Training Schedule for Teaching Vocabulary
By Zou Juan（邹娟）
DAY FOUR (Morning Session)
Objectives
The session begins with a mini-lesson on vocabulary teaching in primary English
classroom, followed by some tasks pinpointing different aspects of vocabulary
teaching, like what vocabulary to teach, how to present, practice and consolidate
vocabulary. By engaging the trainees in doing these tasks, in the roles of both learners
and teachers, they are expected to understand more about vocabulary teaching. Based
on their exeprience both as learners and teachers in the tasks, a pedagoical discussion
will then be conducted to guide the trainees to summarize, consolidate and construct a
conscious understanding of some effective strategies for teaching vocabulary in
primary English classroom with reference to some language teaching principles
advocated in the New English Curriculum.
SCHEDULE
Day 5
(pm)
Description
Time
A mini-lesson on teaching vocabulary
20
min
What vocabulary to teach
1.Watch and Do
2. Topic Word Spiders
30
min
How to present vocabulary
1. A Dicing Game
2. Trainees present what is written on the card they choose.
1hr
How to practise , consolidate and revise vocabulary
1. A game: Have you got an apple…?
2. Presentation of the activities and games by volunteers.
55
min
Pedagogical discussion
1. Reflection on the trainees’ experience in vocabulary
teaching by filling in the Pedagogical Discussion
Worksheet..
2. Comparing their experience with what is presented in the
session.
3. Prsentation of the similarities and differences.
30
min
Language focus
NOTES:
1. The trainer will prepare all the supporting teaching aids for
groups' consumption (dices, cards, blank sheets of paper, sheets of paper
with grid, etc.). And each trainee group will be equipped with a set of
personal stationery including color pens, sheets of paper, scissors, and glue.)
2. Features of the New Curriculum to be illustrated in the session are:
a. Task-based teaching;
b. Theme-based teaching;
c. Child-centered education;
d. Developing the students’ ability to think, to memorise, to imagine and
to create;
e. Faciliating cooperative spirit in learning.
TRAINING PLAN
8:30-8:50 A mini-lesson on teaching vocabulary
A. The lesson is designed as a demonstration for teaching vocabulary to primary
students.
B. The lesson mainly consists of two parts: presentation and practice of new
vocabulary.
C. The level of the vocabulary presented is targeted at the trainees and by the
mini-lesson we can show the trainees how the same types of tasks can be
modified to meet the level of their students
8:50-9:05 Watch and Do
A. The trainer presents the three levels, eg. the general level, the basic level and the
specific level, of the word “dog” to introduce the concept of “hierarchy of
categories” in vocabulary.
B. The trainees are supposed to watch and do the same with the word “transport”.
C. Compare the three categories and decide which category is usually introduced to
students first and why it is so.
D. The activity is to focus on the hierarchy of categories in vocabulary and why
vocabulary of the basic-level categories should be introduced to primary pupils
first.
9:05-9:20 Topic word spiders
A. The trainees are supposed to write down at least 5 words related to the following
child-centred topics and tell the what is in common among the five topics.
B. Then the trainees will be asked to brainstorm on more child-centered topics and
then each of group focuses on one of the topics that intrests them most and write
down as many words related to it as they can for primary pupils.
C. Ask the trainees to suggest some other development possibilities (so that they feel
they can contribute more)
D. This activity is to focus on child-centered vocabulary , which may be unfamiliar to
trainees in English but will most probably be the kind of vocabulary the pupils
will want to learn and find the easiest to learn and remeber.
9:20-10:20 A Dicing Game
B. Trainees go into six groups. The groups take turns to throw the dice and choose a
card from the trainer. Then they are supposed to explain what is written on the
card and do accordingly in front of other groups.
C. This activity introduces the trainees some techniques to present new vocabulary
and why these techniques are effective. The trainer here is just a facilitator to help
trianees further what they have already known about presenting new vocabulary.
10:20-11: 15 Have you got an apple…? (Group work)
A. Trainees go into groups of 6.
B. The group leader draws a grid on a piece of paper and draws an apple in any of the
grids.The group members take turns to guess the location of the apple in a grid for
three times. For example, “Have you got an apple in A2?” If they fail, they’ll have
to choose one of the activities listed on the screen and prsent it in their group.
C. Some volunteers will be invited to present the activity or game they choose.
D. This game is to introduce the trainees some useful activities and techniques to
practise, check, consolidate and revise vocabulary. Some of the activities may be
familiar to the trainees, but some may be new. If they feel difficult to do it, they
can ask for a help card from the trainer on which there is detailed instruction about
how to do the activity.
11:15-11:45 Pedagogical discussion
A. Trainees are supposed to fill in the Pedagogical Task sheet to illustrate the
advantages and disadvantages of the methods they used to adopt in teaching
vocabulary and what they have just learned. Then they will present their ideas in front
of other groups.
B. This activity is to help the trainees summarize, consolidate and construct a
conscious understanding of some effective methods for teaching vocabulary in
primary English classroom.
Worksheet for “Topic Word Spiders”
Witches
dinosaurs
circus
fairyground
toys
Cards for “A Dicing Game”
1. It is recommended that 2. Look at the example
words are introduced in given for introducing a
lexical sets. What is a colour set. (Color sets,
lexical set? Write down a grouping together things
lexical set of 10 items for that a green, for example, a
the topic of toys.
pea, a leaf, an apple, a
tree) Give an example of
another set using red.
4. Why are objects often 5. Visual support is very
used to introduce new important to help convey
vocabulary? What objects meaning and to help
would you use to support pupills memorize new
the story of Little Red words. Why is that? What
Riding Hood? If you don’t different ways can the
know this story, choose teacher to provide visual
one you know.
support in the classroom?
7. Compare the following
two lessons and decide
which one you favor? And
why?
Lesson One: Ss read after
the teacher again and
again.
Lesson Two: “Furniture
arrangement for my new
house” (groups of 5)
8. Vocabulary should
be learned in context so
that students know how to
use them, and avoid
"chinglish". Choose 5 five
words from a local
textbook and demonstrate
the context you would like
to create to present them to
your students. Ask another
group to see if they have
any different idea.
3. What are the factors
affecting our decision
about how many items to
introduce in any one
lesson?
6. Please list at least five
techniques
that
you
consider
effective
to
introduce new vocabulary
and justify your choices.
Grid for “Have you got an apple …?”
A
B
C
D
E
F
1
2
3
4
5
6
Activites and techniques to practise, check, consolidate and revise vocabulary:
1.What’s missing?
2.Matching words and pictures
3.Guessing game
4. Picture dictation
5. Classifying/sorting
6. Bingo
7. Memory game
8. Market game
9. Odd word out
10. Picture dictionary/vocabulary books
11. Word families/sets
12. Vocabulary cards
13. Collages
14. Chain game
15. Word wall
Pedagogical discussion : Vocabulary Teaching Strategies (Task Sheet)
Instructions: Reflect on the activities you have done in the session and fill in the blanks.
Areas
What vocabulary
to teach
How to present
vocabulary
How to practice,
consolidate and
revise vocabulary
The strategies you used to adopt
The strategies you learned in the
session
Advantages
Advantages
Disadvantages
Disadvantages