Words & Phrases in Social Studies
Jennifer Cole - READ 5317
Vocabulary does not mean single words
Personal belief on the importance of vocabulary
Points of learning:
According to Calderon, August, Slavin, Duran, Madden & Cheung (2005), students learning English as a second language benefit equally from the researched-based strategies o f teaching vocabulary as do those of are learning in their language of origin. When determining what tier of vocabulary to introduce and expand on it is important to consider the age and circumstance of the learner. Extensive teaching of vocabulary in a lower tier is not necessarily beneficial to a second language learner and can often discourage and alienate the learner from pursuing more challenging areas of study.
2. Integrating content-specific vocabulary with general academic words and word-learning strategies creates opportunity for interactive learning, (Duguay, 2012).
By removing the focus of the learning from just one area, be it content or learning strategy, and integrating the areas you provide the student opportunities to apply their knowledge more successfully, be it in conversation or in formal assessment. They can now break down the components of the vocabulary, suss the meaning and then apply it in a knowledgeable response.
3. Resist the "assign, define, test" mentality! (Fisher & Frey, 2016)
Finding interactive ways to teach vocabulary makes the vocabulary relevant to the student. Whether it is playacting, a formative assessment in the guise of a game, or journaling, if a student can relate to the vocabulary then they are more likely to retain it in meaning and application.