词语教学外文翻译一.docx

1、词语教学外文翻译一外文翻译一：Excerptwords to more and more complex phrases. Children learn to listen and to talk long before they learn to read and write. The same sequence should be followed in classroom teaching. Extra difficulty would be created if one would try to develop English reading and writing skills be

2、fore children can speak the language. In order to be able to speak the language, students need to know some vocabulary first. In this paper I will focus on how to teach vocabulary that enables students to construct a rich vocabulary bank. Guiding methods are introduced and sample activities are prov

3、ided.II. Main Part1. The Importance of Teaching Vocabulary1.1. Vocabulary Development in the Primary GradesThe findings of the “National Reading Panel” indicate that vocabulary instruction does lead to gains in comprehension, but that methods must be appropriate to the age and ability of the reader.

4、 Using both indirect and direct teaching methods to build students oral and reading vocabularies should be a part of a balanced reading program. Indirect methods would include read-alouds, shared reading and writing experiences, and independent reading. Direct teaching of vocabulary should respond t

5、o the needs of the students and should actively engage them in the process(NationalReading Panel, 2000).All word learning tasks are not equal in difficulty. A child may understand the concept behind a word, but not know the word itself. For example, the wordceaserepresents a known concept to most ch

6、ildren; however, a young child has probably not heard this word used forstop.Learning a new word that represents a known concept is not as difficult as learning a new word that represents a new concept. Teachers in the primary grades introduce many new concepts, and direct instruction is necessary t

7、o build up the understanding of these concepts and the vocabulary words that represent them.When teaching vocabulary words that represent known concepts, the emphasis should always be on the context in which the word appears. Discussing the meaning2of the word from the context of the reading selecti

8、on together with supplying a definition of the word will help to build meaning for students. If students are to acquire this word as part of their vocabulary, then they must be given repeated exposure of the word in a variety of contexts. They must also have opportunities to practise using the word

9、in conversation and/or writing.By the time children enter second grade, they are likely to know between 2,000 and 5,000 vocabulary words. This amazing growth continues throughout the elementary years, as most children gain 3,000 - 4,000 new vocabulary words each year that they can read and understan

10、d ( Teaching Reading in the 21st Century, 2001). By encouraging independent reading and providing both indirect and direct instruction in vocabulary, students can be helped to develop the vocabulary knowledge they will need for effective comprehension.1.2. Educators View on Teaching VocabularyTeachi

11、ng one word at a time out of context is the worst way of teaching vocabulary, with rapid forgetting almost guaranteed, asserts Frank Smith, author of The Book of Learning and Forgetting (1998), recently published by Teachers College Press. According to Smith, people assimilate new vocabulary words f

12、rom context the first time they read them, provided that the gist of the material being read is both interesting and comprehensible. Within five more encounters, the word and its conventional meaning are usually firmly established in the mind of the reader.Other educators who share this view add tha

13、t when reading material isnt instantly interesting or comprehensible, its the teachers job to build context by activating students prior knowledge of the topic. With regard to vocabulary, that means having students identify difficult words themselves and pool their knowledge to get the meaning. Ann

14、Marie Longo, director of the Boys Town Reading Center, argues that teens cant use context effectively when their vocabularies are limited. Limited vocabulary is the most common problem among weak readers shes worked with. Longo begins with indirect instruction in words and their meanings and then pr

15、ovides high-interest opportunities to use the words. Vocabulary expert Isabel Beck of the University of Pittsburgh embraces both approaches. For her, there are3four ways to learn vocabulary: wide reading, hearing unfamiliar words in speech, direct instruction in words and gimmicks to boost students

16、interest.Beck suggests teachers incorporate difficult words into their classroom routines and encourage students to look for the words in reading outside class. Longo agrees that students need to put new words to use in writing and conversation as well as reading. For vocabulary instruction to incre

17、ase comprehension, says Longo, you have to see those words over and over again ( When Adolescents Cant Read: Methods and Materials that Work, 1999).1.3. Memory and Storage SystemsUnderstanding how our memory works might help us create more effective ways to teach vocabulary. Research in the area, ci

18、ted by Gairns and Redman (1986) offers us some insights into this process. It seems that learning new items involve storing them first in our short-term memory, and afterwards in long-term memory. We do not control this process consciously but there seem to be some important clues to consider. First

19、, retention in short-term memory is not effective if the number of chunks of information exceeds seven. Therefore, this suggests that in a given class we should not aim at teaching more than this number. However, our long-term memory can hold any amount of information.Research also suggests that our

20、 “mental lexicon” is highly organised and efficient, and that semantic related items are stored together. Word frequency is another factor that affects storage, as the most frequently used items are easier to retrieve. We can use this information to attempt to facilitate the learning process, by gro

21、uping items of vocabulary in semantic fields, such as topics (e.g. types of fruit). Oxford (1990) suggests memory strategies to aid learning, and these can be divided into creating mental linkages (grouping, associating, placing new words into a context), applying images and sounds (using imagery, s

22、emantic mapping, using keywords and representing sounds in memory), reviewing in a structured way and employing action (physical response or sensation, using mechanical techniques). The techniques just mentioned can be used to greater advantage if we can diagnose learning style preferences (visual,

23、aural, kinesthetic, tactile) and make students aware of different memory strategies.4Meaningful tasks, however, seem to offer the best answer to vocabulary learning, as they rely on students experiences and reality to facilitate learning. More meaningful tasks also require learners to analyse and pr

24、ocess language more deeply, which should help them retain information in long-term memory. Forgetting seems to be an inevitable process, unless learners regularly use items they have learnt. Therefore, recycling is vital, and ideally it should happen one or two days after the initial input. After th

25、at, weekly or monthly tests can check on previously taught items. The way students store the items learned can also contribute to their success or failure in retrieving them when needed. Most learners simply list the items learnt in chronological order, indicating meaning with translation. This syst

26、em is far from helpful, as items are de-contextualised, encouraging students to over generalise their usage. It does not allow for additions and refinements nor does it indicate pronunciation. Teachers can encourage learners to use other methods, using topics and categories to organise a notebook, b

27、inder or index cards. Meaning should be stored using English as much as possible. Diagrams and word trees can also be used within this topic/categories organisation. The class as a whole can keep a vocabulary box with cards, which can be used for revision/recycling regularly.1.4. Why Vocabulary is I

28、mportantTeachers may wonder why it is important to teach vocabulary. Well, there is a very clear answer to that question, namely that vocabulary is critical to reading success for three reasons, which I will explain now briefly. First of all, comprehension improves when you know what the words mean.

29、 Since comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading, you cannot overestimate the importance of vocabulary development. Secondly, words are the currency of communication. A robust vocabulary improves all areas of communication which are listening, speaking, reading and writing. Last but no least, wh

30、en children and adolescents improve their vocabulary, their academic and social confidence and competence improve, too.In turn, a deficit in vocabulary knowledge causes comprehension problems, and comprehension problems prevent people from improving their vocabulary knowledge on their own. Intensive

31、 vocabulary instruction can be effective in turning this situation around. What is required, though, is a clear and deliberate focus on facilitating students creation of meaningful contexts for the word meanings they are learning,5and a frequent and consistent emphasis on helping them make connectio

32、ns to what they already know.1.5. Levels of Word Knowledge“Word knowledge” refers to how well you know the meaning of a word. Research shows that there are three kinds of word knowledge. Firstly, there is a lack of word knowledge where the meaning is completely unfamiliar. Secondly, there is acquire

33、d word knowledge where the basic meaning is recognized after some thought. And last, there is established word knowledge where the meaning is easily, rapidly and automatically recognized (Beck, McKeown, and Omanson, 1987). Words from the third category are already established in the personal vocabulary bank and are