Module 5: Language Skills
Vocabulary
Teachers approach the teaching of vocabulary in different ways, but research suggests that vocabulary should be presented in context and not as a stand-alone list of unrelated terms for most effective retention and use. However teachers decide to present vocabulary, it's important that they and their students have access to the most recent language (or the variety of the language that they are likely to use); this particularly includes slang and idioms, which are some of the most difficult words and phrases to learn and use correctly. The sites listed below provide vocabulary resources that teachers can work into their lessons as appropriate.
Kidtopia
Kidtopia is a site intended for children, but older learners also have fun with the games linked to this site.
I Spy
I Spy games from Scholastic, a favorite of both children and adults in the U.S., are great to play in pairs and there are many different tasks that students can do. Teachers can ask students to record the words they find and add pictures to them, or they can use them to describe something, or they can simply play.
Click here to find these vocabulary games.
Word of the Day
Students can check the word of the day and use other technologies to help construct a word wall, a personal dictionary, stories, or flash cards.
One place to find daily words is on the Grammarman page at
grammarmancomic.com/free_words.php. Others can be found by searching the Web for "word of the day."
Idiom of the Day
The idiom of the day from EnglishClub and other sites provides context and other information such as pictures to help students understand the figurative meanings of the words and phrases (search the Web for "idiom of the day").
Graphic Organizers and Visual Dictionaries
Graphic organizers that help students understand words in relation to other words found at places like West Virginia's (US) Department of Education site, and, for a bit more advanced learners. visual dictionaries like the one at visuwords.com
