Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Kaylie Searight
Over the past several years, the number of English language learners (ELLs) has been
rapidly increasing. This is due to the influx of immigrants from all over the world into the United
States. A study conducted in 2006 proved that over the course of the last ten years, the number of
ELLs have in fact doubled, and over four hundred different languages are now spoken
throughout the country (Nichols et al., 2008). With that being said, it is especially important that
educators are equipped and ready to teach a highly diversified classroom. A student’s proficiency
level is a very important element under the diversity umbrella. A very important stage in a
child’s development is their transition out of the concrete stage to the formal stage, also known
as the intermediate level. When teaching vocabulary to students who are learning English, a gap
can be formed. Thus, some ELLs are left behind in the concrete stage and have a difficult time
mastering English. It is the teacher’s job to meet the needs of all students and to implement a
plan that will benefit each one for the rest of their lives. There are several research-based
strategies that can help bridge the gap for intermediate-level ELLs.
The Issue
barrier can be formed that must be overcome in order for students to increase their English
language proficiency. At this level, education factors are often times noted as the main cause of
low test scores for students with low English proficiency (Nichols, et al., 2008). Perhaps this is
because of instructional material that is not appropriate, lack of proper pacing, and instruction
that is not effective in the classroom. Ineffective instruction is a result of a lack of understanding
Semantic Mapping
A major issue among ELLs is acquiring meaning from a certain piece of text. For these
students, learning vocabulary is most effective when the student can relate the new words to
previously learned vocabulary. Semantic mapping is a pre-teaching method that students can use
before they come across words in the future. Students can visualize the differences amongst
various vocabulary words in a map or web diagram. In Figure 1, a representation of this method
is shown. The bold face print represents what the teacher presents to the students. The italicized
print represents what an English speaking student and an ELL jotted down while reading the text.
This strategy has students take notes while reading instead of before or after. Through semantic
mapping, students are forming their own clusters of sub-topics that relate back to the main idea
of the text. The purpose of this strategy is to provide the students with “an interactive learning
tool that enables them to discuss and use visual aids and online sources to deepen their
understanding” (Nichols et al., 2008). After the students are finished reading and their semantic
map is completed, the teacher can open up a new discussion that focuses on the new vocabulary
Figure 1. Semantic
Mapping. Visualized
representation of an
example of a
semantic word map
use for a science
classroom. (Nichols
et al., 2008).
Useful Vocabulary Strategies for Intermediate-Level English Language Learners
Contextual Approaches
In order for ELLs to be successful in finding meaning behind a word or phrase, he or she
must have context to use previous knowledge to comprehend the word or phrase. Experienced
readers implement the information they have previously learned as they read a piece of text in
order to comprehend the meaning. They may also use their knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and
roots when there is not enough context to help establish meaning (Nichols et al., 2008).
However, this has been found to be difficult for ELLs who typically lack the prior knowledge of
morphemic analysis that experienced English speakers have. It is imperative that vocabulary
The morpheme circle strategy is a tool used by educators to break down different parts of
words, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Students will be working in groups and will find four
words that share a word part (e.g. penti-, circu-, and -ology). Then, the student will draw a circle,
as shown in Figure 2, and divide it into four different parts forming four quadrants. A technique
that often helps students is having him or her draw a picture or write a specific word that will
reactivate knowledge of the major word part when they come back to it. Once the circle is filled
out, the teacher can bring the class back together to have a discussion about the word parts and
their meaning. When implementing this tool into an ESL (English as a Second Language)
classroom, it is important to understand that it is best taught through guided practice. When
educators uses familiar examples and models the method. When this type of scaffolding is
presented to a student, it has been proven that the ELLs become highly capable of applying
contextual analysis in vocabulary instruction. This strategy promises great potential when
Useful Vocabulary Strategies for Intermediate-Level English Language Learners
strategic modeling and the teacher verbally explaining the thought process of forming word
The contextual redefinition approach is a strategy that helps students use approachable
context clues (i.e., word level, syntax, and pictorial). By doing such, students are doing more
than just taking a guess at a word’s meaning. In an ESL classroom, an English-speaking student
is paired with an ELL. The students will use different sources, both print and non-print, to
identify meanings of words. This approach is set up in a chart form. There are five columns and
the labels include; word, word level clues, context clues, predicted word meaning, and actual
word meaning. A way to adapt this is by letting the students find pictures and definitions using
online resources to help broaden their comprehension of the words (Nichols et al., 2008).
Typically, teachers reading out loud to their students is an elementary level idea.
However, research has shown that when older ELLs are read to, the process of reading which
includes, fluency and comprehension skills, is modeled for them. While it may seem like an easy
strategy, it is important for teachers to plan an effective instructional plan that specifically
focuses on the read-aloud. During the reading process, teachers can make predetermined pauses
throughout. The frequent stops are beneficial for ELLs because they chunk the text into parts that
are manageable for the students. The stops also allow for checkpoints to see if the student has
understanding of the text. With more difficult pieces of text, teachers can implement an
adaptation to the read-aloud, which is called the read-aloud plus. This adaptation “involves the
teacher reading text aloud to students while adding visual support, periodic paraphrasing, and …
[an] extension” (p. 16, Bolos). First, the teacher can pre-read and identify different vocabulary
terms and concepts that he or she feels the students may not understand. Then, the teacher
assembles different materials such as visuals, photos, objects, or paraphrases that are appropriate
for students. Next, the teacher would convey a purpose for the lesson. This would be done by
providing detailed instructions in a clear manner, followed by reading the text. While the teacher
is reading, he or she should engage the students in order for students to find meaning and to
make connections. When the teacher is finished with the reading, they assess how much the
students have learned in a way that is appropriate. For example, using a visual or by having the
students paraphrase what was read to them, are both excellent ways to assess learning at the end
of a read-aloud plus. Even though the steps to this strategy are highly in-depth, there is one
important consideration that teachers need to make before-hand. Teachers need to make sure
they are using text that fits the academic level of the students and that the text is appealing to the
Mobile Technology
Since technology is rapidly changing and is becoming a major part of education, teachers
must begin with new and up to date technology to build upon the students’ knowledge. “The
prevalence of the internet makes it more and more important to know how to use internet
resources and services and, as a part of this, to read and write in English” (Ahangar & Isadi,
p.312). Research has shown that a very popular and effective way helping ELLs with vocabulary
is through the use of a smart phone. This is especially helpful for those at the intermediate level,
because most students at that age either have a phone, have access to a phone, or they at least
know how to operate one. A main feature of the smart phones is the access to applications
(apps). The apps range in all levels of proficiency, so it is easy for students to find the one that
This app is a study too that is made to engage students in speaking English correctly. The
basic version that does not require a purchase, helps users master one hundred commonly used
English words. When using the app, the student views the word, listens to a narrator say the
word, and then the student can record their voice saying the word, which helps with comparison.
Afterwards, the student takes a quiz to assess what they learned and can create an audio word
bank for review. What teachers and students like about the idea of using smart phones for
vocabulary instruction is that they are portable and are sometimes easier for the students to use
When working with several college students who were from all over the world, a lot of
different resources were discussed. A girl from South Korea said that she uses the Google
Useful Vocabulary Strategies for Intermediate-Level English Language Learners
Translate app to help her with English words or phrases that she has a hard time either saying or
comprehending. This app is helpful because it allows students to communicate quickly. She said
it takes her less than twenty seconds to find a word meaning. Went she went into more detail, she
explained that the app allows you to hear the translation and will spell out the translation as well.
She also mentioned that the app is incorrect sometimes, especially with different American
slang. However, this app is accurate for the most part and is a great tool for her to use during
Since ELLs require double the studying time and learning must be double in order to see
sufficient academic success. Because of this, teachers need to be exposing to these new words
through a variety of resources from several frameworks within the curriculum (Alharbi, 2015).
The intermediate level is a crucial time for ELLs so by implementing various strategies into
lesson plans, the students have a better chance of reaching the goals set for him or her. These
strategies can include, semantic mapping, the morpheme circle strategy, the contextual re-
definition approach, interactive read-alouds, and a variety of mobile apps. By using a variety of
methods in order to develop the proficiency levels of ELLs, teachers are providing instruction
References
Ahangar, A. A., & M. I. (2015). Online text processing: A study of Iranian efl learners'
Alharbi, A. M. (2015). Building vocabulary for language learning: Approach for ESL learners to
Bolos, N. (2012). Successful strategies for teaching reading to middle grades English language
Nichols, W. D., Rupley, W. H., Blair, T. R., & Wood, K. D. (2008). Vocabulary strategies for
Nisbet, D., & Austin, D. (2013). Enhancing ESL vocabulary development through the use of
Ping, A. M., Baranovich, D., Manueli, M. K., & Siraj, S. (2014). Promoting self-regulation in
vocabulary learning among Chinese EFL learners: A needs analysis. The Asia-Pacific
Yang, F. O., & Wu, W. (2015). Using mixed-modality learning strategies via e-learning for
Society, 309-322.