[EnglishLanguage 2005] Re: new vocab

kathleen morgan dezreen at excite.com
Thu Dec 13 18:55:52 EST 2007

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Where I have seen success with having students write new words is for them to start with environmental print and not with auditory discrimination/spelling focus. This works well for beginners as well as high intermediates and can be very non-threatening. Having students work as pairs can lower stress even more - You write...I write...We compare...We share (with the class). Just having students wander around the classroom or halls of a building can generate all sorts of words.

I think this also works well, an already posted, as a once a week activity. I have seen it used as daily homework in elem. school level ESL classes. Those kids never ran out of words as having a daily reason to search made them great word finders.

Kathleen Morgan
Telluride CO

--- On Thu 12/13, Jennifer Hubler < JHubler at womenscenter.info > wrote:
From: Jennifer Hubler [mailto: JHubler at womenscenter.info]
To: EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:38:19 -0600
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1992] new vocab

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This is in response to Ted’s suggestion about students
filling out a form with new words.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

My high-literacy students (college graduates in their first
language) are very hesitant about writing words they don’t know. Many are
perfectionists, afraid to make a mistake, so writing would be too threatening
for them. Any way they can save face is important. And my low-literacy students
(completed 2nd grade in native language) can’t write the words
if they don’t already know the words and have practiced them. This might
seem obvious to everyone, but if we do new vocab, we talk about it. The tutor
may write it and help students practice writing and using the word in a
sentence, but with much sensitivity to their need to be shielded from
embarrassment. I think this helps make the classroom a safe place for them to
learn.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

When we introduce new words from a book, the tutors ask
students how the words might apply in their lives, and they try to connect it
to what students already know. Sometimes explaining is enough, sometimes they
find synonyms, sometimes we translate, and when the word is really obscure, or
one that would be used in writing instead of everyday life, we talk about the
context and emphasize that they probably won’t use it in conversation.
Then we find similar words that we would use in speaking.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Jenny
Hubler, Adult Literacy Coordinator<o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

The
Women's Center<o:p></o:p>

1723
Hemphill<o:p></o:p>

<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Fort Worth</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">TX</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">76110</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><o:p></o:p>

 <o:p></o:p>

817-927-4040
x262<o:p></o:p>

<a
href="mailto:jhubler at womenscenter.info">jhubler at womenscenter.info</a><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

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