Enhancing vocabulary is an integral part of improving language skill. Developing the speech and communication skill is in line with vocabulary augmentation. Students must have a high level of vocabulary knowledge in order to communicate efficiently and effectively in the academic context of learning and students with limited vocabulary often find this a significant barrier to their learning.
Vocabulary difficulties are more evident for students who rarely speak and mingle with other students in the classroom. They rather keep silent than to communicate and discuss something, and as a result vocabulary hindrances arise. Improving vocabulary skill is often a long-term task for teachers. Language teacher should therefore examine first the learner’s attitude of readiness to learn new words and new meanings.
Some pointers that may help the teachers to do the task:
-encourage students to be aware and interested in words and language by introducing concept of words and meanings
-identify the role and use of words and language in communication and in social interaction
-explore by introducing word map including roots, base words, suffixes, prefixes, antonyms, synonyms and origin of words ( etymology)
-include vast topic, like words and meanings used in science, math, health, social studies and commonly used words in daily conversation
-provide some figurative and idiomatic languages
-provide some useful and effective vocabulary strategies suited to the skill and ability of the students -advise students to use dictionary and thesaurus effectively as tool for enhancing word learning
-post more sayings and quotations on the classroom walls that will attract the students to read them
-instruct the students to read widely and communicate often, there is nothing more important than reading
Vocabulary development is a self-learning process, giving significance in reading will lead you to achieve greater vocabulary enhancement.
By: Mina Lorena S. Lintag | Teacher III | Pablo Roman National High School | Pilar, Bataan
