Developing Conversation and Vocabulary Skills

The study aimed to investigate (a) the effect of digital games, songs, and flashcards on vocabulary knowledge of Iranian EFL preschool learners and (b) the young learners" performance on mid-course tests of vocabulary with different topics. The participants included 350 preschool female learners in Oshnaviyeh, a town in Western Azarbaijan Province and were divided into three tablet, song, and traditional groups. Pre and post-tests of vocabulary and four mid-course tests based, on the learnt vocabularies, were administered during the research. The materials also consisted of a digital game, 16 songs, a structured student book, a workbook, and 60 flashcards. The analysis of the data revealed that there was no significant difference in the vocabulary knowledge of preschool learners who learnt vocabularies via games, songs, and flashcards. The results also showed that there was a significant difference in the three groups" mid-course tests with different topics. The findings r...

Many adults especially business people have the need to learn English for their work. Yet, a lot of them have problems in different language skills. For example, across U.S.A, business English teachers encounter Chinese speaking students who had problems in writing proper English business messages (Beamer, 1994). Although a lot of educators have been trying creative approaches on teaching children, the adult classrooms are relatively more traditional. This paper aims at reviewing some prospective problems and sharing with the practitioners some approaches for language instruction.

Abstract : 1. What are we doing when we do grammar ? / 2. So what is grammar?/ 3. Where do the rules in book grammars come from ? / 4. So is grammar just about the links between words ? / 5.Language grammar always happens at the same time as lots of other things in your brain / 6. What should grammar teachers teach ? / 7. Do students learn useful language control from studying grammar books? / 8. Can teachers teach grammar? / 9. How can language teachers be most useful? / 10. Do grammar mistakes matter? / 11. Is accuracy more important than fluency?

This is the outline of a seminar on grammar teaching given as a teacher inservice for Chinese English teachers in Zhengzhou, Henan, China, on 13 May 2008. Thor May has been teaching language and linguistics since 1976.

The present textbook An Introduction to Life Skills is designed to meet the needs of undergraduate students of Skill Enhancement Course in English.  It is intended to help students to develop their personal and social skills which include, critical and lateral thinking, self-awareness, mindfulness and self-esteem, management of stress and anger, decision making, goal setting and time management, civic skills and social responsibility, cultural awareness and respecting diversity and gender roles. It will also help them to be digitally literate through the acquisition of knowledge of computer security, network safety, online transactions and search skills, MOOC and their utility, P2P networking and so on.

The acquisition of these skills will help students to develop their abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour so as to deal effectively with the demands and the challenges of everyday life.

BALAV was inspired first by the presence of English & Spanish technical vocabulary in Texas secondary textbooks. Technical and formal English is descended from Latin and French--relatives of Spanish. Informal English is descended from German. Marzano and Pickering's model of vocabulary development is utilized. Hispanic achievement drops sharply between 4th and 11th grade; bilingual instruction is usually banned after 5th grade, regardless when the newcomers reached the US

English is a key part of the Year One Higher Diploma in Business Programme (HD1) at the Dubai Women’s College (DWC) in the United Arab Emirates. Several years ago, the HD1 English faculty team decided to prioritize the teaching and learning of vocabulary to try and help students better cope with the demands of their coursework. The target vocabulary for HD1 is the Academic Word List (AWL). As Coxhead points out, the AWL is more than just a list, it can be used as a basis to ‘set vocabulary goals….construct relevant teaching materials, and help students focus on useful vocabulary items.’ The AWL is comprised of the ‘semi-technical’ lexis that assists students in their English language academic development and Business studies.

This article traces the development of HD1’s approach to the teaching and learning of vocabulary over 2-3 years, the central importance of independent student learning and research, the use of technology in facilitating the process, and the assessment procedures developed.

The ideas discussed areeminently ‘transferable’ and applicable in other contexts.

" A cognitive approach to instructed acquisition of English tenses by speakers of Russian is described in the framework of a cognitive theory of tense and aspect (CTTA). It is argued that the meaning and function of the so-called tenses may be understood in relation to the underlying cognitive structures rooted in perceptual experience, which are similar in both languages. The usual stumbling blocks in the acquisition of "tenses" are summed up, and a simple three-step procedure is offered for choosing a correct tense in discourse. The suggested approach allows to dramatically improve the process of grammar acquisition.

Keywords: cognitive grammar, observer, perceptual groundedness, aspect.
"

These are notes on English stress, rhythm and intonation.

Part A is for students and Part B is for teachers.

The treatment here is “technical”, as by a linguist, but in very plain language. Even with poor formal English, L2 speakers who “sound right” will gain social acceptance, and this in turn will greatly accelerate their learning.

Firstly the concept of “the music of a language” is introduced. It is noted that languages are on a scale of “syllable timed” to “stress timed” (though this is not a simple matter). English is a stress-timed language. Both word stress and sentence stress are essential in English. However, proper word liaison and elision marks native speakers from non-native speakers. Some advice is given on how to practice privately and in a classroom. The importance of teacher talk as a model is noted.

The borrowing of loanwords into Korean is prevalent and is occurring at a quickening pace. In the learning of English vocabulary, the English cognates of these English-based loanwords (EBLs) could be targeted for instruction, but rarely are. Indeed, their inclusion in vocabulary learning is often stigmatized, and research on the use of EBLs in Korean discourse and on classroom instruction on their English cognates is minimal. This study sets out a classification of EBLs, based on their differences from their English cognates, and quantifies these differences with a quality designation. This EBL quality score identifies the types of differences for which more focused instruction may be required. The survey also show that learners us a considerable number of English cognates of EBLs in their written production and general use. However, the study also reveals that learners often do not know how the English cognates that they are using differ from their EBLs or even whether they differ in any way. It is obvious that there are pedagogical ramifications of these findings, and it is indeed proposed that much more attention be accorded to cognates of EBLs for a rapid English lexicon expansion and English cognate understanding.

The goal of this course is to strengthen your Spanish communication skills by (1) providing a place for regular guided oral practice of basic grammatical and conversational patterns and vocabulary through topics of current interest, (2) increasing your confidence to use Spanish inside and outside the classroom, (3) helping you add to your active vocabulary, reinforcing it with readings and selected written exercises, and (4) helping you improve listening comprehension (live speech, short videos, movie) and speaking ability (oral exams, pair/group work in class, etc.).

In April 2006, Kinki University Technical College implemented three new textbooks with the aim of increasing the communicative competence of the students. The researcher compared the effectiveness of the new textbooks by using three approaches: firstly, a textbook analysis based on the Littlejohn Approach; secondly, a questionnaire completed by teachers who used the textbooks; and thirdly, semi-structured interviews with four practitioners who used both one of the new and one of the traditional textbooks. This paper reviews these three methodological approaches.

The rising use of English as an international language has caused scholars in the field of culture pedagogy to question the relationship between the English language and the cultures of the English-speaking countries it has traditionally been associated with (Kramsch 1993, 1998; McKay 2002; Risager 2006, 2007). As a result, research into this area of language teaching and learning has been highly prolific in the twenty-first century as can be confirmed by the number of articles and books addressing the subject. This paper comments on some of the results obtained from a larger piece of research which considered the role played by culture in the learning of English as a foreign language in Majorca, Spain. Results indicate that much of the cultural knowledge of EFL learners is based on popular cultural stereotypes. This paper will discuss how these results can be understood within a theoretical framework of language socialisation theory (Shieffelin and Ochs 1986), social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner 1979) and stereotype theory (Gudykunst and Kim 1997) and how this may have consequences for the future of English language learning within the context of English as an international language.

The main aim of this study is specifically designed to find out how to develop game materials and hopefully come out with results providing insight to the question " How can we easily memorize vocabulary items and how can we promote effective ways to learn English vocabulary in a relaxed manner. The findings suggest that the use of games in foreign language learning may benefit the process in many aspects such as memory of vocabulary. The results proved that the occurrence of memorize is improved with games, and therefore may be a more efficient way to encourage language acquisition.

p.55 in the attached volume

My paper will not have a single focus, but the unifying central theme will be the description of the method actually being enacted in particular contexts (method-in-use) to help us compare unique experiences across contexts. For cross-cultural comparison to be possible at all, we have to assume that there is something in common between even the most divergent teaching contexts. I have therefore selected the two most different situations I could find from my own experience and from my research and then used the same model to compare them. By comparing experiences of unique teaching situations across diverse contexts, we attempt
to learn from the local experience of others, help to make sense of local experience for ourselves and help others to make sense of their own experience. After briefly summarizing my model of method-in-use developed and modified from my earlier PhD study (Nunn 1996), I will narrate some of the episodes that could not be included in an examined study or in standard journal articles, but which help support the perception of the need to describe real local experience and to look below the surface of polished academic study. Anecdotal narrated experience would not normally be included in standard academic writing. I use this partly as a counterbalance to more formal writing I have already published on this same subject, but partly because I have come to believe that formal academic writing can take the life and energy out of what is a very dynamic, lived profession and can exclude
some highly relevant local data. I do not believe it is possible to understand the context I describe without the anecdotal narrative.

Listening to and processing the pronunciation of speakers of different native and non-native varieties of English presents a challenge for many learners. The general consensus among authors of ELT handbooks is that teachers need to use listening material that will help learners become aware of different accents of English (i.e. Harmer, 2007; Celce-Murcia & Olshtain, 2000)

In order to discover if teachers of English share this view and if this is reflected in their teaching practices, a questionnaire was completed by a representative sample of 47 English language teachers in Thessaloniki, Greece. The mean response for each questionnaire item was calculated and the paired-samples t-test was undertaken in order to determine if any differences in the scores were statistically significant.

The questionnaire results indicate that the perceived importance of learners' exposure to a standard British or American variety is greater compared to the learners' exposure to standard regional, non-standard regional, or non-native varieties of English. A similar pattern emerged in terms of the teachers' responses to the question addressing the frequency of learners' exposure to various accents of English through the listening material of the course. Conversations among non-native (but fluent) speakers of English received the lowest rating of all questionnaire items; this is disappointing since nowadays English is primarily used for communication among non-native speakers of English (Jenkins, 2000). This study suggests that the views expressed in ELT handbooks in this area have had little impact on teachers' practices and the reasons why this is the case will be revealed.

Participation in class is essential for learning a foreign language, especially in the English class within the current context of the Catalan education. Participation constitutes the opportunity to improve students’ communicative skills and, for this, vocabulary is important since words are the tool for communicating in any language. The goal of this study is to enhance class participation and expand students’ lexical repertoire for their productions through a gamified approach. The idea of introducing vocabulary games in the EFL class arose after the positive outcomes of a running dictation with a 1st ESO group characterized for its learning difficulties. Using game-designed activities for promoting participation (Silvers, 1982; Langran & Purcell, 1994; Masrom & Yusof, 2013) and specifically teaching vocabulary (Uberman, 1998; Smith, 2006; Yip & Kwan, 2006) are still recent approaches which require further research. The participants of this reflective practice is a socially diverse 1st ESO group with an A1-A2 level of English and serious socioeconomic problematic situations or individualized plans (e.g. ADHD, dyslexia, newcomers). The data was collected after an interview with the teacher, a students’ participation observation tool, two lexical evocation tests, four game-designed activities, and a final questionnaire. The results show that games encouraged a friendly competition, which served as an activator for students’ motivation and captured their attention, generating a non-threatening atmosphere which enhanced class participation. Moreover, students stayed focused on task and the game-designed activities fostered teamwork and provided multiple opportunities for them to participate. As for the lexical results, the teaching intervention refreshed students’ previous knowledge and expanded their lexical repertoire. Broad generalisations about the results cannot be drawn taking into account the reflective nature of the study and the limitations of its very small-scale. However, it is possible to extract conclusions from the given context, and the gathered data could be usefully recycled for future research.

""In the context of rapidly expanding English-medium higher education in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), this thesis investigates how a group of native speaker English language teaching professionals perceive the social aspects of the environment in which they are working and the extent to which these perceptions affect the conceptualisation of their professional identities. Specifically, it focuses on how a complex interplay of cultural, economic, religious and political ideologies may impact upon the working lives of the respondents.
This research was carried out at eleven higher educational institutes in the UAE and data was gathered through interviews with English language teachers, teacher trainers and managers. The study’s findings reveal a complex, diverse and often conflicting picture of the way the respondents perceive the context in which they are working and a wide variety of attitudes regarding the ideological issues identified as impacting upon ELT in the region. However, emerging from the data was a dominant discourse of fear related to issues of power, religion, gender and money, maintained by uncertainty regarding the extent to which a censorial approach to teaching was required. The perceived precariousness of the respondents’ employment was also identified as the source of practises which raise ethical questions about the construction of professionalism in a context dominated by a discourse of fear and, in turn, implications for both practitioners and institutions.
Overall, this study reveals that in a context where ‘Gulf Arab/Muslim’ students interact with ‘Western native-speaker’ teachers, the preconceptions that often adhere to such labels in their respective societies may bear little resemblance to the attitudes, actions and beliefs of the individuals concerned. This raises implications both for the training of English teachers in the importance of contextual considerations and for the construction of the native speaker teacher in the literature.
""

The study aimed to investigate (a) the effect of digital games, songs, and flashcards on vocabulary knowledge of Iranian EFL preschool learners and (b) the young learners " performance on mid-course tests of vocabulary with different topics. The participants included 350 preschool female learners in Oshnaviyeh, a town in Western Azarbaijan Province and were divided into three tablet, song, and traditional groups. Pre and post-tests of vocabulary and four mid-course tests based, on the learnt vocabularies, were administered during the research. The materials also consisted of a digital game, 16 songs, a structured student book, a workbook, and 60 flashcards. The analysis of the data revealed that there was no significant difference in the vocabulary knowledge of preschool learners who learnt vocabularies via games, songs, and flashcards. The results also showed that there was a significant difference in the three groups " mid-course tests with different topics. The findings recommend that using different techniques in the classroom considering learners " interest and needs can improve vocabulary knowledge of young learners.

One of the major problems learners face in vocabulary learning either in EFL or ESL settings is the issue of vocabulary retention in which vocabulary items are mostly forgotten in the first hours or days since learning or memorizing occurs. Although many studies offer the effects of different modes of meaning making such as print mode or visual mode on vocabulary retention, there is a paucity of research on the relative effectiveness of the combination of different modes in comparison with the application of one specific mode. In the present study, the application of multiple modes of meaning-making i.e. a combination of linguistic, visual, audio, spatial, and gestural communicative modes in the new century in learning skills and sub-skills has been referred to as Multimodal Pedagogy. In order to fill in the gap by investigating the effect of multimodal pedagogy on L2 vocabulary retention, an experimental study was done on 60 Iranian EFL female pre-intermediate learners in an English Language Institute in Gonbad-e-Kavous, a northern city in Iran. The treatment sessions lasted for ten ones during which the experimental group received vocabulary presentation using Multimodal Pedagogy. The control group followed the conventional pedagogy based on which they just received the library dictionary definition of vocabularies using print-based educational materials. The findings suggested that students who were exposed with a variety of modes of meaning making displayed better long-term vocabulary retention. This may be due to the fact that learners learn vocabulary items more efficiently as the experimental group pedagogy makes connections between their in-class and out-of-class language practices. This study is also of pedagogical implications for curriculum designers and English language teachers to redefine and reconsider their notions of vocabulary learning and teaching based on new pedagogies.

Over the last years non-language contents in ELT coursebooks appear to gain in importance thus adding a dimension of interest and motivation. Although the acquisition of forms and meanings are still central in the beginning stages of foreign language learning and teaching, content tends to occupy a key role, not only as a carrier of input and prompter of expression, but also because of its information, educational and entertainment value. To what extent do we find a greater variety of non-language contents in coursebooks today? What purposes do they serve? What do teachers do with them in the context of secondary schools TEFL? The talk aims at exploring these issues on the basis of an analysis of texts in a selection of widely used elementary coursebooks and the voices of practicing teachers.

At the top of the assessment pyramid are multinational testing corporations, best known by the names of their standardized tests, such as IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, BULATS, TKT, Cambridge ESOL main suite, or G-TELP (there are many other aspirants). In some ways these testing companies can be thought of as the Big Pharma corporations (i.e. drug companies) of the educational world. Like Big Pharma they are subject to constant challenges to their ethics and reliability from within and without, and like Big Pharma they are rather prone to corrupt the issues which they were designed to assist with. The possible corruption of language learning by the requirements of testing is known as wash-back. Wash-back is not always malignant. The analysis in this paper is a tentative attempt to manipulate the wash-back from an international test in a manner which actually assists genuine language acquisition. This material is drawn from some Masters degree work (2005) and comes to 138 pages.

"This paper will cover what incidental and instructional vocabulary acquisition entails; how each is thought to work, and how each affects the acquisition of language. To achieve any sort of acquisition first we have to know what a word is. After that incidentiality is examined and show to hinge on sufficient, and meaningful, exposure to lexical items. Thereafter we look at instructional vocabulary training and reminded that strategy training and rote learning has been shown to enhance and support vocabulary acquisition. Lastly we ponder upon how vocabulary could be taught by applying incidental exposure in conjunction with instructional teaching using meaningful feedback and extensive peer group-work.

Keywords: Incidental vocabulary acquisition, instructional vocabulary training, incidental exposure, exposure, receptive knowledge, productive knowledge, communication, group-work, feedback, input, learning strategy, facilitator of learning."

This is an answer sheet for the game: THINKER
"How many words can you list that start with the letter "T" and end with the letter "R"

Intelligence takes many forms: understanding and applying rules, ability to generate patterns, lateral thinking, interpersonal, intrapersonal etc. Perhaps a wide vocabulary is one part of intelligence?

Granted: word skills are certainly not a test of emotional stability or spiritual values or ethical awareness.

Use this exercise in pairs ¬— as a group exercise — for the best results. Ideally use this game as a warm-up exercise at the start of a class.

You can use a whiteboard, or just practise as an oral/aural activity.

It can be time-limited. Try 1, 3, 10 or 15 minutes, and compare results.

Actually, it's most effective as a collaborative social media game that might help to bring less frequently used words to the surface.

When I posted this type of verbal mind-game on Facebook it went viral, with lots of people participating. It was also a self-policing game that tended to be supportive and inclusive as it combined individuals of different ages, background, and ability.

There are over 300 answers if you are playing this game in English. Enjoy!

This systematic review provides a comprehensive analysis of the empirical literature on the effectiveness of vocabulary instructional methods for English language learners (ELLs) in prekindergarten through 6th grade settings. Thus, a central goal of this study is to appraise the available research on vocabulary learning and assess intervention studies’ levels of evidence for effectiveness in order to make a critical assessment of the variables that are currently represented in the field. Specifically, the research questions guiding this systematic review are: (1) How do intervention studies developing L2 word-meaning acquisition with ELLs in pre-kindergarten through 6th grade settings vary in their methodological characteristics (i.e., research design, learners, instructional design and outcome)? (a) What are the studies’ levels of evidence for effectiveness based on their design and outcome characteristics? and (2) What is the impact of studies that meet requisite evidence standards on learners’ L2 word-meaning acquisition?
A total of 18 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. Independent coding of 20% of the articles (n=4) was completed, the results were cross-checked against the original codes, and further discrepancies in coding were resolved through discussion between the two coders. The final criteria were subsequently reapplied by the author to all studies in the review. Coding categories for each study were organized by four main characteristics: (1) design characteristics (i.e., random assignment, baseline equivalence, comparison group type); (2) learner characteristics (i.e., L1/L2 proficiency, SES, age and grade level); (3) treatment characteristics (i.e., focus of instruction, level of L1 support, word tier targeted, total instructional time, training, explicitness of instruction, contextual/definitional support, group size, and level of word exposure) and (4) outcome characteristics (i.e., outcome objective, type of measure, type of ability measured, modality, word tier assessed, and type of knowledge). Based on the studies’ design and outcome characteristics, their level of evidence for effectiveness was also examined. Subsequent analyses revealed that a large proportion of studies underreported information and did not meet evidence standards for effectiveness. Additionally, studies with available effect sizes for measures of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge revealed inconclusive evidence about the best instructional practices for ELLs due to the large variations among a limited number of studies in their instructional approach, learners, and outcome characteristics.
An analysis of the merits and limitations of the reviewed studies reveals a number of methodological problems that threaten the validity and credibility of vocabulary research. These findings highlight the need for increased research in this field of study, particularly in revisiting existing practices to add to current understandings relating to vocabulary practices with ELLs. Additionally, this study points to specific issues in current research and provides recommendations for researchers seeking to address the significant knowledge gap in research that is centered on ELL vocabulary learning.

VARIEDADES. SECOND EDITION. INTERMEDIATE/ ADVANCED SPANISH CONVERSATION

Carmela V. Mattza
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0002-9683-8734

Document Type
Book

Publication Date
Fall 12-17-2021

Abstract
VARIEDADES. Second Edition. Intermediate/ Advanced Spanish Conversation is a textbook for the student at the intermediate / advanced intermediate level. Through audiovisual activities, the student is expected to put their previous knowledge into practice and improve their ability to understand, write, listen, and speak in Spanish. VARIEDADES offers communicative activities that can be easily adapted into courses of different levels. In addition, it offers an appendix of activities with films and a Spanish grammar section that by subject directs the student to electronic databases that are freely accessible or are part of the Open Access platform.


Recommended Citation
Carmela V. Mattza. VARIEDADES. SECOND EDITION. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED SPANISH CONVERSATION. Vigo (Spain), Academia Editorial del Hispanismo, 2021.

This study investigated the relationship between vocabulary size and reading comprehension performance among students in a tertiary institution in a Malaysian context and examined the vocabulary size required for students to achieve reading comprehension at various levels of proficiency. The research questions that guided this study were: 1) What is the vocabulary size of second year diploma students studying Mass Communication?; 2) What is the reading comprehension proficiency of second year diploma students studying Mass Communication?; and 3) What vocabulary size is required for different levels of reading comprehension proficiency? This study used the quantitative approach. The participants were 53 Malaysian second-year students at a private university college in Malaysia who were reading for their Diploma in Mass Communication. The instruments used were the Vocabulary Size Test and the IELTS Reading Test (Academic Module). The findings showed that the average vocabulary size of the students was just over 6000 word families and this vocabulary size was generally insufficient for adequate reading comprehension. Students needed an average vocabulary size of about 8000 word families to achieve adequate reading comprehension and about 10000 word families to achieve proficient reading comprehension. Based on the individual student's performance, this study did not find a linear relationship between vocabulary size and reading comprehension performance, nor was there a threshold vocabulary size for adequate reading comprehension.