Week 10: Vocabulary

Thursday's articles focused on vocabulary. Vocabulary, of course, is important for students in any language classroom because it helps to build upon all other aspects of the language.  The two articles in the Anthology book as well as the Folse article provide interesting ideas for teaching vocabulary.  I  particularly like how both of the articles in the Anthology book discuss the importance of students being able to develop strategies for learning the vocabulary on their own.  I think that looking for words in context can be very beneficial for students because it allows for a greater understanding of the word.  I know from my own personal experience in learning a second language, seeing the word used in context in a sentence allowed me to be able to remember it much more than memorizing its definition from the list.  I really liked how in Hunt and Beglar's article they address what students should do in the classroom, as well as what they should do for independent practice.  I think dictionaries can be very beneficial, but at some point a student can't solely rely on one, so I like what they had to say about how to use dictionaries.  They note that while "bilingual dictionaries have been found to result in vocabulary learning" (263).  The important thing is for students to be able to understand how and when to use a dictionary and to help track their proficiency levels.