Page 28 - ELG1801 Jan Issue 453

Word

up

Wayne Trotman reads a book looking at how teachers HOW VOCABULARY IS LEARNED
By Stuart Webb and Paul Nation
can improve their students’ vocabulary learning Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers
978-0-19-440355-9

ou might be asking if there’s a need individual words. It points out how, through information transfer and guessing from context.
for yet another book dealing with encountering the same item again and Chapter six looks at the effect of learning in
vocabulary learning. However, as again, its form, meaning and use will become various contexts, and how the proficiency or
Ythe authors point out, there is still apparent to the learner. ages of students affects vocabulary acquisition
a lack of clarity over the best way to learn Chapter three looks at the number of words and retention. It also provides helpful advice
lexis, despite a recent surge of research in learned in both the learner’s first language for teaching classes with differing sizes and
this area. Around 30 per cent of the research (L1) and the second (L2), and considers the those at different levels.
into vocabulary in the last 100 years has been differences between incidental acquisition and Chapter seven outlines the need for
carried out since 2001. deliberate learning. autonomy among learners, and how they can
The aim of this book is to introduce the be taught strategies to enable them to become
reader to major issues involved in teaching Teacher behaviour is effective and efficient vocabulary learners
and learning words and phrases, and where when away from the classroom.
possible to provide recent research evidence. highlighted rst up, and I Chapter eight looks at creating a principled
No particular approach is stressed, but there’s couldn’t agree more with and balanced programme for vocabulary
an emphasis on a balance of practical tasks learning, while chapter nine looks at resources.
and suitable programme design. Each chapter the author’s comment It highlights research that supports their
includes a number of activities along with use, and provides guidelines on how such
questions for further discussion and suggestions that ‘a well-liked teacher resources might be selected. A close look at
for further reading. As such, this title would is a motivating teacher’ the bibliography reveals how much the authors
be a tremendous resource on initial training have worked at the cutting edge of research
courses. into teaching and learning vocabulary. This
The first chapter looks at the value of Chapter four focuses on how to create factor is apparent throughout the book. They
different words for learning, and deals with the complex conditions that contribute to revisit questions previously asked but till now
which items to focus on. It points out how vocabulary learning through various activities were never properly answered. Perhaps most
and why learning high-frequency words that current course books already tend to importantly, they pose and
can contribute more to a learner’s progress include. The key points here are noticing, address new ones for us all
than low-frequency words. It points out that repetition, attention and retrieval. to consider.
identifying the frequency levels of words is Chapter five further analyses vocabulary-
crucial, although it is not difficult to locate learning activities, locating the principles Wayne Trotman is a
such data these days thanks to online word behind them. The emphasis here is on teacher educator at Izmir
lists. Chapter two – ‘The Learning Burden’ – activities covering the four skills, including Katip Çelebi University,
illustrates how there is much to learn about tasks on extensive listening, classification, Izmir, Turkey.
46 December / January 2018