subtitles in either English or Spanish (some students swear by English subtitles, saying that it helps with their pronunciation).
  • They read English books and magazines that are of interest to them.
  • Many students also download language learning apps , such as Babbel and Duolingo , to their smartphones, so encourage them to use these tools to help develop their language skills on their own time.
  • Another way to improve students’ vocabulary is to have them keep a notebook that is small enough to fit in their pockets. This is a great way for them to have a real-time record of the words and short phrases they use in their daily lives. When students keep a list of the words that are of interest to them, they are effectively writing their own little dictionaries that can be filled with pictures, synonyms, antonyms, and sentences that are useful to them.
  • Pro Tip:  Correcting students’ vocabulary mistakes helps them improve their usage of new words. One way to develop this skill is by taking a short Micro-credential course in Error Correction in the EFL Classroom .

Need a quick refresher on how to teach ESL vocabulary? Download this Bridge infographic for strategies for teaching vocabulary to English language learners

What should I keep in mind for how to teach vocabulary to ESL students?

Here are some more tips for helping your students learn vocabulary better:

  • Whether you are teaching vocabulary, grammar , phraseology, or pronunciation in a physical classroom or online, do your best to make sure your students can relate to each lesson and are almost immediately able to use what they’ve learned.
  • Follow a logical and organic order when teaching new vocabulary, and put words into useful phrases as often as possible.
  • Look for every opportunity to review what you’ve taught from one lesson to the next, and engage your students by focusing on topics that interest them the most.
  • Always encourage your students to ask you about the meanings of words and how these can be applied to their lives outside of the classroom.
  • There are myriad methods of teaching vocabulary – get creative, have fun, and do what works best for your students.

Learn more teaching techniques to enter the classroom with confidence by enrolling in the  120-Hour Bridge Master TEFL/TESOL Certification Course .

teaching vocabulary methodology

Our diverse, global community of contributors includes experts in the field, Bridge course graduates, online and classroom-based teachers worldwide, and Bridge faculty and staff.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

  • We're Hiring!
  • Help Center

paper cover thumbnail

THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING VOCABULARY

Profile image of Umar Abdullahi

One of factors affecting, students in learning English vocabulary is the components of language. This involves vocabulary and structure, vocabulary and sound system, and vocabulary and spelling.

Related Papers

JRSP-ELT (ISSN: 2456-8104)

JRSP-ELT - Journal for Research Scholars and Professionals of English Language Teaching

English is only the unique language for communication worldwide. English language skills or proficiency is a key factor for employment success and advancement. English has the richest vocabulary of any language. Vocabulary learning is at the heart of language learning and language use. Teaching vocabulary of English covers the cultural, grammatical, lexical and phonological aspects which are essential to the language learning. Schmitt (2000) highlights the importance of vocabulary acquisition, as lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence and to the acquisition of a second language. Thus, students should be aware of different techniques for learning vocabulary.

teaching vocabulary methodology

The Principles of Teaching and Learning Vocabulary Effectivly

Vocabulary is words of a language, including single items and phrases or chunks of several words which covey a particular meaning. It represents one of most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a second or a foreign language. It considered to be essential to improve skills such as reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling and pronunciation. Vocabulary is classified into two major categories; expressive vocabulary, such as speaking and writing; and receptive vocabulary, such reading and listening. Vocabulary play a crucial rule in writing skill; as it considered to be as a magical tool that a good writer utilize it to power up any piece of writing, as it allows him to convey a particular meaning in more than one style. Learning vocabulary could be easy for some learners; however, others may found it difficult. In order to help learners who have difficulty in learning vocabularies, there are some techniques that they could utilize to make learning vocabulary easy and effective; such as repetition, practicing words in real life, link the vocabularies to the pictures; and finally, writing down new vocabularies more than one time could be helpful. Teaching vocabulary could be hard for both teachers and learner; however, there are some ways that could make this operation easy. Using previous techniques and the following tips could fix the problem; playing games through the class such as puzzles; illustrate the meaning of the word; give multiple meaning; create interesting story about it; use realia substances, present synonyms and antonyms; use the new word in context; use root of the word, suffix, prefix to guess the meaning. In brief, teaching vocabulary could be effective if both teacher and the learner are interested and tried to use different techniques and follow tips to success teaching/learning process.

kamila khasanova

Ibrahim Al Faki

Tiara Putri

Vocabulary teaching and learning principles assist in providing effective teaching and learning methods, in accordance with the learners’ proficiency level. However, studies that looked into the relevancy of those principles are rather limited. Thus, this study focuses on finding the common practices of vocabulary teaching and learning principles in the classroom. Language has given human being the ability to communicate with each other, forming a complex system of communication, and within each language vocabulary stands as the basis for the language. Vocabulary should be considered as more than a set of single word units, moreover, vocabulary is as the smallest unit in the language. Thus in mastering a language, it is crucial for the learner to acquire the vocabulary.

Implementation of Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Techniques in the Teaching of Supplementary Vocabulary Lessons to Cope with Students’ Lack of Vocabulary in two Groups of the Fourth Semester at “Eduardo Javier Albores” High School.

Miguel Valdez

This dissertation study was motivated by the concern of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ lack of vocabulary in a high school. The purpose of this study was to increase students’ vocabulary knowledge implementing supplementary vocabulary lessons by applying Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) and techniques. This study essentially investigated (a) if there was an increase in two groups during the fourth semester after the implementation of supplementary lessons where VLS and techniques were employed and (b) whether VLS and techniques helped students to learn new vocabulary. The study was conducted in “Eduardo Javier Albores” high school, with the participation of 27 students from two groups. The data was collected through the Vocabulary Level Test: Test B (Schmitt, Schmitt and Clapham, 2001) and the vocabulary tests designed by the instructor. The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings showed that both groups presented improvement in tests administered and that VLS and techniques employed during the course helped students to learn new vocabulary. Finally, the study revealed that these strategies and techniques can be helpful to students when encountering new words, and it can also help learners strengthen their learning. Keywords: vocabulary, vocabulary learning strategies, vocabulary knowledge, improvement.

RELATED PAPERS

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo

Thais Furtado de Souza

Galena Angelova

Journal of Anesthesiology and Clinical Research

Mayang Lestari

joshua brown

Journal of Opioid Management

José António Gonçalves

Journal of Multivariate Analysis

Hao Helen Zhang

Amelia Buculei

Tectonophysics

2017 IEEE/ACM 21st International Symposium on Distributed Simulation and Real Time Applications (DS-RT)

Alfredo Garro

The International journal of developmental biology

Darko Chudy

Luis Borderías

Computer and Information Science

Olusegun Folorunso

Construction and Building Materials

Arezki Tagnit-hamou

Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies

Cristina García-viguera

patricia raimo

Administration and Policy in Mental Health

Robert Okin

Medical Physics

Lori Hoisington

Journal of the American Chemical Society

Fausto Puntoriero

G. Gogoberidze

Housing and Society

Katrin B Anacker

Neurology Psychiatry and Brain Research

vural fidan

RELATED TOPICS

  •   We're Hiring!
  •   Help Center
  • Find new research papers in:
  • Health Sciences
  • Earth Sciences
  • Cognitive Science
  • Mathematics
  • Computer Science
  • Academia ©2024

English EFL

Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

teaching vocabulary methodology

Methodology

Because vocabulary knowledge is critical to reading comprehension, it is important that those working with young readers help foster their development of a large “word bank” and effective vocabulary learning strategies. There are several effective explicit (intentional, planned instruction) and implicit (spontaneous instruction as a child comes to new words in a text) strategies that adults can employ with readers of any age.

Pre-teaching Vocabulary Words

One of the most effective methods of helping children learn new vocabulary words is to teach unfamiliar words used in a text prior to the reading experience. Adults (either alone or with the child(ren)) should preview reading materials to determine which words are unfamiliar. Then these words should be defined and discussed. It is important for the adult to not only tell the child(ren) what the word means, but also to discuss its meaning. This allows the child(ren) to develop an understanding of the word’s connotations as well as its denotation. Also, discussion provides the adult with feedback about how well the child(ren) understands the word. After pre-teaching vocabulary words, the child(ren) should read the text.

Repeated Exposure to Words

It may seem common sense that the more times we are exposed to a word, the stronger our understanding becomes. However, repeated exposure to new vocabulary words is often ignored. Adults often forget a person (especially a child) needs to hear and use a word several times before it truly becomes a part of her vocabulary. Providing multiple opportunities to use a new word in its written and spoken form helps children solidify their understanding of it.

Keyword Method

Like pre-teaching, the keyword method occurs before a child reads a particular text. In this method, unfamiliar words are introduced prior to reading. However, rather than encouraging the child to remember a definition for a new word, the adult teaches him a “word clue” to help him understand it. This “word clue” or keyword might be a part of the definition, an illustrative example or an image that the reader connects to the word to make it easier to remember the meaning when reading it in context. The idea behind the keyword method is to create an easy cognitive link to the word’s meaning that the reader can access efficiently during a reading experience.

The word map is an excellent method for scaffolding a child’s vocabulary learning. Like the other explicit instructional methods, the adult (either alone or with the child(ren)) should preview reading materials to determine which words are unfamiliar. For each of these new vocabulary words the child (with the support of the adult) creates a graphic organizer for the word. At the top or center of the organizer is the vocabulary word. Branching off of the word are three categories: classification (what class or group does the word belong to), qualities (what is the word like) and examples. Using prior knowledge the child fills in each of these three categories. Word maps help readers develop complete understandings of words. This strategy is best used with children in grades 3-12.

Root Analysis

While root analysis is taught explicitly, the ultimate goal is for readers to use this strategy independently. Many of the words in the English language are derived from Latin or Greek roots. They either contain a “core” root (the primary component of the word) or use prefixes or suffixes that hold meaning. Adults should focus on teaching children the most commonly occurring roots, prefixes and suffixes. As each is taught examples of its use in common word should be shared and examined. The reader should see how the root helps her understand the word’s definition. Children should then be given practice analyzing words to determine their roots and definitions. When a reader is able to break down unfamiliar words into their prefixes, suffixes and roots they can begin to determine their meanings.

Restructuring Reading Materials

This strategy is particularly effective for helping struggling readers improve their vocabularies. Sometimes grade level materials are inaccessible to readers because there are too many unfamiliar words in them. Adults can restructure the materials in several different ways to help readers comprehend them more easily. A portion of the difficult words can be replaced with “easier” synonyms to help the reader understand the overall text. Vocabulary footnotes (definitions provided at the bottom of the page) can be added for particularly challenging words so that the reader can easily “look up” the word while still reading the text. An accompanying vocabulary guide can be provided for the text. Words that are included in the guide should be highlighted or printed in bold text to direct the reader to check the vocabulary guide if the word or its meaning is unfamiliar.

Implicit Vocabulary Instruction

Incidental Learning

Incidental vocabulary learning occurs all of the time when we read. Based on the way a word is used in a text we are able to determine its meaning. Consider this example: “Megan’s fluxoolingy hair reached all the way down to her knees”. While you may not know the word “fluxoolingy” you could determine that it has something to do with length since the rest of the sentence focuses on describing where Megan’s hair comes to on her body. Adults should model this sort of incidental vocabulary learning for children to help them develop their own skills.

Context Skills

Context skills are the strategies that a reader uses for incidental vocabulary learning. Texts are full of “clues” about the meanings of words. Other words in a sentence or paragraph, captions, illustrations and titles provide readers with information about the text that they can use to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. These features are often referred to as “context clues” because they are contained within the context of the piece of writing rather than outside it. Young readers should be taught to find and use context clues for learning new vocabulary words. Adult modeling and practice are key for helping children develop this important reading skill.

facebook

The teaching change this school made that supercharged its students' reading skills

A young white woman teaching a primary school class

A reading revolution at a small, disadvantaged public school in regional Victoria could provide the blueprint for turning around alarming literacy rates in Australia's 10,000 primary schools. 

Churchill Primary, about two hours south-east of Melbourne, has twice the number of students in the lowest socio-educational advantage bracket as the national average. 

In 2016, almost half of Churchill's year 3 students and 65 per cent of its year 5 students did not meet national minimum standards in reading. 

In 2018, it adopted a new teaching style, and today every single student at Churchill Primary meets or exceeds the minimum standards.

"I wish I had had this training at uni," year 5 teacher Halie McColl said. 

A young white woman with long brown hair and glasses standing in a classroom

"For the first 10 years of my teaching career I feel like I've failed the kids because I wasn't teaching them to read how they should've been taught to read." 

The game-changing move for the school was switching to a style of teaching known as "structured literacy", which is anchored in phonics and involves breaking all the key components of reading into lessons taught explicitly to students. 

The results have transformed classroom life. 

"The most exciting thing about this new approach is the results we've got for the kids," principal Jacqui Burrows said.

"They're performing much higher academically, but the kids are more engaged and teachers are enjoying teaching more." 

'Not left to flounder' 

The new approach replaced a teaching method called "whole learning", a style sitting on the other side of the long-running "reading wars ". 

Whole learning became dominant on university campuses in the 1970s. However, major inquiries in Australia, the United Kingdom and United States across recent years have found it is no longer best practice . 

"[Structured literacy] is based on research … so I think that's why it's successful at Churchill," Ms Burrows said.  

To make the change, Ms Burrows retrained all her teachers. She noticed immediately that behaviour improved at the school too. 

"Now the kids aren't left to discover things on their own. They're not left to flounder," she said. 

"They're actually taught explicitly everything they need to know." 

Shifting the dial

A report by The Grattan Institute released earlier this week concluded one-third of Australian students were failing to learn to read proficiently through the whole-language approach.

Grattan said that was a "preventable tragedy" coming at a cost of $40 billion to the Australian economy, with students unable to read proficiently more likely to become disruptive at school and unemployed or even jailed later in life. 

The think tank said all school systems should move toward structured literacy.

"Teaching in the classroom is the most important in-school factor," Grattan education program director Jordana Hunter said.

"The quality of teaching is the thing that will shift the dial for our young people.   

"We need to make the most of every single minute we have with our young people."  

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has said the science on teaching reading has been settled and teaching styles may be mandated in the upcoming school funding agreement . 

A young white woman teaching a primary school class

Having seen the benefits of structured literacy firsthand, Halie McColl said she was confident it could work in any school. 

Her only concern was for her peers who were failed by the ideas of the past. 

"I know lots of kids from my school that struggled with reading and that approach. Those kids might not have dropped out of school," she said.

  • X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Popular teaching style 'contrary to science' costing australia $40 billion, report finds.

A young boy looking at a sheet of paper with words on it

  • Public Schools

Help | Advanced Search

Computer Science > Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Title: yolo-world: real-time open-vocabulary object detection.

Abstract: The You Only Look Once (YOLO) series of detectors have established themselves as efficient and practical tools. However, their reliance on predefined and trained object categories limits their applicability in open scenarios. Addressing this limitation, we introduce YOLO-World, an innovative approach that enhances YOLO with open-vocabulary detection capabilities through vision-language modeling and pre-training on large-scale datasets. Specifically, we propose a new Re-parameterizable Vision-Language Path Aggregation Network (RepVL-PAN) and region-text contrastive loss to facilitate the interaction between visual and linguistic information. Our method excels in detecting a wide range of objects in a zero-shot manner with high efficiency. On the challenging LVIS dataset, YOLO-World achieves 35.4 AP with 52.0 FPS on V100, which outperforms many state-of-the-art methods in terms of both accuracy and speed. Furthermore, the fine-tuned YOLO-World achieves remarkable performance on several downstream tasks, including object detection and open-vocabulary instance segmentation.

Submission history

Access paper:.

  • Download PDF
  • HTML (experimental)
  • Other Formats

license icon

References & Citations

  • Google Scholar
  • Semantic Scholar

BibTeX formatted citation

BibSonomy logo

Bibliographic and Citation Tools

Code, data and media associated with this article, recommenders and search tools.

  • Institution

arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .

IMAGES

  1. Teaching Vocabulary...

    teaching vocabulary methodology

  2. My Absolute Favorite Methods for Teaching Vocabulary that are Easy to

    teaching vocabulary methodology

  3. Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary: theories and techniques for

    teaching vocabulary methodology

  4. What Every Teacher Should Know About Teaching Vocabulary

    teaching vocabulary methodology

  5. PPT

    teaching vocabulary methodology

  6. 6 Effective vocabulary activities and strategies for teaching

    teaching vocabulary methodology

COMMENTS

  1. Vocabulary words: An evidence-based literacy strategy

    How to prepare: Choose the words to teach. For weekly vocabulary instruction, work with students to choose three to five new words per week. Select words that students will use or see most often, or words related to other words they know. Before you dive in, it's helpful to know that vocabulary words can be grouped into three tiers:

  2. PDF Essential Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

    Students' vocabulary knowledge is a building process that occurs over time as they make connections to other words, learn examples and nonexamples of the word and related words, and use the word accurately within the context of the sentence (Snow, Griffin, & Burns, 2005).

  3. Teaching Vocabulary

    According to Michael Graves (2000), there are four components of an effective vocabulary program: wide or extensive independent reading to expand word knowledge instruction in specific words to enhance comprehension of texts containing those words instruction in independent word-learning strategies, and

  4. Five Key Principles for Effective Vocabulary Instruction

    1. Focus on rich meanings, not just dictionary definitions. Too often vocabulary instruction is no more than kids copying definitions from the dictionary. But researchers have identified a number of instructional approaches that outdo any learning that may accrue from copying definitions.

  5. Strategies For Teaching Vocabulary

    1. Word Wall To help your students get more engaged in vocabulary development, you need to nurture word consciousness. This means raising students' awareness of, and interest in all sorts of words and their meanings. A Word Wall can help you achieve this.

  6. How to Teach Vocabulary to ESL Students: 5 Teaching Methods ...

    1. Present Words with Visual Stimuli How to teach ESL vocabulary with visual stimuli: 2. Attach Context to Vocabulary How to teach ESL vocabulary with context: 3. Build Confidence with Word Clusters How to teach ESL vocabulary with word clusters: 4. Keep New Words Practical How to teach ESL vocabulary with practical exercises: 5.

  7. Chapter 24

    Current Research and Practice in Teaching Vocabulary (Chapter 24) - Methodology in Language Teaching Home > Books > Methodology in Language Teaching > Current Research and Practice in Teaching Vocabulary Chapter 24 - Current Research and Practice in Teaching Vocabulary Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2010 By

  8. Effective strategies for teaching vocabulary

    Teaching vocabulary: strategies 1. Put yourself in your students' shoes To teach your students vocabulary (or anything) effectively, you'll need to see things from their perspective.

  9. 4 Methods of Teaching Vocabulary

    1. Direct: Roots-based Vocabulary Studying Latin and Greek roots is certainly an effective way for students to build better vocabularies. After all, over 60% of all English words contain Latin or Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

  10. Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary: Theory and Technique

    EDUCATORS Subscribe Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary: Theory and Technique The theory and techniques for teaching vocabulary may not be as fun as the ideas that I'll share in the next post or as perusing the books in the last post, yet this is the theory applicable to all ages and types of readers.

  11. 7 Creative Strategies To Improve Vocabulary Teaching

    Written by Melanie Arden Reviewed by Meredith Melvin, B.Ed. Vocabulary skills are critical to each student's academic achievement. In and out of the classroom, student success depends on grasping reading comprehension and English language development. Effective vocabulary strategies help you educate children as they learn new words.

  12. Effective Vocabulary Teaching Strategies For The English For Academic

    perspective. Chapter 3 outlines how vocabulary is learned while chapter 4 explores best practices in vocabulary teaching practiced in three educational institutions in the U.S.A. Chapter 5 discusses the new insights that I learned, challenges experienced within the English for Academic Purposes class room and possible solutions to these problems.

  13. Mastering Words: Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

    The Voyager Sopris Learning ® program Good Talking Words ® uses some of these methods to teach students vocabulary related to feelings and behavior as they develop effective social communication skills. Elementary Students (Ages 6-11): Encourage word games and small-group activities to foster peer interaction.

  14. Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

    Pre-teaching Vocabulary Words. One of the most effective methods of helping children learn new vocabulary words is to teach unfamiliar words used in a text prior to the reading experience. Adults (either alone or with the child (ren)) should preview reading materials to determine which words are unfamiliar. Then these words should be defined ...

  15. Vocabulary matters: Techniques for teaching and learning

    Introduction In this section we'll look at various techniques for presenting and, to a lesser degree, practising vocabulary. It is important to realize that a good teacher will not rely on just one of these techniques, but will use a combination.

  16. How to Teach ESL Vocabulary: Top Methods for Introducing New Words

    November 25, 2022 Teaching vocabulary in ESL is crucial to a student's language development and communication skills. After all, without adequate words, it's difficult to relate thoughts, ideas, and feelings about who we are and how we interpret the world around us.

  17. (PDF) Teaching Vocabulary (Revised edition)

    Next it outlines the study's methodology, including the observation of 23 classes ... This article surveys the literature on word lists for vocabulary teaching in English as a second/foreign lan ...

  18. Teaching Vocabulary (Section 11)

    Methodology in Language Teaching - April 2002. INTRODUCTION. In the past, vocabulary teaching and learning were often given little priority in second language programs, but recently there has been a renewed interest in the nature of vocabulary and its role in learning and teaching.

  19. PDF Teaching Vocabulary

    1 What can a corpus tell us about vocabulary? 2 Frequency 4 Differences in speaking and writing 4 Contexts of use 5 Collocation 5 Grammatical patterns 6 Strategic vocabulary 8 Teaching strategic vocabulary: Fundamentals for a syllabus 14 2Lessons for the Classroom What do we need to teach about vocabulary? 18

  20. The Impact of Vocabulary Learning Methods on Students' Vocabulary

    This research paper investigates the impact of vocabulary learning methods on students' vocabulary application skills in English language acquisition. I examine traditional methods like rote ...

  21. (PDF) THE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING VOCABULARY

    Vocabulary learning is at the heart of language learning and language use. Teaching vocabulary of English covers the cultural, grammatical, lexical and phonological aspects which are essential to the language learning. Schmitt (2000) highlights the importance of vocabulary acquisition, as lexical knowledge is central to communicative competence ...

  22. Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

    Pre-teaching Vocabulary Words. One of the most effective methods of helping children learn new vocabulary words is to teach unfamiliar words used in a text prior to the reading experience. Adults (either alone or with the child (ren)) should preview reading materials to determine which words are unfamiliar. Then these words should be defined ...

  23. Methodology in Language Teaching: Teaching Vocabulary

    Semantic Scholar extracted view of "Methodology in Language Teaching: Teaching Vocabulary" by Jack C. Richards et al. ... Methodology in Language Teaching: Teaching Vocabulary @inproceedings{Richards2002MethodologyIL, title={Methodology in Language Teaching: Teaching Vocabulary}, author={Jack C. Richards and Willy Ardian Renandya}, year={2002 ...

  24. Education experts break down the best ways to teach children how to

    The report urged schools to abandon the "whole language" method of teaching kids to read, in favour of the evidence-based "structured literacy". ... Vocabulary instruction. Woohoo! Another jargon ...

  25. One-third of Australian children can't read properly as teaching

    Experts say one solution lies with the teaching methods. Read more However in a statement to the ABC, Education Minister Jason Clare said the science on teaching reading had been settled.

  26. The teaching change this school made that supercharged its students

    The new approach replaced a teaching method called "whole learning", a style sitting on the other side of the long-running "reading wars". Whole language vs structured literacy

  27. YOLO-World: Real-Time Open-Vocabulary Object Detection

    On the challenging LVIS dataset, YOLO-World achieves 35.4 AP with 52.0 FPS on V100, which outperforms many state-of-the-art methods in terms of both accuracy and speed. Furthermore, the fine-tuned YOLO-World achieves remarkable performance on several downstream tasks, including object detection and open-vocabulary instance segmentation.