VOCABULARY

Knowing a word, Teaching Vocabulary

The role of vocabulary in ESP teaching and learning

KNOWING A WORD
It involves knowing its

-PAUL

1. What does it sound like?

2. How is the word pronounced, written and spelled?
3. What parts are recognizable and needed to express the meaning?
1. What meaning does this word form signal and can be used?
2. What is included in the concept and what items can the concept refer?
3. What other words does this make us think of and could be used instead?
1. In what patterns does the word occur and use this word?
2. What words or types of words must we use with this one?
3. Where, when and how often can we use this word?

NATION (2001)

TEACHING GRAMMAR AND CRITERIA FOR

SELECTION
STEPS

CRITERIA

Keep the teaching simple and clear.

Frequency: the more frequently a word is used,

the sooner it should appear

Relate the present teaching to past

knowledge by showing a pattern or
analogies.
Use both oral and written presentation
-write it on the blackboard as well as
explaining.
Give most attention to words that are
already partly known.
Dont bring in poorly known related
words like near synonyms, opposites, or
members of the same lexical set.

Coverage: words with broader coverage should be

taught first
Range: words found in a variety of texts
Learnability: words which are similar, easily
demonstrated meanings, which are regular.
Opportunism: words that are relevant to learners
immediate situation.
Centre's of interest: lexical sets that will interest
learners in a particular group.

SUMMARY
The role of vocabulary in ESP Teaching and Learning
It is wise to direct a vocabulary to more specialized areas when learners
have mastered the 2000-3000 words of general usefulness of English.
(Nation 2001:187)

TYPES OF VOCABULARY
Spoken and Written Vocabulary- Spoken words like know, think ,like well where as written made up of function
words i.e. non content items like pronouns, prepositions etc.
Core and non-core Vocabulary- core vocabulary include those words which are more central to the language where as
non core include subject-specific vocabulary as far as the whole language is concerned.
Discourse structuring vocabulary and Procedural vocabulary- The abstract nouns that have little independent lexical
content like assumption, solution, factor belong to the discourse (to summarize) structuring vocabulary where as
procedural vocabulary is characteristically used to talk about the other words, paraphrase them, define and organize them.
Technical, semi technical and general vocabulary- (TV) that is used in general language and have high frequency.
(STV) that has specialized and restricted meanings in certain disciplines.
Academic Vocabulary-Word families that occur frequently in the academic texts and is not restricted to a specific
discipline.

ESP TEACHER AND VOCABULARY

Academic vocabulary & semi technical vocabulary and NOT technical vocabulary.
Selection of vocabulary for
teaching
a. Word Lists at an early stage
b. Awareness of criteria
c. use of concordances. E.g.:word families, related meanings.

Teaching and learning strategies

a. Contextual Guessing

b. Memorizing

c. Affixes learning

d. Repetition

e. Relating with Reality

f. Brainstorming Activities

THANK YOU