One of the obvious implications of the recent research in L2 vocabulary acquisition is that language teachers need to devote more time and effort to vocabulary work in the classroom. The attention of learners needs to be deliberately focused on the various aspects of words, including their forms, meanings and collocations. Helping learners make meaningful associations with words will also promote retention of vocabulary. Providing sufficient encounters with words remains one of the biggest challenges, especially for teachers who feel under pressure to get their students through an already crowded curriculum. To end on a more positive note, the teachers who took part in the ‘Seed’ Project on ‘The Magic of Words’ reported that their students greatly enjoyed vocabulary-focused activities and developed greater confidence and enthusiasm for learning English. Finding opportunities to recycle vocabulary also called for close collaboration among the English teachers in the same school and led to a real sense of achievement when teachers applied their creativity and ingenuity to developing a school-based English Language curriculum with due emphasis on vocabulary learning and teaching.
Dr. Arthur McNeill
Advisor of the ‘Seed’ Project on ‘The Magic of Words:
Enhancing Effectivenness of English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Primary Level’
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İEnglish Language Education Section, Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau, The Hong Kong SAR, All rights reserved