Lanterna Rally

Author: Dr. Shirin R. Shaikh

Publisher: Idea Publishing

Published: 2017-06-30

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13:

The main aim of this book is to connect in a straightforward way the growing body of second language vocabulary research with teacher actions in classrooms. Words are pervasive in our life. The words that we use express and shape our identity. Our vocabulary gives away our social and educational background. It is a major factor in determining what we understand. It opens or closes access to sources of information that will impact our future. Today vocabulary acquisition is considered an integral area of language teaching by linguists, teachers and researchers. They have come to understand the role of lexicon in language learning and communication. Therefore during the past three decades, the field of second language acquisition has seen renewed interest in vocabulary learning. But the scene was different few decades ago. For many years vocabulary was considered unimportant in language teaching. Its neglect in part may be due to specialisation in linguistic research on syntax and phonology. This may have fostered a climate in which vocabulary was considered an unimportant element in the learning of a second or foreign language. This view largely dominated the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. The period between 1940-60 was an uncertain period for vocabulary as an aspect of language teaching. In this period vocabulary was seen mainly as a problem of selection and gradation for the target learners. It was only in 1970’s that vocabulary was given some place of importance in language teaching but still it was considered less important when compared with syntax and phonology. For years, second language learners have complained about their lack of vocabulary in their new language. During this time, experts in our field did not give much importance to vocabulary. However, since the mid-1990s there has been a renewed interest in research on second language vocabulary issues such as student needs, teaching techniques, learner strategies, incidental learning and vocabulary for specific purpose. Today lexical knowledge is acknowledged to be central to communicative competence and the acquisition and development of second language. This study is probably the first systematic attempt to expand the students’ active vocabulary and to create word-consciousness in the classroom. The aim of the present study is to examine students’ knowledge of vocabulary at the college level and note the problem areas and follow the eclectic method to increase the students’ word power in order to enable them to use more precise words instead of general ones. The students are taught words in lexical sets for quick expansion of vocabulary and they are also made to consider the paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations of words for better understanding of word meanings. Chapter I of this book deals with English as an international language and its position in India today. It also highlights the importance of vocabulary, aspects of vocabulary and the principles of selection and gradation of vocabulary. Chapter II reviews the work already done in the field of vocabulary. Chapter III focuses on the aims and procedure adopted in the present study. It also highlights techniques of teaching new words and expanding vocabulary. Chapter IV presents an analysis of the data collected. The relative difficulty level of different questions in the pre-test and the post-test, the students’ progress in the use of vocabulary and the conclusions of the study are presented in this chapter. I sincerely hope that the present study and the discussions will have an impact on the way teachers and learners view the teaching and learning of vocabulary in a second language.