Teaching vocabulary

Some Multimodal Alternatives

Dr. Rory DonnellyVisiting Fulbright Scholar, University of Costa Rica,

Professor, Northeastern Illinois University

Outline

Vocabulary development: some principles Selecting words to teach Traditional methods for learning

vocabulary in L1: a critique. Four alternative strategies Summary

Vocabulary Development/ Principle 1

There are four vocabularies, not just one Reading Listening Speaking Writing

Vocabulary Development/ Principle 2 Vocabulary words need to be planted deeply,

like a good tree. ---- so multimodality helps

(Multimodality: using all senses to learn a word)

Examples: using association, using drawing, using speaking, using writing

Vocabulary Development/ Principle 3

Methods used in first language classrooms are not very useful

Writing definitions? why isn’t it useful for second language learners?

Writing words in sentences: why isn’t it useful for second language learners?

Selecting words

Words students need for comprehension

Words that are generally useful

Words that are hard to get from context

My list pelican elephant romance rhyme(s) marry/wed

Four Alternative Methods

Word Webs (before) Visual vocabulary (before or after) Writing Riddles (before or after) Journal writing (after)

Word Webs

romance

kissing

dating

love boyfriend/ girlfriend

not love of family and friends

couple

Visual Vocabulary

Writing Riddles

We are a team

We both have the same sounds at the end

We work in poems

What word am I?

Journal Writing

Here are 4 words from the poem that we read. Use them in a paragraph about the poem.

pelican elephant marry (or wed) pelicant

Summary

Vocabulary needs to be recycled many times

First language strategies don’t work well for second language learners

Multiple modalities help students “root” those words in their new language and their brain