THE EFFECT OF EXERCISES IN ENGLISH
ELEMENTARY READING BOOKS, ON THE
SUCCESS OF VOCABULARY TEACHING
—PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTION PROPOSALS
Author: Özgür Akman Çevik
Advisor: Ass. Prof. Dr. Sevinç Sakarya Maden
A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Department of Foreign Languages Education in Accordance with the Regulations of the Institute of Social Sciences
Trakya University Institute of Social Sciences
February, 2007 Edirne
TEŞEKKÜR
Çalışma sırasında bilimsel katkıları ile bana yardımcı olan, eğitimim süresince emeğini ve yardımlarını esirgemeyen, tez danışmanım Eğitim Fakültesi Yabancı Diller Eğitimi Bölüm Başkanı Doç Dr Sevinç SAKARYA MADEN’e teşekkür eder, şükranlarımı sunarım. Çalışma süresince değerli önerileri için Sayın Yrd Doç Dr Nesrin KAYA ve Yrd Doç Dr Muhlise COŞKUN ÖGEYİK’e, istatistik alanında yardımları için Sayın Yrd Doç Dr Nesrin TURAN’a, bana maddi ve manevi her türlü desteği veren eşim ve aileme burada teşekkür etmeyi borç bilirim.
Tezin Adı: Başlangıç Düzey İngilizce Okuma Ders Kitaplarında Yer Alan Alıştırmaların Kelime Öğretme Başarısına Etkisi - Problemler Ve Çözüm Önerileri
Yazan: Özgür AKMAN ÇEVİK
ÖZET
Bu çalışmada Trakya Üniversitesi Teknik Eğitim Fakültesi 2. sınıf İngilizce derslerinde 3. ve 4. yarıyıllarda okuma odaklı bir yaklaşım sürdürüldüğünde, okunan kitaplarında yer alan alıştırmalara ek olarak kelime öğretimine ilişkin aktiviteler sunulması durumunda, öğrencilerin kelime öğrenme başarısının artıp artmadığı araştırılmış, yeni kelimeler pekiştirici alıştırmalar ile desteklendiğinde, öğreticilerin göz önünde bulundurmaları gereken hususlara dikkat çekilmeye çalışılmıştır.
Araştırmada belirlenen sorulara cevap bulabilmek için deneysel araştırmanın denk kontrol gruplu ön test son test modeli ve ayrıca bir anket uygulaması kullanılmıştır. Bunların uygulanması süresince üç farklı okuma kitabından alınan metinlerin ve alıştırmaların yanı sıra deney grubu öğrencilerine kelimeleri kavramaya ve sağlamlaştırmaya yönelik ek alıştırmalar verilmiş, yeni kelimelerin tekrar kullanımına ve üretimine yönelik etkinlikler yapılmıştır.
Araştırmanın neticesinde öğrencilerin kelime bilgilerinin son test ile arttığı tespit edilmiş, ancak deney grubu ile kontrol grubu arasında söz konusu olan farkın istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı olmadığı görülmüştür.
Anahtar kelimeler: kelime öğretimi, pekiştirme alıştırmaları, kalıcı öğrenme, öntest, sontest
Name of the thesis: The Effect of Exercıses in English Elementary Reading Books, on the Success of Vocabulary Teaching
—Problems and Their Solutıon Proposals Author: Özgür AKMAN ÇEVİK
ABSTRACT
This study explores whether the students’ success in learning vocabulary is enhanced if additional vocabulary teaching activities are presented alongside the exercises in the books taught when a reading focused approach is adopted in Trakya University technical Education Faculty 2nd class English lessons of 3rd and 4th semesters and draws attention to the points that need to be considered by teachers when new vocabulary is supported by practice exercises.
Pre test –post test model with an equal control group of the experimental research and a surey were used to find the answers for the questions outlined in this study. During the application of these, additional exercises which served for the comprehension and consolidation of the vocabulary were given and activities which focused on the recycling and production of the new vocabulary were carried out to the experimental group besides the exercises of texts extracted from three different books.
The post test showed that the students’ vocabulary expanded as a result of the study, however the difference between the experiment group and the control group was not found to be significant.
Key words: vocabulary teaching, practice exercises, recycling of the words, production of the words, pretest, post test
DEFINITIONS
• Collocates: To place together or in proper order; arrange side by side. n. word which frequently qualifies another.
• Comprehension: The ability to understand, convert and translate without the help of a clue.
• Lexical sets: Words that belong to a particulary group. This group could be a:1. Semantic group
Example: cat, dog, elephant, snake
belong to the semantic group Animals.
2. Syntactical group
Example: pretty, long, unusual, frightening
belong to the syntactical group Adjectives.
3. Functional group
Example: Hello, Hi, Good morning, Hello there
belong to the functional group Greetings.
Lexical sets are often referred to as Word Families.
• Recall : To call back to mind; to revive in memory; to recollect; to remember; as, to recall bygone days.
• Target Words: The words in foreign language that has been learned. • Text-based exercises, questions: Preparing exercises and questions according to a text
• T-test: One of the most commonly used tests used in social sciences
ABBREVIATIONS
WM : Working memory STM: Short term memory LTM : Long term memory
CDE : Constructıon Desıgn Educatıon CE : Constructıon Educatıon
GPA : Grade Point Average GP : Grade Point
EFL :English as a Second Language L2 : Second Language
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 PROBLEM
In recent years, studies have shown that only interactive teaching is inadequate in teaching foreign languages in Turkey, and that teaching foreign languages aimed at bringing an ability to read and comprehend is more appropriate in countries that are geographically far from where the native language is spoken. (see Neuner, 1993)
In this context, in the mandatory English classes at Trakya University Technical Education Faculty’s 1st and 2nd semi-semesters, English grammar is taught with a textbook titled ‘Headway’ and subsequently in the 3rd and 4th years, a reading oriented approach is adopted. This intends to help the students to read and understand the foreign language literature in their related field and follow the innovations and technological advances.
Reading consists of recognizing; dissecting, perceiving, understanding and comprehending of words (see Celce-Mercia, 1991). In time, the reader learns how to use words, dictation and punctuation correctly and therefore how to think in a right and effective way. Because vocabulary constitutes the basis for reading and comprehension, it needs to be expanded while continuing the reading activity for easier comprehension of the material.
Thornbury (2004:14) has stated that the effort to learn a large number of words does not solve the students’ problems to learn new vocabulary and that the communicational advantage of improving vocabulary in class has been neglected. In fact, in the Direct and Audiolingual methods, vocabulary has been cast aside while teaching grammatical structures has been prominent. Since the 1970s with the communicative approach, teaching of vocabulary has moved into prominence and after 1984 textbooks has began to include activities that specifically targeted vocabulary.
Nowadays, the importance of teaching vocabulary systematically in EFL programs is recognized so that vocabulary becomes the focus in EFL classes.
When a word is encountered for the first time, the probibilty of forgetting it is high unless the word is reiterated. In order to remember the words and word groups, they need to be correlated to older information. New words are forgotten if they are not used. In teaching materials, activities which call for reiteration of words are not given enough importance. Therefore, teachers must use activities suitable for reiteration and reinforcement to teach their students new words they have encountered for the first time.
One of the conclusions Oxford and Scarcella (1994:102) have come to in their research ‘How to teach vocabulary’ is this:
‘It is very rare that words are used over and over in textbooks. The number of practice exercises in textbooks is usually inadequate. The new vocabulary in the text is not reiterated in the following activities; in fact they are not even used again in the same book.’
Nation (1990:41) has stated that in order to remember a word, it needs to be encountered 5 to 16 times in activities or texts. Nation also has the opinion that most teachers do not handle the vocabulary they are going to teach systematically and do not make long term plans related to the teaching of new vocabulary, often preparing just before class.
From the excerpts above, it is understood that vocabulary needs to be expanded in order to improve success in the reading and comprehension process so teaching vocabulary is important; however the textbooks are inadequate in this respect and that new vocabulary is forgotten fast. In this context, this study intends to find out whether vocabulary learning will be improved or not by presenting additional exercises to the ones in elementary English reading textbooks.
1.2 THE AIM OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to find out whether vocabulary learning is improved by presenting additional exercises to the ones in English reading textbooks which are studied in English classes of Trakya University Technical Education Faculty. Improvement is evaluated by pre and post tests. Trakya University Technical Education Faculty students whose foreign language is at elementary level are assigned and three texts taken from reading textbooks are used in class. In this process, after the control and experimental groups are assigned, the experimental group is given additional exercises and any improvements due to these additional comprehension and reinforcement activities are analyzed.
1. How can the vocabulary teaching studies in reading classes at elementary level which form the basis for the reading process be more effective?
2. How adequate are the exercises present in reading text books in terms of teaching new vocabulary?
3. What will change in the students’ comprehension of the text and their vocabulary when new exercises are provided in addition to the ones present in reading textbooks?
1.3 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
According to Chestain (1988) in order to have permanent learning in reading focused EFL class, words need to be transferred to the long term memory (LTM) as
well as introduced. Therefore, in cases where exercises in textbooks are short of helping students transfer words to their LTM, suggestions will be made for the teachers as to what they should put importance on in relation to vocabulary teaching.
1.4 ASSUMPTIONS
• Assigning control and experimental groups
• Determining these control and experimental group students’ English level by a pre-test
• Ensuring all participants take part in activities, the same information is given and have classes at the same time
• Ensuring both groups are at the same level of English, in this case beginners.
• Same texts used in both groups
• Giving the experimental group additional exercises along with texts.
1.5. RESTRICTIONS
The universe of this study is the Trakya University Technical Education Faculty students, and population is 2nd year Construction Design Education and Construction Education students whose level of English is beginners. After a pre test conducted at the beginning of the research, the Construction Education students whose outcomes were slightly lower were assigned as the experimental group and the Construction Design Education students as the control group.
1.6 RELEVANT RESEARCH
Tez No: 108882
An analysis of the problems faced during teaching/learning vocabulary at prep-school with special emphasis on reading activities. (a case study at Gaziantep University)
(Gaziantep Üniversitesi Hazırlık Okulu öğrencileri ve okutmanlarının kelime öğrenme ve öğretme sürecinde karşılaştıkları problemlerin okuma aktiviteleri açısından incelenmesi.)
Işıl Göğüş Tataroğlu, M.A. Thesis, Gaziantep University, 2001
Tez No: 105078
Improving students’ active vocabulary in English through strategy awareness, recycling, and student feedback.
(Öğrencilerin İngilizce aktif kelime hazinesini strateji tanıma, tekrar etme ve öğrencilerin geribildirimleri aracılığıyla geliştirme.)
Ayşe Akın., M.A. Thesis, Middle East Technical University, 2001
Tez No: 97291
The Influence of bilingual (English-Turkish) and monolingual (English-English) glosses on incidental vocabulary learning throught reading.
(İngilizce`den Türkçe`ye ve İngilizce`den İngilizce`ye sözlüklerin, okuma sürecinde rastlantısal kelime öğrenimindeki etkisi.)
Esen Yücel Spahıu, M.A. Thesis, Anadolu University, 2000.
Tez No : 117055
Teaching vocabulary at intermediate level in EFL classes
(İngilizcenin yabancı dil olarak öğretildiği sınıflarda orta düzeyde kelime öğretimi.)
Hakan Aydoğan, M.A. Thesis, Dokuz Eylul University, 2002.
Tez No : 116106
Foreign language vocabulary acquisition through on online tool.
(Çevrimiçi bir araçta yabancı dilde kelime öğrenme.)
Tez No : 101722
Teaching vocabulary in context.
(Bağlam içinde kelime öğretimi)
Ayşe Selmin Söylemez M.A. Thesis, Abant Izzet Baysal University, 2001
Tez No : 109214
Vocabulary teaching and learning through learning styles.
(Öğrenme biçemlerine dayalı kelime öğretimi ve öğrenimi.)
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
In this chapter, teaching vocabulary in reading-based English lessons will be dealt with, to what extent these exercises in the book of reading lesson is beneficial on teaching vocabulary is discussed and also additional theoretical information related to the organization of additional exercises are given.
2.1 READING (ENGLISH-BEGINNER LEVEL)
Reading is a process of interaction existing between the knowledge of the reader related with the given title and the subject and the text written by the author. According to Nunan (1989:33), reading is not only a coded form of the subject and grammar. According to him, good readers relate their own knowledge with the reading passage. Reading changes and improves the knowledge possessed. According to Grellet (1990: 7), reading is finding and taking out the needed information out of a written text as quick as possible.
Again, according to Grellet (1990:7), the students who are at the beginner level want to trust themselves in reading lessons. For that reason, the choice of the text which will be read is very important. The choice of texts with so many unknown vocabulary and long sentences with complicated structures decrease the interest of the text by complicating the understanding process. Additionally, Aytaş (2005)states that the students cannot keep up with the text frequently because of not understanding the words
and word groups completely and as a result of this their reading pace growth is hindered and in order to eliminate this, their word power should be improved.
2.2 THE QUALITY OF TEACHING VOCABULARY OF THE TEXTBOOKS
Thornbury (2004:34) explains that the factors determining the choice of vocabulary for the lexical section in the program of textbook content as usefulness,
frequency, being easy to learn and being easy to teach. Usefulness is the ability to use
the words immediately. Through teaching the words such as pencil, blackboard, door, notebook etc, the students are made to use them. Because of the reason that most of the words do not have a chance to be used, it is very difficult to guess which words would be more necessary and to have them in the program. For that reason, vocabulary repertoire is examined. The words in the vocabulary repertoire are more useful than the other words. The reason of this is that the words in the repertoire are widely used while explaining a word. For the reason that teaching frequently used words also means teaching frequently used meanings, it has a stronger effect. Some words can be learned easily compared to others. For example, the word similar to the one in the student’s native language. It is so common to use them for the students in the beginner level and add them into the program. Being easy to teach should not be mixed with being easy to learn. If the words are presented with the pictures or can be defined they are more easily taught words. Moreover, words are more easily taught than verbs and adverbs.
Teaching vocabulary knowledge in the beginner level books firstly consists generally the people or objects in the classroom such as girl, boy, book and pencil. The reason for this is that the meaning can be conveyed easily. The students can both see and touch these objects in the classroom. According to Allen (1983: 21) the success in the learning process is related to the frequent usage of the senses. Although it is not possible for every student to touch that object, it would also be helpful to see the object while hearing its name. Later texts and levels include the words related to the objects and people which are in the daily life of the student. When the lessons progress the students would know more words and for that reason the teacher could explain English words by using another English word. Similarly, the words which cannot be explained
by movements or pictures are taught by other previously learnt words. Furthermore, when the lessons go further the words are taught in categories such as furniture,
transportation, health, weather, buildings, and parts of a house. The words taken from
these categories are presented to the students in each lesson. Presenting words is applied by using in a simple paragraph or is applied according to the requirements of the grammar used.
The inputs of vocabulary in the books are given in three ways. (See Thornbury 2004: 35)
• As separated vocabulary sections in the units • As integrated into the text based activities
• As coincidentally existing in the grammar explanations, exercises and procedures.
In addition, the words are presented in lexical sets in the vocabulary section. Being able to catch the differences between meaningfully so close words in the same set is beneficial However, learning lexical sets is difficult. Days of the week, colors, even the easiest words hot and cold are confused and become difficult to learn when given as a set. In spite of this most of the textbooks prefer to give the words by using the lexical sets. Instead of giving word compared with their antonyms, it is more instructive giving the same word by matching with its commonly associated collocates. For example, instead of ‘hot water’, ‘cold water’, ‘hot coffee’ may be used and, by depicting ‘hot’ and ‘dry’ as completing each other and given like ‘hot summer’ (See Thornbury, 2004: 37).
Today’s textbooks include periodic repetition sections in order to make the words regularly used and repeated again. Vocabulary knowledge activities are frequently joined with text based activities. Paribakht and Wesche (1996) (Nation 2003, 159) classified the exercises given with the texts in the textbooks and used Gass’s (1988) five levels in learning from inputs. This classification relates the vocabulary exercises with the situations in which learning may take place and shows how these exercises are arranged in order to make them more effective. These five levels:
1. Gass’s very basic level is ‘apperceived level’. It is also named as ‘noticing’. In this stage, there are some factors affecting noticing such as repetition, salience and prior knowledge. Vocabulary exercises which provide the use of noticing condition(selective attention) as listing words to notice at the beginning of the text and using highlighting in the text. These are underlining, writing in italics and in bold and pointing with a star. Glossing items also gives the same effect. The biggest effect is enabling the word realized by making it striking when it is encountered next time.
2. Gass’s next level is ‘comprehended input’. Maybe this is the first levels for the receptive retrieval. Vocabulary exercises in this level (recognition ) consists matching the words with synonyms in the first or second language, with definitions or with their pictures
3. Paribakht’s and Wesche’s (1996) ‘manipulation’ level responds to Gass’s
‘intake’ stage. In this section, vocabulary exercises include morphological analyses of
the words resulting in forming words of different word classes with the addition of affixes.
4. Fourth level consists activities such as guessing words from the context and matching the words with collocates and synonyms, finding the odd one in a set and it are named as ‘interpretation’ by Paribakht’s and Wesche’s or ‘integration’ by Gass.
5. In the production level which is named as ‘output’ by Gass, the recall of the target word exists: it contains classifying activities, and activities such as finding the form of the word in the text to match the words with the definitions given after the text, and answering the questions demanding the usage of target word.
2.3 THE PLACE OF MEMORY IN LEARNING VOCABULARY
Grain&Redman (1986), emphasize that learning is also remembering. For that reason, knowing about memory is important. Psycholinguists explain memory as being able to fix knowledge by keeping it in some periods in verbal learning. In order to emphasize the importance of learning about the memory Schmitt (2000: 137) says that
‘Knowing how memory works may help us in gaining maximum advantage out of the time spent on repetition section while making a program.’
It should be realized that words are not learned on a linear manner only with an increasing progress without the possibility of going back. Teachers should remember that the students forget the words existing in the texts read in time. This forgetting is a natural result of learning. One part of the words goes through variable stages till they are “fixed” in the memory and learned.
There are three systems which are Short Term Memory (SHM), Working Memory (WM), and Long Term Memory (LTM) in the memory systems.
Short Term Memory (SHM) is for storing or keeping the knowledge in the formation process .It keeps the knowledge for a few seconds. This period of time can be lengthened if rehearsaled. For example if a phone number is repeated continuously it is not forgotten. Short Term Memory (SHM) works quickly but the capacity for storing knowledge is low. In other words, the capacity of SHM is limited. For that reason, learning new words really and keeping them in the memory is only possible through transferring the knowledge related to the word from short term memory to long term memory.
Focusing on the words for making processes is the job of working memory
(WM). Many cognitive processes such as reason-result relations, learning and
understanding are related to WM. This is the place where the knowledge is settled, operated on and separated according to later process areas.
Long Term Memory remembers the knowledge from the moment it takes it for
hours, weeks, and years. The knowledge should be repeated and used in order to be transferred to the Long Term Memory. LTM has an unlimited capacity and works so slowly. In order for knowledge to pass to LTM repetition is highly needed.
Thornbury (2003) explains LTM as a type of filing system. LTM has a huge capacity in opposition to WM which has a limited capacity and not having a fixed
content. It has ‘a part in which knowledge is forgotten quickly’ and ‘a part in which the knowledge is never forgotten’. The learner should transfer the knowledge from ‘the part which knowledge is forgotten quickly’ to the part in which the knowledge is never forgotten’. Researches made on memory show that in order for knowledge to pass to LTM and turn into permanent knowledge it should go through some stages of information processing. In order to be able to learn vocabulary taught in foreign language as they will not be forgotten and will be remembered if needed, the principles below should be considered.
• Repetition: Learned knowledge should be memorized by repetition while it is in WM. The knowledge is not remembered for a long time with common repetition if it is not arranged at the same time. The most ideal learning way to repeat a word is encountering new words with intervals at least seven times while reading ifthey have been met over spaced intervals.
• Retrieval: It is other type of repetition. Retrieval is recalling a word from the memory with intervals. Activities enable the learner to remember this word again in time.
• Spacing: It can be applied in short term memory and long term memory. In spacing firstly one or two of the words are introduced and after these are learned other two or three are tried to be taught. In each lesson previously learned words should be repeated. The interval between successive tests should gradually be increased.
• Pacing: The teacher gives time to the students as ‘memory work’ .In this period of time students organize, revise, and repeat new words silently and individually so that the students should be given the opportunity of to pace their own rehearsal activities..
• Use: Known widely as ‘use’ or ‘lose’, this principle enables students putting words to use and to settle them in LTM.
2.4 THE IMPORTANCE OF REPETITION IN VOCABULARY TEACHING
Repetition is highly necessary for vocabulary teaching. Because encountering the word once does not ensure the learning of the word. Repetition is related to the permanence of the knowledge. There are lots of studies related with how the words should be repeated. According to these Nation (2001: 77) states that spaced repetitions may result more positively rather than repeating the whole subject in one time. Spaced
repetitions include spreading repetitions to a long period of time. For example, after
firstly allocating 3 minutes, the same words are studied 3 minutes a few hours later, 3 minutes 1 day later, 3 minutes 2 days later and 3 minutes 1 week later. Time in total on the study of the words is 15 minutes; however, study time is spread over 10 days or over a longer period. Spaced repetitions enable learning the knowledge which will be remembered in a longer period. Repetitions should be performed with gradually increasing intervals. While the time period between the first repetitions is short, the intervals in the later repetitions should be longer.
Repetition may be effective if it is considered as ‘repetition’ by the student. That is, the student should remember that he or she has encountered the word before. The time of keeping the words in mind is important. The students are required to keep a word in their minds till at least one month later when they come across a word.
In a study, Anderson and Jordan (Nation, 2001:76) evaluated to what extent a new knowledge is remembered just after learning, one week later, three weeks later and eight weeks later. The percentages of being remembered is in the following: 66% just after learning, 48% one week later, 39% three weeks later, 37% eight weeks later. This result shows that repetition of the new words should be just after learning without forgetting takes place.
2.5 APPROACHES IN VOCABULARY TEACHING
The aim of vocabulary teaching is introducing the form , pronunciations are more generally the form of a word and enabling students to make a connection with the
meaning of the word (See Nation, 2001: 61). The researchers have different approaches in teaching vocabulary.
Seal, B (1998: 298) divides vocabulary teaching into two: Planned Vocabulary
Teaching Planned Vocabulary Teaching and Unplanned Vocabulary Teaching.
Unplanned Vocabulary teaching takes place when a student asks for the meaning of a word or when the teacher explains the meaning of a word in the lesson. Firstly, the teacher makes the students comprehend the word via using mimics, synonym words or anecdotes. Then, the teacher checks if the meaning is understood or not by asking some questions and lastly relates the learned words with another context or experience and strengthens the knowledge.
In addition to the examples, asking the meaning of a word which the student could not find the meaning to the teacher in the classroom is an example to Unplanned
Vocabulary Teaching. The teacher’s skipping one word which is important for the text
and explaining with the words that comes to his or her mind during the lesson is
Unplanned Vocabulary Teaching.
Planned Vocabulary Teaching is divided into two parts. In the first part the
students are made to comprehend the words while the lesson is in progress. In the second part; the lesson may be named as ‘vocabulary lesson’ because the basic approach of the lesson is giving priority to the activities directed to the presentation and practice of the words. Thinking that words may hinder the progress of the lesson the teacher makes prior study in order for the lesson to go further without having a problem. Word groups are taught in discussions, situational dialogues readings and listening tasks. In reading lessons what is given priority is Planned Vocabulary Teaching.
Seal (1998:298), divided both vocabulary teaching into stages following each other. In the first stage (conveying meaning); the words are introduced to the students. In the second stage( checking understanding); to what extent the students understand the meanings of the words is evaluated. In the third stage( consolidation), creative problem solving activities are used so as to make the students strengthen the words.
In the first stage, there are various word presentation techniques such as visual aids, word relations, pictorial schemata, definitions, explanations, examples, anecdotes, context, word roots and affixes, for the students’ comprehension of the words. In the second stage in which there are exercises checking the comprehension of the text read, there exists gap filling, matching pair, sorting exercises, and pictorial schemata. In the consolidation stage, there are activities such as problem solving tasks, values clarifying, story or dialogue writing, discussion and role-play.
Schmitt (2000: 145) considered what and how many the words which will be taught with a priority should be. In the priority list, there are numbers from 1 to 10, and wh- question words such as what, where, why, when and how. In the ‘useful vocabulary resource list’ there are 120 words. These include the words related to daily needs the reading signs, and ordering food. Most of the students want to learn the words with which they will be able to express themselves easily. For that reason, teaching 2000 words which can be encountered in the daily dialogues is a realistic target. These 2000 words do not give an opportunity to talk about the subjects in detailed way and in an advanced level; however, it enables the one to have a general knowledge under different headings and to have an opportunity to start to talk. According to Schmitt (2000: 144); while choosing 2000 words, a student centered method should be applied and the words which the students want to learn should be kept in mind. An approach like this motivates learning. In addition to this, frequently encountered words and the words used by giving instructions in classroom management should be given priority.
Explicit teaching focuses on activities related to vocabulary teaching. In this method, even in the teachers’ resource books, vocabulary exercises are given priority and especially repetition and recycling processes are given importance (See Schmitt, 2000: 146).
Nation (2003:93) emphasizes that it is necessary for the teacher and the students to use the time related to teaching vocabulary as beneficial as possible, systematic and according to the principles. For each unknown word two things should be considered:
• Is it worth spending time on? • How to study with the word?
If the aim of the text is teaching vocabulary, and if the subject is a high-frequency word with a high rate of usage, it is suitable to spend time for teaching-learning of the word. If the word gives opportunity to improve teaching-learning strategies such as guessing the meaning from the context or using parts of the word, it is necessary to teach this word.
According to Nation (2003: 93), giving rich instruction in vocabulary teaching is very important. Most of the instructions aim at spending time on the word, clearly discovering various ways necessary for learning a word, and students’ adding the word carefully and actively in the assimilation stage. Moreover, the connection of form -meaning should be strengthened. Another way of knowing a word is being able to connect a particular form and particular meaning. One should strive for learning how to write the word and its meaning and distinguish between them. In order to form a connection between the form and meaning of the word, it is necessary to make use of activities such as matching the words with the definitions, discussing the meanings of the idioms, drawing pictures, labeling, conducting group works and riddles.
According to Thornbury (2004: 75), it is important to explain the words in vocabulary teaching. In the presentation, the stages of a previously planned lesson in which previously chosen words are taught to the students are told. In the other parts of the lesson, situations causing incidental learning, such as discussions on unknown words may occur. The students should know both the form and meaning of the word. Before teaching a word, there is a question that the teacher should answer and it is ‘how many words should be taught?’. This is related to the learners’ familiarity with the words (they may have encountered with the word formerly), the difficulty of the words, being easy to teach (they may be easily taught, presented with the pictures), skills related with production (speaking or writing), or related to whether they are taught for solely making students comprehend the meaning (reading and listening), ore using them (speaking and writing). Generally most of the textbooks present a set of unknown words. In the later stage Thornbury (2004: 75) explains that firstly it should be decided that whether the meaning and then form should be taught first in vocabulary teaching. In the upcoming stage, it should be decided whether the words should be taught with translation, realia, pictures, movements and mimics, definitions or situations.
Thornbury (2004: 93) emphasizes that it is necessary to do exercises just after the presentation of the words. Although the idea ‘practice makes perfect’ is so common, randomly repetition of newly learned words may not enable them to transfer from STM to LTM. New knowledge (new words) should be combined with old knowledge. In order to keep the words in mind for a long time and recall when needed, they should go through some processes in the learning process. They should be kept in WM and should be exposed to different processes. These processes should be dealt with being taken apart from the others, should be put back together again, should be compared, matched, sorted, visualized, repeatedly filed away and recalled. According to Thornbury, these are integration activities instead of ‘practice activities’ which are less mechanical and less cognitive or reinforcement activities in language teaching. Integration activities include processes based on decision making processes and processes based on usage and word games.
When the approaches above kept in mind, the stages in Seal’s (1998: 298) Planned Vocabulary Teaching lesson will be made use of but instead of the activities given for these stages, Thornbury’s (2004: 93) integration activities which are more practical and cognitive will be used. The stages of Seal’s (1998: 298) Planned Vocabulary Teaching can be listed as this:
1. Presenting vocabulary: In this stage the words are presented to the students.
2. Conveying meaning: This is the stage which practice tests enabling students to comprehend the meanings of the words.
3. Consolidation: The students deepens the meanings of the words through creative problem solving activities.
2.6 PRESENTING VOCABULARY
According to Thornbury, most of the students want the words to be explained in the classroom through the language they are learning instead of learning them on their own outside language courses. Explanation is understood as the stages of planned
course stages in which previously chosen words are explained in the lesson. Incidental
vocabulary teaching occurs naturally via using them while reading a text or using them
in a discussion
The first question is that how many words are presented. These are related to the factors below:
• Learners levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
• Learners’ being familiar with the words (the words are the ones which are used or encountered by the students.
• Difficulty level
• Being easy to teach, that is being easy to explain and depict.
• The words’ being for the usage (speaking and writing) or only remembering (listening and reading)
In addition to these; according to Mc Carthy (1990) a student can learn between 8 and 12 words in a 60 minute-lesson, that is, between 8-12 words can be introduced and the students can use these words in their sentences. There are approximately 15 unknown words in a text including 500 words. Furthermore, researches show that a person should know nearly 300 words in order to be successful in the target language. For that reason, the teachers should firstly deal with the frequently used words.
There are various ways to convey new lexical meaning to the students. It is not advised to use one of the methods individually. Different and various presenting methods are more effective. In order to relate the form and meaning if Gairn’s and Redman’s (1987: 73-76) classification is followed presentation techniques are divided into two groups: visual and verbal techniques.
The things that are seen is more effective than the things heard for the people. Visual aids may be in many ways: flash cards (printed or hand made), wall charts, reflecting via Over Head Projector, blackboard drawings, etc. The contents of these may generally be food, drink, clothes, house arrangements and furniture, outdoor places related to the nature, and transportation types. In addition to this, it may cover useful
grouping pictures related to the people’s jobs, countries and sports. According to Gairn and Redman (1987: 73–76), it is arranged as followed:
Realia, is the usage of real objects. Pictures, is very effective for the objects
which are impossible to bring in to the classroom. A drawing on the blackboard also accelerates the student’s comprehension of the word. The teacher does not have to be so talented. Funny drawings may entertain the class and they may be as effective as a professional drawing. What is important here is to draw quickly and not to lose time while drawing. Mimics and Gestures, is the most effective way of presenting a new word. Because it resembles to Total Physical Response which provides sticking into one’s mind. A quick mimic may represent a concept or action. A sketch performed in front of the class has also the same effect.
The usage of realia, pictures and mimics is limited. Other words in the target language are used when presenting the words for which visual assist cannot be obtained.
Verbal techniques, is not only giving the words’ definitions in the dictionary. Other than these;
a) Presenting with definitions and illustrative situations b) Explaining with contrasts and opposites
c) Giving synonyms and definition
d) Explaining in the second language with scales or related gradable items e) Explaining by the examples of the type
Using visual techniques takes more time than verbal techniques, but they may be more effective in terms of sticking into one’s mind.
Translation is another technique used in explaining the meaning of a word. It is a technique used for saving time. Gairn and Redman (1994) emphasizes that a word learned through translation is a knowledge gained without making much effort and for that reason it may not be remembered easily.
2.6.1 Vocabulary Presentation Activities
During explanation, the teacher is considered as active and the students are passive in a language class. According to Thornbury, (2002: 30) so as to involve students into vocabulary learning actively, word knowledge activities which teaches firstly the form and then the meaning, which are form-meaning related and text based. A learning process like this gives students an opportunity to talk and does not let their concentration be spoiled.
Personalize
This is a process of students’ using words correctly in a context which is suitable for them. In learning new words, the activity is conducted by encouraging students in order to explain the words which are related to each other.
Personalize activities, which are one of the ‘explanation’ activities which make
students to contribute to the lesson are;
1. The students may be required to write a newly learned word in the middle of a paper or the board and to write related words what comes to their minds through brainstorming. Students sitting far away from each other draw different word association networks onto their papers. Later on, they may compare their own word association networks with other friends’ word association networks.
Below there is the association network which a student formed for the word
(politician) as an example. politics president House of Parliament Member of the Parliament Lobby politician
2. If the words are taught in word sets such as foods, transportation types, jobs, or movie types the students may be required to make a personal arrangement between the words.
For example;
“ drama, thriller, musical, western, horror movie”
The students may be required to make an ordering from the one they like most to the one they like least.
Peer Teaching
The students teach the words to each other. The example activities are below.
1. Each student is given a list on which there are 6 or 8 words and their definitions in their native language are written. However, one student is given target words and the other student is given the meanings of the target words, their synonyms or antonyms. The students try to find to complete the words in their lists with each other’s list by cooperating. This activity can be performed by cards.
For example:
A) regularly B) make sure sth works/is okay Hurt sign
Check often
Properly cause pain to sth / sb Signal correctly
Pedestrian sb walking near a road
2. The students are given the words and the word categories. The students are made to match them by cooperating.
Films- thriller, drama, horror, action, comics,
Days of the week – Monday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, Sunday
Flowers- Rose, Tulip, orchide, daisy
2.7 CONVEYING MEANING
As Thornbury (2002, 31) states, new knowledge (new words in this context) should be supported with the exercises in order to join them with old knowledge. The idea of ‘Practice makes perfect’ is considered here. However, simple repetitions do not guarantee to transmit the knowledge from short term memory to long term memory. New knowledge should be joined with existing knowledge, that is, the words existing in the mind. For this, a set of operations is needed instead of simple repetitions. These operations are taking apart, putting back together, comparing, matching, combining, sorted, visualizing, recalling, being repeatedly filed away. According to Thornbury, these are ‘comprehension activities’ not ‘practice activities’ or ‘reinforcement activities’ and they are related to language teaching methods which are less mechanical and less cognitive.
There are various processes that the teachers may apply in order to help the words to settle in LTM. Some of them need more cognitive effort than the others. These word processes which require decision making are comprehensive tasks. If the processes related to the words are ordered from the ones requiring the least cognitive process to the ones requiring the most cognitive process, these are;
• Identifying • Selecting • Matching • Sorting
• Ranking and Sequencing
These processes do not have to be applied one after another. After an identifying process, a matching or ranking process may be applied.
2.7.1 Word Meaning Comprehension Activities
Identifying
It is finding the words where they are hidden in the text.
For example:
• Find eight comparative adjective in the text. • Underline all the word ending with –ing • Find five idioms.
Selecting
Selecting processes are more complicated than identifying processes because it needs knowing the word and decide between the words.
Selecting takes place in the activities such as ‘Find the odd one’. There may not be only one correct answer of these exercises. These are open-ended exercises.
For example:
• Work in pair. Select five words in order to describe yourself. Use dictionary if necessary.
Careful interesting clever cold confident funny imaginative intelligent kind lazy nervous optimistic patient pessimistic polite
quite calm rude sad sensitive nice serious tidy thoughtful
( Work in pairs. Choose five words to describe yourself. Use a dictionary if necessary.
Careful interesting clever cold confident funny imaginative intelligent kind lazy nervous optimistic patient pessimistic polite quite calm rude sad sensitive nice serious tidy thoughtful )
Matching
Matching processes includes the explaining a word visually, with the equivalent word in the native language, with its synonym and its antonym, with a definition and its collocate.
For example:
Match the words and their meaning
1) Member of the board ______ a) Ortak
2) Partner ______ b) Uluslararası şirket 3) Vice President ______ c) Yönetim Kurulu üyesi 4) Advisor ______ d) Başkan Yardımcısı 5) International Company ______ e) Danışman
Sorting
Sorting activities requires classifying the words in different categories. The categories may be given to the students or they may be made to guess.
For example:
• Put these adjectives into two groups- positive and negative.
emotional friendly good-humoured outgoing confident ambitious rude self centered offensive kind selfish nice
Ranking and Sequencing
In Ranking and sequencing activities, the students are expected to put the words in order.
For example:
Think that you have just moved to an apartment building. You can buy one furniture item each week. Rank the items below according to the ones you want to buy first.
refrigerator bed table sofa wardrobe chair dish washer bookcase oven
washing machine drawer
2.8 CONSOLIDATION
Nation (1990: 41) states that a word which is encountered once cannot be learned, and researches show that in order to learn a word it should be encountered approximately 5-16 times (or more than 16). In the nature of human memory a word could be forgotten if it is newly learned (like other all-part-system learning). Word loss happens in the beginning stage of vocabulary learning. If the words are not repeated after presentation they are forgotten. Textbooks are not enough in terms of reusing the words, for that reason, the teacher should repeat the words in the textbooks with extra exercises.
Because of the fact that forgetting a word is easier than remembering vocabulary knowledge gained first should be mentioned. If new words are not repeated later on, it is impossible to remember them. The reason for this is our brain has a tendency to forget rather than to remember. If a student has learned 10 words, some of them will be forgotten in a few days and maybe one or two of them will stay in working or long term memory. One of the accepted views is that vocabulary acquisition continues during the increase of the vocabulary. The increase of vocabulary is in verbal level.
Figure 2.1 Continuity of knowledge or knowledge scale
In the two ends of information processing tasks, there are receptive and
productive words. A comprehensive knowledge related to the word comes before the
usage of this word. This results in the demand of using perceived words in order to acquire more words.
Figure 2.2 Continuity of the vocabulary knowledge based on perception and usage
Word based on perception Word based on usage
The students make comments related with the words in the activities at the first stages based on vocabulary learning, but they do not have to use them. What is expected from the students to do is the processes based on the production of the words from the beginning in order to add them into their LTM. The processes based on production come after the processes based on receptive tasks. Some types of speaking and writing activities are based on production. Thornbury (2002: 100) gathers the processes under two main headings.
• Completion: Completing the blanks of the sentences and texts • Creation: Creating the sentences and texts
2.8.1 Vocabulary Consolidation Activities
Gap-filling
Gap filling processes consist activities based on production. Because of the fact that they are based on production, they are easy to stick in one’s mind. Although generally sentences and texts are completed, here it is used in the completion of the words.
The completion of sentences and text is generally known as gap-filling. Gap filling is writing processes and because they are easy to prepare and solving, they are generally used for testing and evaluating. The students are directed to guess the
meaning so as to find the missing word. The students have to deal with word in terms of linguistics. They see the target word and other repeated words together. One of the most common gap filling activities is that the students are expected to find the suitable word for the gaps in the sentence or paragraph out of the words given and fill in the blanks. They can be divided into two as open and closed gap filling. In the open one, the students are expected to fill in the gaps out of their minds, that is out of the knowledge in their minds. In closed gap filling, the words are given as a list at the beginning of the exercise. Solely, which word will be suitable to which gap is thought.
For example:
In the example of “I am thirsty, I need a drink.”, ‘drink’ or ‘thirsty’ may be left blank and they check if the students understand or not the word ‘thirsty’.
Some instructions related to gap filling activities are as followed; • Complete the text by writing a suitable word in each blank.
• Find the suitable word from the list to complete the sentences. Keep in mind that words in the list are more than the sentences.
• Complete the sentences by choosing the most suitable word from the list. Use each word only once.
Creation
In the creation of the sentences and texts, it is expected to create the content according to the words given.
For instance:
(Some example instructions)
- Choose three words from the list and make a meaningful sentence out of these.
- Make correct sentences related with yourself or somebody you know using each of these words
CHAPTER 3
THE METHOD OF THE RESEARCH
In this section, the design of the research is explained, information is given about the experimental and control groups, the data gathering methods used is listed, how data was gathered and analysed in this study is elaborated.
3.1. RESEARCH MODEL
A variety of research models are utilised in scientific studies. 3.1.1 Quantitative Approach
Quantitative approach is also called empirical approach or numerical approach. Research in sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, engineering are based on observation and survey.
Studies where observations and surveys are reproducable and objective are called quantitative studies. (see Ergun, 1997)
Quantitative research methods are: Historical, Descriptive, correlational, experimental, field study, phenomenology, ethnography, quasi-theory, case study, action research.
3.1.2 Experimental Method
In a study that uses the experimental method the effects of one certain variable in two or more groups is analysed. At the end of the experiment the difference, if any, between the two groups is determined through statistical analysis. If the experimental study findings suggest a difference, a deterministic relationship can be established. For
instance, it can be inferred with the help of this method that one teaching method is more effective than the other(s).
There are different varieties in this method:
A) Models without a population and a control group 1- Uncontrolled Post test model
2- Uncontrolled pre and post test method B) Models with a control group
1- Controlled post test model
2- Controlled pre and post test models
C) Models with a population and a control group 1- Cross test model
2- Pre and post test model with a population and control 3.1.3 Controlled Pre-test Post-test Model
In this study the controlled pre-test post-test model was used. In the controlled pre-test post-test model, the groups are not assigned randomly. Instead, a control group that is similar to the experimental group is used. Both groups are given a pre-test and it is ensured that the pre-test scores are similar. Whether there is a significant difference between the arithmetic means of groups is checked by the ‘t test for independent groups’. Therefore, in this study, the experiment and control groups were assigned with a pre-test, using groups that were similar to each other.( same level of English and same hours of foreign language classes)
Groups Pretest Process Post test
EG PS1 Text 1, 2, 3
Additional Exercises
PS 2, 3, 4(A new test was given after each text)
CG PS1 Text 1, 2, 3 PS 2, 3, 4(A new test was given after each text)
3.2 POPULATION AND SAMPLING
The universe of this study is the Trakya University Kırklareli Technical Education Faculty as this is the place where the researcher works that was chosen to conduct the study. The population is the 2nd year students of Construction Design Education and Construction Education students who have the same level of English and same hours of foreign language classes. An experiment and a control group were assigned according to the controlled pre-test post-test model. The Construction Design Education (CDE) group whose scores were less lower than the Construction Education (CE) group was assigned as the experimental group after the pre-test, and the Construction Education group was assigned as the control group. (Fig.3.2)
(Figure 3.2)
Although there were 46 students enrolled in the CE department, and 52 in the CDE department, only 25–35 students followed classes regularly; however 33 experimental group students and 37 control group students who took the research test were taken into consideration. The study was carried out in the 2005–2006 education year.
3.3 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES
Three texts were chosen from three different reading books to be used in the study (Reading and Writing Targets, Facts and Figures ve Themes for Today), analysing the exercises in the books and preparing additional exercises to be used in the classes.
PS1 X ± S
EG 61,88+14,764 CG 63,46+18,836
3.3.1 The Criteria for Choosing the Books and the Texts
The books Themes For Today, Reading and Writing Targets and Facts and
Figures, where the texts “Sharks: Useful Hunters of the Sea” (3–15), “The Sami of
Northern Europe” (182–188), “Happy New Year” (20–23) were present were chosen using the criteria below. (Maden, 1995:106).
Student oriented criteria:
• The books being at elementary level as the students are.
• Although both Experimental and Control Groups are Technical Education Faculty students, because the classes are not ESP classes, the topics were picked out according to their mutual experiences.
• That they would ensure student participation
• Including exercises that improve the students’ cognitive abilities
Text oriented criteria :
• Not including too many new words to ensure understandability and to keep the students interested
• The texts being appealing to the students’ age group and being interesting • Being visually rich
• With the comprehension questions vocabulary and practice exercises should take a part at the end of the text.
• The exercises being various and large in number
3.3.2 Analyzing the Selected Texts
In reading classes, some activities need to be done before the texts are studied. To evaluate what is known about the topic, the questions below are used for pre-reading preparation.
Analysis of textbook exercises in terms of their vocabulary teaching adequacy
Here, the text exercises will be studies according to Paribakht and Wesche’s (1996, 2003, 159) criteria. Paribakht and Wesche declares five levels in teaching vocabulary.
1. The first level is also called the ‘appercieved input’, in other words ‘noticing’. This level consists of highliting in the texts; underlining, italics, bolding and the use of asterisks.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
The words written in thick letters in the exercises for the text ‘Sharks: Useful Hunters Of The Sea’ are aimed at affecting the students’ consciousness and alerting them. However, they were not written in bold when they were repeated in the text.
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
The new words were made clear by writing them in bolding and underlining them and some of their explanations were given next to the text with pictures. However, no such alerting was seen when they were used in exercises.
TEXT 3: “HAPPY NEW YEAR”
Here, no words were underlined, written in italics or thick letters. The students were not given any comprehension input before they read the text, and no italics, bolding or any alerting was used in the text exercises. (see page 87)
2. Gass’s next level is ‘comprehended input’. This may be the first step to towards receptive retrieval. Word activities in this step consist of matching them with their synonyms, definitions or pictures in their first or second language.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
The new words are matched with their synoyms or explanations in L2. There were only two such activities accompanying ‘Sharks: Useful Hunters of the Sea’in this level
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
Words in L2 are matched with their definitions and synoyms.
TEXT 3: “HAPPY NEW YEAR”
Picking the synonyms and definitions from the choices were used in these text exercises for comprehension, in other words as comprehended input.
3. Paribakht and Wesche’s (1996) ‘manipulation’ level is equivalent to Gass’s ‘intake’. The vocabulary activities in this last level consist of morphological analyses of the words that form different vocabulary groups by adding affixes.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
The word types in the text exercises were analyzed. These constituted different word groups but differed in the use of suffixes.
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE / METİN 3: HAPPY NEW YEAR”
In this level, there are no alerts that draw attention to the words’ forms. However it is stressed that adjectives are given importance in the last text.
4. The fourth level is ‘interpretation’ according to Paribakht and Wesche and ‘integration’ according to ‘Gass’ and consists of activities such as predicting words from context, matching them with collocates and synonyms and finding the odd one out in a set.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
In this activity it is required to fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
Again, there are only fill in the blanks
activities for interpretation and integration levels.
TEXT 3: “HAPPY NEW YEAR” Exercise 1.
In this exercise the right word will be predicted from the context and then marked. This is an appropriate exercise for the interpretation level.
Exercise 2.
This exercise aims guessing the word from the context and replace it with its synonym. This enables the students to interpret the new words and guess their meanings.
5. The production level that Gass calls ‘output’ requires the recall of the target word form. It consists of exercises such as labelling, , finding the form of the words in the text with the given definitions after the text and answering the questions that require the usage of the target words.
TEXT 1: “SHARKS USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
This activity requires the students to use the target words while answering the questions on the side.
TEXT 2: “THE SAMİ OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
This requires the students to use the target words while answering the comprehension questions on the side.
TEXT 3: “HAPPY NEW YEAR”
The questions for the ‘Happy New Year’ text aim the repetition of the target word and the exercises on the side aim finding the form of the word in the text and matching the words with their definitions.
Analysis of the Text Exercises According to Their Vocabulary Teaching Levels
“SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA”
The texts were first studied according to the criteria given by Paribakht and Wesche (1996) and Gass (1988). In the book ‘Themes for Today’ can be found a section where there is a preparation stage that has preparation activities which can be done before reading the text.
Here there is a short part of fill in the blank exercises from Thornbury’s production tasks
The follow-up activity below which was prepared using visual aids (Fig.1) was prepared according to the word production tasks based fill in the blanks exercises. There are cross-word puzzles and cloze quiz activities that aim at permanancy in the LTM by re-usage of the words. (Fig 1-2)
“THE SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE”
The matching exercises and questions aimed at comprehending the texts have been reviewed before.
These exercises consist of questions that are aimed at understanding the texts prepared using the newly learned words. The answers require the new words to be used. The true/false questions evaluate how well the texts, and therefore the words, were understood.
Şekil 1
“HAPPY NEW YEAR”
In the consolidation stage, there are also fill in the blanks activities. The exercises on the side and on the other page belong to the repetition stage in word derivation and vocabulary teaching. The vocabulary teaching in the exercises adopt a form-meaning relationship.
This exercise is an example of the selection activity of the comprehension level.
The picture below shows other vocabulary exercises that belong to the ‘Happy New Year’ text. The exercises that aim production and recall of the words were prepared emphasizing variety and visuality.
Although the exercises in the ‘Sharks: Useful Hunters Of The Sea” are supportive of the vocabulary teaching levels that Paribakht and Wesche (1996) and Gass (1988) have suggested, the conveying meaning stage is inadequate compared to others. Therefore, they will be given with the activities Thornbury (2002) suggested for conveying the meaning of the words.
In “Sami of Northern Europe” there were only the gap fill and matching exercises for the conveying of the meaning and repetition of the words. These exercises are not sufficient in tranfering the new vocabulary to the LTM.
The exercises in ‘Happy New Year’ are mostly very close to the criteria suggested by Paribakht and Wesche (1996) and the activities suggested by Thornbury for vocabulary teaching stages.
3.4 PREPARING ADDITIONAL EXERCISES ACCORDING TO THE VOCABULARY TEACHING STAGES
3.4.1 Presentation Exercises Prepared for the Selected Reading Passages
SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA
Peer Teaching
Find the oposite meaning of the words in your list 1. keep clean x 2. keep dirty Common x rare Dangerous x safe Useful x unuseful Warm water x cold water Night x dawn
Personalise
Sharks was given as the main word. Gather all the words you associate with this word and prepare an association network.
SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE
Peer Teaching
Find meaning of the words from your friends list. One of the lists has more words than the other one.
1. trip - seyahat etmek 2. reindeer - orman
tent - kar skin - kızak
deep - pantolon clothes - ilkbahar
forest - akşam yemeği pants - derin
sled - yaşam ski - göçmen
stormy - kış snow - pantolon
Meat eaters river Whale sharks whale dolphin fish Sharks Dwarf sharks Warm water swim lake sea ship ocean Atlantic ocean
coast - derin travel - çimen
grass - rengeyiği kayak
giysi kıyı
deri seyahat kayak fırtınalı çadır
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Peer Teaching
Find the definitions from your friend’s list. Find the oposites of the words.
1. colourful - tasteless 2. delicious x bright
big - sad happy x huge
difficult - make ugly decorate x hard
flag - easy hard x banner
traditional - dark bright x strike hit - historical
3.4.2 Exercises Aimed at the Conveying Meaning of the New Vocabulary in the Selected Texts
SHARKS: USEFUL HUNTERS OF THE SEA
1. Identifying
* Find the types of sharks-answer: dwarf shark, whale shark * Find the names of body organs-answer: eyes, ear, teeth-tooth (The books should be closed in this activity)
* Did the following words occur in the text?
2. Selecting
* Odd one out!
ocean, sea, lake, dawn / dolphins, animals, sharks, whales /Stormy, rainy, sunny, sleepy
3. Matching
* Match the words with their definitions.
1. One who hunts wild animals either for sport or for food; 2. full of risk, unsafe
3. a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot 4. plural form of foot
5. a person of unusually small stature, abnormal, an animal or plant much below normal size
___ a. Dwarf ___ b. Dangerous ____ c. Feet ____ d.hunter ____ e. Inches
4. Ranking and Sequencing
hunter, cancer, sharks, prevention, dwarf (people/sharks)
* Put the words in an order. Start from the most horrible to the least horrible one for people?
* Put the words in an order. Start from the most horrible to the least horrible one for fish?
THE SAMI OF NORTHERN EUROPE
The following exercises were used in the word consolidation stage
