StateofIsrael.doc

PAGE  PAGE 23 State of Israel Ministry of Education Pedagogical Secretariat Language Department English Inspectorate A practical guide for teaching vocabulary Written by: Prof. Penny Ur, Head of Writing Committee Dr. Orly Haim Dr. Miriam Kluska Dr. Shoshana Plavin Jaye Shlayer Dr. Judy Steiner, Chief Inspector for English Language Education Dr. Lynn Timna August, 2014  A practical guide for teaching vocabulary Contents A. Information: Frequently asked questions and answers The vocabulary component in the revised Curriculum See .il/educationcms/units/mazkirut_pedagogit/english/inspectoratesdesk/whatsnew.htm , and the ways it will affect your teaching. 3B. Implementing the vocabulary component in the classroom General guidelines and strategies to improve vocabulary teaching and learning, illustrated by sample practical procedures. 4C. Activities Practical ideas for vocabulary teaching at the different levels, including details about the sample activities suggested in Section B. 6D. Assessment Samples of useful testing items.17E. Useful resources Recommended Internet sites that provide vocabulary work (with notes telling you what they consist of), useful books, and interesting research. 21  A. Information: Frequently asked questions and answers 1. Why is there now a section on vocabulary teaching in the curriculum? Four main reasons: Teachers and textbook writers have been saying for years that we need vocabulary and grammar lists to help achieve the benchmarks; Vocabulary is the most important component of language knowledge; it is one of the best predictors of language performance; Many students get to twelfth grade with a relatively small vocabulary, which prevents them from achieving their potential (based on research done in Israel and abroad, Schmitt, 2008). Students don’t just ‘pick up’ vocabulary from reading and listening. It needs to be actively taught (see practical suggestions later in this booklet). 2. What does the vocabu