Vocabulary

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​Vocabulary is an important focus of literacy didactics and refers to the knowledge or words, including their structure (morphology), use (grammar), meanings (semantics), and links to other words (word/semantic relationships).

Oral vocabulary refers to words that children can sympathise or use while speaking and listening. Oral vocabulary is closely related to their reading vocabulary, which is the words that children can recognise and utilize in their reading or writing.

Words all have:

  • meaning, which can vary according to context
  • phonology – that is, sounds
  • morphology – that is, word parts
  • syntax, that is, the style in which words are bundled to grade phrases or sentences
  • uses, which may be multiple, depending on context.

The importance of vocabulary

Children demand to have a rich vocabulary that continually grows through linguistic communication and literacy experiences, in order to embrace and construct increasingly complex texts, and appoint in oral language for a diverseness of social purposes.

Focussing on vocabulary is useful for developing knowledge and skills in multiple aspects of language and literacy. This includes helping with decoding (phonemic awareness and phonics), comprehension, and besides fluency.

Theory to practice

Learning vocabulary is a continual process of language and literacy development, which begins in the early years of life, and continues through schooling and beyond. Sinatra, Zygouris-Coe, and Dasinger (2011) note that:

Kno​​​​wledge of vocabulary meanings affects children'south abilities to empathize and apply words appropriately during the language acts of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Such knowledge influences the complexities and nuances of children's thinking, how they communicate in the oral and written languages, and how well they volition sympathize printed texts. (p. 333)

It is crucial that children take explicit and robust instruction in vocabulary, to back up their exact and written advice. The explicit teaching of vocabulary allows students to admission academic language and soapbox, and facilitates their comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

Evidence base

Vocabulary plays an important role in oral linguistic communication development and early on literacy (Hill, 2012). Paris (2005) identifies vocabulary every bit 1 of the unconstrained skills, meaning that it is a skill that we proceed to develop over our life span. Konza (2016) notes the importance of explicit pedagogy of vocabulary to support students to go confident in a word'southward pregnant and use in context so that information technology will get part of their own repertoire.

Effective ways didactics of vocabulary involve the following main components (Sinatra, Zygouris-Coe, & Dasinger 2011):

  • explicit teaching of appropriate vocabulary words (see tier ii vocabulary below)
  • multiple exposures to same words in varying contexts (speaking/listening, reading, writing)
  • working with a partner or small-scale group to analyse words
  • story retelling using key vocabulary from texts
  • utilise of props or concrete objects to explicate vocabulary
  • explicit discussion of comprehension together with vocabulary
  • ensuring vocabulary instruction is embedded across the curriculum.
Supporting EAL/D learners to develop vocabulary

Increasing EAL/D learners' vocabulary is crucial in developing schoolhouse literacies and participating in learning activities across the curriculum. EAL/D learners may already have the words to depict a known concept from their prior learning or past experiences. This cognition tin exist transferred to English by using translation equally a learning process.

Some strategies for translating vocabulary in the classroom include:

  • using printed bilingual dictionaries or home language moving-picture show dictionaries
  • using online translation tools or dictionaries
  • creating a 'translation' or 'home language' column on vocabulary or spelling lists
  • displaying multilingual word walls or vocabulary lists in the classroom
  • checking translated vocabulary lists with family members, same linguistic communication peers or Multicultural Education Aides.

Translation alone is not a sufficient strategy to help students larn how to use new vocabulary. Students require ongoing support to infer the significant of words using contextual clues, and to break words into morphemes and understand how each part relates to the significant of the discussion.

Developing translation and vocabulary learning skills and strategies also helps EAL/D students proceed to develop their home language and literacy, which in turn supports learning in English. During the translation process, students may find gaps in their vocabulary, and become aware of the differences of significant betwixt words and grammatical structures in dissimilar languages.

Additional ways of supporting EAL/D students' vocabulary development include:

  • identifying and didactics cardinal vocabulary in context beyond all subject areas
  • providing opportunities to reuse key vocabulary in a range of texts and situations
  • providing displays of vocabulary and concepts, with illustrations and/or translations in the classroom. The instructor might demand to demonstrate how the students could utilize the displays in their learning
  • explicitly educational activity comprehension strategies for inferring and checking the pregnant of new words that are encountered in reading, listening and viewing
  • playing discussion games such equally I spy, Hangman or Bingo to reinforce vocabulary
  • discussing techniques and tools for recording and remembering vocabulary such every bit Apps or personal dictionaries
  • using graphic organisers to classify words into definitions and characteristics, with examples, non-examples and notes in English and/or dwelling house languages.

Multilingual graphic organisers, word walls or cognate charts scaffold EAL/D students' agreement of English words and brand other languages visible in school spaces. Students who speak English every bit a showtime language may be able to utilise these strategies with the vocabulary that they are learning in school.

The 'form, significant, and utilise' (Larsen-Freeman & Celce-Murcia, 2016) model tin also be used to help EAL/D learners empathise:

  • the 'form' (the give-and-take parts, the spelling, the sound of the word)
  • the 'meaning' (the concept of the word)
  • the 'use' (how the give-and-take is used in a judgement).

If EAL/D students are literate in their home language, they may include the 'grade, meaning and utilize' model alongside drawings, images or known phonetic symbols to develop their academic vocabulary in both English and their home languages. If a teacher or a support staff shares some of the home languages of the students, they will be able to check students' translations for accuracy. Otherwise, the teacher can ask students to identify and explain any differences betwixt their languages and English.

Links to curriculum

Foundation

Reading

  • Recognise that texts are fabricated upwardly of words and groups of words that make pregnant (Content clarification VCELA144)
  • Explore the unlike contribution of words and images to meaning in stories and informative texts (Content clarification VCELA145)

Speaking and listening

  • Sympathise the use of vocabulary in familiar contexts related to everyday experiences, personal interests and topics taught at school (Content description VCELA167)
Level 1

Reading

  • Place the parts of a simple sentence that represent 'What's happening?', 'Who or what is involved?' and the surrounding circumstances (Content description VCELA178)
  • Explore differences in words that represent people, places and things (nouns, including pronouns), happenings and states (verbs), qualities (adjectives) and details such every bit when, where and how (adverbs) (Content description VCELA179)

Speaking and listening

  • Understand the use of vocabulary in everyday contexts equally well every bit a growing number of school contexts, including advisable use of formal and breezy terms of address in different contexts (Content clarification VCELA202)

Writing

  • Recognise and know how to utilize simple grammatical morphemes in word families (Content description VCELA191)
Level two

Reading

  • Understand that nouns correspond people, places, things and ideas and include common, proper, concrete or abstract, and that noun groups/phrases tin can be expanded using manufactures and adjectives (Content description VCELA216)
  • Learn some generalisations for adding suffixes to words (Content description VCELA217)
  • Analyse how different texts use nouns to represent people, places, things and ideas in particular means (Content description VCELY223)

Speaking and listening

  • Understand the use of vocabulary nigh familiar and new topics and experiment with and begin to brand conscious choices of vocabulary to suit audience and purpose (Content clarification VCELA237)

Writing

  • Understand how texts are made cohesive by the use of resources, including word associations, synonyms, and antonyms (Content description VCELA224)
Level 3

Reading

  • Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (Content description VCELA250)

Speaking and Listening

  • Larn extended and technical vocabulary and ways of expressing opinion including modal verbs and adverbs (Content clarification VCELA273)

Writing

  • Understand that verbs represent unlike processes (doing, thinking, saying, and relating) and that these processes are anchored in time through tense (Content description VCELA262)
Level 4

Reading

  • Read dissimilar types of texts for specific purposes past combining phonic, semantic, contextual and grammatical knowledge using text processing strategies, including monitoring pregnant, skimming, scanning and reviewing (Content description VCELY287)

Writing

  • Comprise new vocabulary from a range of sources, including vocabulary encountered in research, into ain texts (Content description VCELA293)
  • Recognise homophones and know how to use context to identify correct spelling (Content description VCELA296)
Level 5

Reading

  • Empathize how to utilise banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, discussion origins, base of operations words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (Content description VCELA312)

Writing

  • Empathise the use of vocabulary to express greater precision of meaning, and know that words tin have different meanings in dissimilar contexts (Content description VCELA325)
Level half-dozen

Reading

  • Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative linguistic communication can express shades of meaning, feeling and opinion (Content description VCELA325)

Writing

  • Empathize how ideas can be expanded and sharpened through careful choice of verbs, elaborated tenses and a range of adverb groups/phrases (Content clarification VCELA351)
  • Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative language can express shades of significant, feeling and opinion (Content clarification VCELA352)
  • Sympathize how to employ banks of known words, discussion origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (Content description VCELA354)

Links to Victorian Curriculum - English equally an Additional Language (EAL)

Pathway A

Speaking and listening
Level A1

  • Sympathise that texts are meaningful (VCEALA035)
  • Recognise some familiar words in context (VCEALL048)
  • Recognise and utilise words from lexical sets related to immediate communicative need, interest or experience (VCEALL026)

Level A2

  • Recognise a modest range of familiar words in different contexts (VCEALL129)
  • Use words learnt from a range of classroom and social contexts (VCEALL108)

Reading and viewing
Level A1

  • Select books to look at or read independently (VCEALA038)
  • Use simple dictionaries and word charts (VCEALA040)
  • Rely on content words to understand the main idea in a text (VCEALL045)
  • Recognise familiar words and phrases (VCEALL046)

Level A2

  • Empathize how different types of images in texts contribute to pregnant (VCEALA116)
  • Select suitable books to read (VCEALA120)
  • Locate words in a bilingual dictionary or in class give-and-take lists (VCEALA121)
  • Focus on both content and functional words to understand the main idea in a text (VCEALL126)
  • Use developing knowledge of English to predict some words or phrases (VCEALL127)

Writing
 Level A1

  • Write some high-frequency words related to personal experience and schoolhouse context (VCEALL076)
  • Contribute ideas, words or sentences to a grade or grouping shared story (VCEALA062)
  • Analyze the meaning of a give-and-take in home language and ask for the word to be written so information technology can exist copied (VCEALA066)

Level A2

  • Use loftier-frequency words encountered in classroom activities (VCEALL155)
  • Employ some curriculum or content expanse vocabulary (VCEALL156)
  • Contribute to shared writing activities (VCEALA142)
  • Utilise a range of resource to find words or phrases for own writing (VCEALA146)
Pathway B

Speaking and listening
 Level BL

  • Use words from sets related to firsthand chatty need, interest or experience (VCEALL180)

Level B1

  • Use learnt words in spoken communication (VCEALL260)
  • Use the well-nigh basic forms of modality (VCEALL257)

Level B2

  • Use, in spoken language, vocabulary and structures learnt from spoken and written texts (VCEALL341)
  • Employ simple forms of modality (VCEALL338)

Level B3

  • Apply a range of vocabulary to convey shades of significant (VCEALL421)
  • Empathise how modal verbs express probability and possibility (VCEALL418)

Reading and viewing
 Level BL

  • Use uncomplicated dictionaries and discussion charts (VCEALA196)
  • Sequence words to make uncomplicated sentences (VCEALL203)
  • Utilise simple present and past tense verb forms to talk almost ongoing, electric current and past actions (VCEALL204)
  • Use some loftier-frequency describing word–noun and verb–adverb combinations (VCEALL205)
  • Recognise some common words or phrases (VCEALL206)
  • Build a vocabulary that draws on words of interest, learnt words and sight words (VCEALL207)

Level B1

  • Experiment with using a picture or simple English lexicon and/or a habitation language–English bilingual dictionary to find words (VCEALA276)
  • Read sentences that use basic subject area, verb and object patterns, where content and vocabulary are familiar (VCEALL283)
  • Place simple present and past tense verbs (VCEALL284)
  • Employ noesis of base words to read new forms (VCEALL285)
  • Read some familiar words and phrases (VCEALL286)
  • Build a vocabulary that draws on words of interest, topic words and sight words (VCEALL287)

Level B2

  • Use a simple English dictionary or course give-and-take list to find words, and/or check home language–English language bilingual dictionary for meanings (VCEALA357)
  • Read texts that contain chemical compound and complex sentences (VCEALL364)
  • Employ noesis of simple tense and negation to interpret the pregnant of written text (VCEALL365)
  • Use cognition of sentence structure to predict words or self-correct (VCEALL366)
  • Read some common words or familiar phrases (VCEALL367)

Level B3

  • Use an accessible English dictionary to check the meaning of new words, and/or bank check meanings in a domicile linguistic communication–English language bilingual dictionary (VCEALA436)
  • Follow the pregnant of complex judgement patterns (VCEALL443)
  • Interpret the meaning of written text that uses a range of tenses and negation (VCEALL444)
  • Use cognition of sentence structure to predict words and self-correct (VCEALL445)
  • Utilize knowledge of judgement structure and content to deduce the significant of unfamiliar words (VCEALL446)

Writing
 Level BL

  • Rely on memorisation and/or home language to retrieve new words and structures (VCEALA224)
  • Use topic-specific vocabulary encountered in classroom activities (VCEALL235)
  • Use basic descriptive words (VCEALL232)
  • Build a vocabulary that draws on words of involvement, learnt words and sight words (VCEALL287)
  • Use high-frequency words accurately, although sometimes repetitively (VCEALL234)

Level B1

  • Use a range of strategies to empathize new or unknown words (VCEALA304)
  • Incorporate learnt vocabulary into writing (VCEALL315)
  • Use a small range of simple descriptive phrases (VCEALL312)
  • Build a vocabulary that draws on words of interest, topic words and sight words (VCEALL287)
  • Use formulaic structures (VCEALL314)

Level B2

  • Apply a range of strategies to understand and learn unknown words (VCEALA384)
  • Use modelled vocabulary accordingly (VCEALL395)
  • Use uncomplicated extended descriptive phrases (VCEALL392)
  • Select some descriptive vocabulary advisable to context (VCEALL396)
  • Employ a varied and appropriate vocabulary (VCEALL394)

Level B3

  • Employ a range of strategies to expand vocabulary (VCEALA463)
  • Use a range of key vocabulary appropriately (VCEALL474)
  • Write using extended descriptive phrases (VCEALL471)
  • Create mood and feeling through the choice of appropriate vocabulary and idiom (VCEALL475)
  • Use some antonyms and synonyms (VCEALL473)

Central concepts

Discussion Classes and Grammatical course and role

Words are categorised into grammatical forms or word classes including the commonly known nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, as well as determiners, prepositions, conjunctions. Different word classes have different functions in terms of their grammer (including morphology, and syntax).

Students need to develop understandings of unlike types of words, as part of their metalinguistic awareness (knowing how language and literacy works, and the words that draw these phenomena).

When introducing vocabulary it is crucial for students to know the blazon (or class) of give-and-take information technology is. If ever students are unsure, they tin can be encouraged to check a paper or online dictionary, which will ever provide the discussion class in the listing.

Beneath is a table which summarises each word form (or form), including their part, examples, and whatsoever inflectional or derivational morphemes that attach to these.

Discussion Class Function Examples Inflections Derivations
Noun (incl Proper noun) person, place, matter, typically objects (concrete and abstract) junk idea rainbow reaction contend earthquake
  • Plural (-s, -es)
  • Possessive (-'south)
 e.g. -ance -ion
-dom -ness
-ment -ity -ism
-er
Pronoun stand in for nouns or substantive phrases I you they him she this these some their his myself ourselves each other n/a north/a
Determiner specifies the noun. eastward.chiliad. whose noun it is or which substantive is meant the a an
her their our
those this that
many more than neither
another		 n/a northward/a
Adjective words which typically modify a noun, denoting qualities or states (respond question such as Which i? What kind? How many? Whose?) long pointy childish imaginary sisterly
  • comparative (-er)
  • peak (-est)
 -ish -ary -able
-ly -y -ful
Verb generally denote actions, states, processes and events run play determine sorted synchronising thinking
  • third person singular
    present tense
    e.g. (she) walks
    (he) eats
  • past tense (-ed)
 -Ify -ate -ize -en
Adverb modifies (adds meaning) to verbs adjectives, and other adverbs slowly heedlessly very mostly n/a -ly
Prepositions provide boosted information by specifying location or space
i.east. they tell united states of america about the relationships between events and things		 in, at, on, off, into, onto, towards, to, nearly, as, with n/a n/a
Conjunctions used to join words, phrases, or sentences together and or but because whenever after before n/a n/a

When using personal dictionaries (where new vocabulary is added progressively as students learn new words), students should be encouraged to tape the word type in their entries. Adding an example sentence tin also be useful. These strategies assist develop students' independence in their understanding and use of new vocabulary.

Word Morphology

Morphology is the written report of words and their parts. Morphemes (like prefixes, suffixes, and base words) are defined equally the smallest meaningful units of meaning.

All words can be broken down into their morphemes:

Some words have also 1 morpheme system system (1)
Some accept 2 morphemes systematic system+atic (2)
Or 3 morphemes unsystematic un+arrangement+atic (3)
Or 4 morphemes unsystematical united nations+organisation+atic+al (4)
Or more! unsystematically un+arrangement+atic+al+ly (5)

Other examples of words with multiple morphemes are: roll+er driv+ing under+stand+able grade+ic+al

Morphemes are of import for vocabulary, too as phonics (reading and spelling) and comprehension. Teaching morphemes is useful because they help to analyse the parts of words, often take a consistent purpose and/or meaning, and are often spelt the same across unlike words (even when the sound changes).

For more information, see: Give-and-take morphology

Give-and-take/Semantic Relationships

Teaching vocabulary is also about how words relate to other words. Semantics is the study of word meanings, and includes semantic relationships (how words are related to other words).

Here are some examples of types of discussion/semantic relationships:

  • Categories
  • Antonyms
  • Synonyms
  • Connotations
  • Homophones & Homographs
  • Homonyms (words with Multiple Meanings)

The most effective way to teach vocabulary is to testify how new words relate to other words, particularly ones that students already know. Information technology is important to explicitly teach the relationships between words.

For more information most word/semantic relationships, including Categories, Antonyms, Synonyms, Connotations, Homophones & Homographs, see: Word/Semantic Relationships (docx - 233.6kb)

Choosing Words to Teach - Tier ane, Tier ii, and Tier 3

Vocabulary Words that we explicitly teach should also be every bit functional as possible, and then that students have multiple opportunities to cover and use these words. Beck and McKeown (1985) have categorised words according to three Vocabulary Tiers:

For more than information, come across: Choosing Words to Teach - Tier ane, 2, three Vocabulary (docx - 209.43kb)

Word Etymology

The origins of words and morphemes, and their meanings, is a crucial role of exploring the richness of vocabulary, and how words connect with one another.

Ideas for explicit introductions to concepts

  • Identifying word types
  • Identifying morphemes
  • Building words, breaking words down
  • Finding word meaning(s)
  • Semantic/Word Webs or Maps Flow charts and visual organisers for words
  • How well exercise you know a give-and-take?
    • Recognition
    • Recall
    • Familiarity
    • Use for one context/purpose
    • Utilise of multiple contexts/purposes

Example Activities

Likewise as embedding Vocabulary instruction within the diverse educational activity practices, at that place are numerous activities that introduce students to concepts of Vocabulary.

References

Brook, I. L. & McKeown, K. G (1985). Teaching vocabulary: Making the education fit the goal. Educational Perspectives, 23(1). eleven-15.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, 1000. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary teaching. New York: Guilford.

Loma, Southward. (2012). Developing early on literacy: assessment and pedagogy (2d ed.). South Yarra, Vic. Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

Konza, D. (2016). Understanding the process of reading: The big six. In J. Scull & B. Raban (Eds), Growing up literate:Australian literacy research for practice (pp. 149-175). South Yarra, Vic. : Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

Larsen-Freeman, D., & Celce-Murcia, Chiliad. (2016). The grammar book: Form, pregnant, and apply for English language language teachers (3rd Ed.). Boston: National Geographic Learning.

Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nation, P. (2005). Instruction vocabulary. The Asian EFL Journal, 7(3), 47-54.

Paris, Southward. (2005). Reinterpreting the development of reading skills. Reading Research Quarterly, 40 (2), 184-202.

Sinatra, R, Zygouris-Coe, Five & Dasinger, South 2011, Preventing a vocabulary lag: What lessons are learned from research, Reading & Writing Quarterly, 28(iv), pp. 333-334