To improve the vocabulary of ESL students, teach new words in context rather than in isolated lists, teach them inside short phrases, support them with pictures, and repeat them on purpose, in class and before exams.
Words are the building blocks of any language. That is why many teachers of English as a second language (ESL) put so much stress on vocabulary. Because vocabulary matters so much, it is worth the extra effort to help students take in as many useful words as they can.
If you are looking for ways to improve vocabulary for ESL students, here are 4 tips.
1. Context, context, context
Teaching vocabulary as a separate lesson, as a list of words, is old school, and not the good kind. It often leaves students stuck when they meet a word in a text and cannot work out what it means.
When you tie new words to a meaningful context, students learn which word to use in which situation. They understand words better when they can connect them to a context.
Imagine teaching the words priceless and worthless. Both end in -less, so a learner might expect them to mean similar things, yet they are opposites: priceless means "extremely valuable", and worthless means "of no value". A list will not show that. A sentence about a family photo that is priceless to its owner, but worthless to anyone else, will.
2. Use new words in phrases
Words do not stand alone. People use them together with other words, in phrases and sentences.
Teach your students short phrases that contain the new words, so that they learn how each word connects with others to make meaning. Soon, using those words will feel natural to them, and they will be able to use them in real situations.
3. Use visual cues
Pictures make it much easier for students to understand new words, for example the words for illnesses, such as headache and stomachache. A picture right next to the word gives the learner one more anchor that ties the word to its meaning. It may seem childish, but it works very well.
Flashcards, on paper or on a screen, are a great way to give visual cues. They are fun, and you can adapt them for younger and older students alike.
4. Plan for repetition
After students meet new words for the first time, they need to meet them again later, in the same context or in a different one that tests their understanding.
Build repetition into your vocabulary lesson plans. Do a quick review at the end of each class, and review the words from the previous class too. Use the new words in normal classroom conversation, so that your students have no chance to forget them.
Before an exam, review the words once more. Ask the students to write a paragraph or two with the new words. This way they will not only understand the words when they read them, but also be able to use them actively when they speak and write.
Be patient
Improvement takes time to show. Do not be discouraged if progress seems slow: as long as it goes in the right direction, you are doing fine. Reading helps too, so suggest a few books that improve English vocabulary, and share these self-learning tips for ESL students.
When your students write with their new words, the Spell Checker marks the ones they have misspelled, so they can fix the spelling while the word is still fresh.