New Teacher Tips - How to Teach Vocabulary to ESL Students

For ESL students, vocabulary is the mostthe word. This game can be played in groups,
important element leading to readingindividually or with the entire class.When planning
comprehension. Without extensive vocabularyrecognition type activities, include a variety of
teaching and practice, ESL learners will not be ableactivities that will engage the students and
to reach the required proficiency standard ofstimulate them cognitively. Activities need not be
reading. This article will look at some tactics fortoo challenging and should motivate and interest
incorporating more vocabulary teaching basics.them to learn the language.
Step 1 -Decide which vocabulary items you wishStep 4 - Progress from recognition style activities
to teach for the first time. There should be noto production-based activities, which require
more than 10 of these items, and ideally theystudents to do something else with the word
should be pulled from a reading comprehensionother than simply recognize its meaning. Spelling
text that students will read.bees and short creative writing assignments
Step 2 - Prepare interesting pre-reading activitieswhere students brainstorm around a targeted
using vocabulary. Provide many new opportunitiesvocabulary word from a list are a few such
for students to encounter the word. This can beactivities.
done by showing the word using a picture or aStep 5 -Prepare assessments that combine both
flashcard.recognition and production-based tasks.
Step 3 - Provide opportunities for students toStep 6 - Circle around a variety of learning styles.
recognize the word in a variety of contexts usingFor your audio type learners, use more dictation
sentences, describing pictures and playing games.practice activities, while your visual learners could
A good elementary level games is "I spy," wherebenefit from more picture use, especially when
you describe a word and students have to guesslearning the word for the first time.