The Importance of Vocabulary Teaching and its Implications
Decarrico (2001) stated that “Although vocabulary has not always been
recognized as a priority in language teaching, interest in its role in second language
learning has grown rapidly in recent years and specialists now emphasize the need for
a systematic and principled approach to vocabulary by both the teacher and the
learner” (P. 285).
Vocabulary teaching plays an important role in students’ learning and benefits
students’ vocabulary learning. There is a research paper mentioned about it. Long
(2000) stated that direct instruction in vocabulary skills is an essential tool. It is
helpful for independent word learning and comprehensible. What is more, direct
instruction proved to be effective and necessary to vocabulary growth. He also
addressed that it can make learners engage in strategies. The strategies can help them
to construct word meanings from written contexts as they use their language
experiences for making connections with newly encountered words. Based on Riyadh
(2006), L2 language teachers can devise and utilize instructional strategies to develop
general and academic of students. In addition, several scholars provided the
suggestions for vocabulary instruction. Decarrico (2001, p.286) thought that the
component of well-structured vocabulary program needs explicit teaching together
with activities and provides appropriate contexts for incidental learning. Additionally,
in terms of Vacca et al. (2003) description, the instructor should take a lot of things
into account, such as considering teaching words in relation to other words, teaching
words systematically and in depth (exploring the word’s definition by “finding an
antonym, fitting the word into a sentence blank, or classifying the word with other
words”). Riyadh (2006) summarized other scholars’ suggestion for vocabulary
instruction at the following:
Different types of instructional modes, approaches, vocabulary building activities
and skills proved to be effective in developing children and college students'
vocabulary in L2 environments. Practicing vocabulary in context, combining
vocabulary with reading and writing activities, and providing the students with
different lexical information about the words under study enhanced children and adult
students' vocabulary acquisition (p. 4). Some research point out that vocabulary
instruction can facilitate teachers’ vocabulary teaching and students’ vocabulary
learning. Based on research findings on lexical input processing, five principles of
effective L2 vocabulary instruction were recommended by Barcroft (2004). The five
principles mainly emphasize the provision of input and opportunities for input
processing.
Present new words frequently and repeated in the input:
It is fundamental that new words need to be presented in the input and it is also
important to present them frequently. Therefore, teachers can present new words by
using pictures or drawings, pointing to and discussing real-world items, or providing
definitions of target words and expressions. Then students have more opportunities to
process new words.
Use meaning-bearing comprehensible input when presenting new words:
Input needs to convey meaning and be sufficiently comprehensible. Then
learners can attach form to meaning. Some techniques that can be used to make input
more comprehensible, such as using visuals to help convey meaning, providing
multiple examples or repeating sentences and individual words. Furthermore, teachers
must be aware of learners’ existing knowledge before proceeding to next level.
Limit forced output during the early age of learning new words
The principle was suggested because requiring learners to exhaust processing
resources for output tasks may inhibit their ability to perform these two sub-processes,
encoding new L2 word forms and encoding form-meaning mappings. It also decreases
learning rates for new words.
Limit forced semantic elaboration during the initial stages of learning new words
Semantic elaboration refers to a situation in which one focuses extensively
meaning- related properties of a word. Writing L2 words in sentences requires
semantic elaboration with regard to the target words in question, but the negative
effects observed for writing L2 words in sentences draw into question whether other
types of semantic elaboration might produce negative effects on L2 vocabulary
learning as well.
Progress from less demanding to more demanding vocabulary-related activities
The principle emphasizes the value of designing learning activities that are
progressive in nature. In order for learners to acquire different components of word
knowledge-which include word form, form-meaning mappings, and L2-specific word
usage-instruction can move from less demanding to more demanding activities over
time.
According to Thornbury (2002), he presented several implications for vocabulary
teaching at the following:
For Teachers & learners:

Teachers need to accept that the learning of new words involves a period of
initial fuzziness.

Words need to be presented in their typical contexts, so that learners can get a
feel for their meaning, their register, their collocations, and their syntactic
environments.

Teaching should direct attention to the sound of new words, particularly the
way they are stressed.

Learners need tasks and strategies to help them organize their mental lexicon by
building networks of associations-the more the better.

Learners need to wean themselves off a reliance on direct translation from their
L1.

Learner should aim to build a threshold vocabulary as quickly as possible.

Learners need to be actively involved in the learning of words

Learners need multiple exposures to words and they need to retrieve words
from memory repeatedly.

Learners need to make multiple decisions about words.

Memory of new words can be reinforced if they are used to express personally
relevant meanings.

Not all the vocabulary that the learners need can be taught: learners will need
plentiful exposure to talk and text as well as training for self-directed learning.
(P. 30)