Chapter 1

Theoretical Underpinnings of Vocabulary Learning and Teaching

 

3. Some Principles Explored in this Vocabulary Resource Package

 

3.3 Providing multiple exposures to new words

How often do students need to meet a new word before they remember it? It is quite common for teachers to express surprise when students fail to recognise words that have already been ‘taught’. Hong Kong students process a vast number of English words during their years at school. Yet only a fraction of the words are retained in the students’ long-term memories. Research into the effectiveness of extensive reading for vocabulary uptake has concluded that a learner needs to meet a new word between six and twenty times for the word to be remembered (Rott 1999, Zahar, Cobb & Spada 2001). Providing sufficient encounters with target vocabulary represents one of the biggest challenges for language teachers. All too often, new words are introduced and practised within the context of a particular theme or topic. Then the teacher moves on to a new topic and focuses on a completely new set of vocabulary items. Finding ways of recycling previously introduced vocabulary is crucial to effective vocabulary instruction.

 

 

 

 

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