龙岩学院外国语学院.pptVIP

Unit 8Teaching Vocabulary By Xu Zhijian Aims of this unit What are some of the assumptions about vocabulary? What does knowing a word involve? How can we present new vocabulary items? What are some effective ways to consolidate vocabulary? How do we help students develop vocabulary learning? I．Understanding vocabulary and vocabulary learning. Although grammar is usually integrated with the teaching of vocabulary, we still consider it necessary to introduce ways to present and consolidate vocabulary. The teaching of vocabulary has been studied for many decades, there are still many uncertainties regarding: What constitutes a vocabulary item; Which vocabulary items should be taught and learned; How vocabulary can be taught and learned most effectively. (or similar questions of Task 1on P117.) Vocabulary does not just mean single words: compounds, phrases and even on occasion, whole sentences can be items of vocabulary. Most words in one language can be translated into another language, but not every single word and an equivalent. The article “the” in English, for example, has no exact equivalent in Chinese. Students can be consciously taught about ways of learning vocabulary so that they become keenly aware of every opportunity for vocabulary expansion. If teachers and students know the difference between active and passive vocabulary, they can treat them differently. Translation is not the best way to explain new words. English-English explanation is better than translation, but again it is not the best for vocabulary teaching. There are many other more effective ways. An English-English dictionary can be very helpful, though beginners may find it more comfortable to use a bilingual dictionary. It is more effective when words of related meaning are taught and learned together. Studying vocabulary in language contexts are more effective. Forgetting is inevitable. But if words are frequently used, they are less easy to forget. II. What does knowing a word in