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introducing new vocabulary

Introducing new vocabulary: here are some approaches to try.

§ using images - clip art images are sometimes clearer than photographs for individual items, so consider making worksheets using say 10 clip-art images. You can put the words in a box at the top and see if the learners can match any to the appropriate image.
Clip art often photocopies better than photos too.

§ photographs should be clear and large enough to be enlarged without pixellating. They can be very effective if you can project them using a digital projector.

§ a good online source of images of both sorts is Pixabay: 
https://pixabay.com/

§ realia: real objects are a very effective way of introducing some vocabulary items - not only the name of the object, but also colours, shapes, textures, materials etc

§ the classroom itself, the school building, and the immediate surroundings are rich in vocabulary - take you class outside to meet and learn the vocabulary of roads and traffic, for example

§ reading texts have the vocabulary embedded in a context, and are obviously a rich source of vocabulary. Be careful not to overdo the vocabulary focus of a text, however - a long list of words quickly becomes tedious and forgettable. When appropriate, use texts to focus on collocations and chunks of language, rather than simply individual words.

§ songs may also contain some good items - but make sure that the words are clearly audible and distinguishable (The Beatles lyrics, for example, are really clear)

§ learner dictionaries can also be used to focus on new words, especially when combined with a worksheet that guides the learners towards the target words

§ miming can be effective, especially at lower levels - miming verbs and some adjectives is relatively straightforward but miming nouns less so!

§ building a lexical field is a good way to build on some basic items: for example, if the field is "food and cooking" and the learners already know two or three vegetables, you can add another three or four

§ you can develop the above by using mindmaps based on a topic or lexical field, which can also be a good way to revise and practise vocabulary

§ see the Oxford Teachers' Club online resources for English File, which has 100+ topic-based mindmaps at seven levels: https://elt.oup.com/teachers/englishfile


§ and the Oxford Teachers' Club online resources for Navigate, which has 100+ topic-based mind maps at six levels: https://elt.oup.com/teachers/navigateelt.oup.com/teachers/navigate

§ working with (near) synonyms and antonyms can be good, especially at mid and higher levels

§ word family tables are another way of building on basic items: for example, if the learners know examination, you can introduce the verb and the noun for the person in charge


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  • Home
  • web tools
    • Quizlet
    • EVP
    • EVP Text Inspector
    • EGP
    • Oxford Teachers' Club
    • Quick Worksheets
    • Google Forms
    • Edmodo
    • Vocaroo
    • WordItOut
    • Wordle
  • quick links
  • reading resources
    • reading methodology
  • listening resources
    • listening methodology
  • speaking activities
  • pronunciation
    • pronunciation links
  • visuals
    • A Day in a life
    • The story behind the image
    • Women today
    • Poetic images
    • Emotional reactions
    • Our nation
    • Metaphors and symbols
    • Interpretations
    • Mini saga
    • Snapshot: before and after
    • Off camera
    • Appreciating art
    • From another perspective
    • Speculations
    • Connections
    • Controversies
    • Poetry
    • Short stories
    • Language focus
    • Memory
    • Listen and draw
    • How similar?
    • Culture
  • teacher roles & classroom management
  • grammar
    • introducing new grammar
    • practising grammar
    • grammar links
  • vocabulary
    • introducing new vocabulary
    • practising vocabulary
    • vocabulary links
  • learner dictionaries
  • games
  • contact me
  • about me