• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1Theoretical Underpinnings
• Chapter 2Learning and Teaching Materials
• Chapter 3Voc Games and Activities
• Chapter 4References
• Appendix 1Preamble & Wordlists
• Appendix 2Learning Targets

Chapter 1

Theoretical Underpinnings of Vocabulary Learning and Teaching

 

3. Some Principles Explored in this Vocabulary Resource Package

 

3.1 Cognitive elaboration of the form-meaning relationship

Helping students to understand the relationship between language form and meaning is one of the driving principles of task-based language teaching (TBLT). Experts in TBLT research such as Skehan (2001, 2003) and Skehan & Foster (1999) recommend that learners need to have their attention focused, at different times, on form and meaning. Vocabulary experts have long recognised the importance of acquiring both formal and semantic knowledge about words if they are to be retained in a learner’s mental lexicon (e.g. Meara 1996).

 

Traditionally, L2 vocabulary knowledge has been regarded as consisting of two types: (a) receptive (or ‘passive’) knowledge, where learners recognise and understand words when they come across them, and (b) productive (or ‘active’) knowledge, where learners are able to use words in speaking and writing, with correct control of collocation, register and word-grammar. It is assumed that, for most learners, receptive vocabulary is considerably larger than productive vocabulary. Some scholars (e.g. Palmberg 1987) believe that learners’ knowledge of an L2 word operates on a kind of continuum, with receptive knowledge at one extreme and full productive knowledge at the other. As learners get to know the vocabulary items in greater depth, the closer they move towards productive knowledge. Other scholars (e.g. Nation 1990; McNeill 1994) prefer to regard vocabulary knowledge as consisting of a set of dimensions, such as meaning (i.e. semantic knowledge), orthographic form (i.e. spelling), phonological form (i.e. pronunciation), part of speech / grammar, morphology (i.e. the different forms a word may have) and collocation (i.e. the typical patterns in which a word occurs). It is assumed that for most L2 words, learners know some but not necessarily all of the words’ lexical dimensions.

 

The materials produced for this resource package deliberately target aspects of form (formal knowledge) and meaning (semantic knowledge). In order to help learners acquire both formal and semantic control of English words, learning activities which, in their entirety, address all dimensions of word knowledge, are provided. Obviously, all of these cannot and should not be attempted at once. However, teachers need to ensure that their vocabulary work includes a range of activities embracing both formal and semantic aspects of words.