Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
learning
HomeLearnersTeachersParentsGrammarVocabularySite
English
Information
..all your
English needs
..
Mobile
Vocabulary Myths:
Applying Second
Language Research
To Classroom
Teaching
This webpage is a summary of the abovementioned book by Keith Folse, currently
Associate Professor of TESOL at the
University of Central Florida. The core of
the book is a discussion of eight myths
about learning and teaching vocabulary:
The eight myths are:
1. In learning another language, vocabulary
is not as important as grammar or other
areas.
2. Using word lists to learn L2 vocabulary is
unproductive.
3. Presenting new vocabulary in semantic
sets facilitates learning.
4. The use of translations to learn new
vocabulary should be discouraged.
5. Guessing words from context is an
excellent strategy for learning L2
vocabulary.
6. The best vocabulary learners make use of
one or two really specific vocabulary
learning strategies.
7. The best dictionary for L2 learners is a
monolingual dictionary.
Vocabulary Myths:
Applying Second Language
Research To Classroom
Teaching
Preface
Introduction
In this section Folse answers two
fundamental questions:
What do we mean by the term
'vocabulary'?
What are the components of
'knowing a word'?
In answer to the first question Folse notes
that the vocabulary task facing SL learners
encompasses more than the single words
that most people imagine: bright, lawyer,
simultaneously, etc. It also includes
learning set phrases such as once in a
while, phrasal verbs such as take on and
put up with and idioms such as Don't let
the cat out the bag.
[More on phrasal verbs]
More on phrasal verbs
In the discussion of phrasal verbs Folse
notes that: "Native speakers have no idea
that they are using phrasal verbs, nor do
they see why these words are so hard for
ESL students to deal with." For more about
phrasal verbs, see:
Important information about phrasal
verbs on this website.
The second question that Folse discusses is
What does it mean to say you know a
word? While most non-linguists would
Conclusion
In this section Folse reviews the eight
myths that his book has aimed to dispel.
He reiterates the primacy of vocabulary in
the language learning process and his
conviction that language teachers should
place vocabulary at the heart of teaching,
testing and student learning.
Folse, Keith. Vocabulary Myths: Applying
Second Language Research To Classroom
Teaching. N.p.: University of Michigan
Press, 2004. Print.
Home
Teachers
http://esl.fis.edu
Top