Chapter II: Literature review

This chapter reviews related theories of vocabulary teaching techniques for beginner learners
particularly in Second Form EFL Classrooms.

2.1 The role and importance of learning and teaching

vocabulary
In any language, teaching vocabulary plays a tremendously important role. Vocabulary is a
tool of communication. It is a necessary ingredient for all communication. The famous
linguist David Wilkins (1984:111): “Without grammar little can be conveyed, but without
vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” That is to say people could describe few things without
grammar but they could express nothing without vocabulary. Baptist thought that “without
adequate vocabulary, it is difficult and sometimes for learners to read, write, listen, speak and
impotently understand any given text.” So it is a necessity for students to learn and have
enough vocabulary knowledge. According to Burton (1982:98), in reading, mastering
vocabulary helps the students to know the meaning of the words written and understand the
meaning of a context. In listening, mastering vocabulary helps the students to grasp what they
hear from a conversation, radio or television. In speaking, mastering vocabulary helps the
students engage in communication, they understand what people say and they know what they
want to say. In writing, mastering vocabulary helps the students to express their ideas in
written. So a large vocabulary is needed for overall language success. These ideas are parallel
to what Miller (2000:178) held, there are several different types of vocabulary. The first is
listening vocabulary, it is all the words that can be recognized when listening to speech. The
vocabulary is aided in size by context and tone of voice. The second is speaking vocabulary,
that is all the words which can be used in speech. The third is reading vocabulary, it is all the
words that can be recognized when reading. The fourth is writing vocabulary, that is all words
that can be employed in writing. It means it will be very difficult for students to master the
whole language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing if they don’t have enough
vocabulary knowledge. The linguist Paul Nation (2001) supported the same thought
vocabulary is the meaning carrier of a language that the learner and the speaker of a language
need to comprehend and deploy in the four skills of the language (listening, speaking, writing
and reading).
2.2 The application of vocabulary in Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT)
Communicative language teaching can be understood as a set of principles about the goals of
language teaching, how learners learn a language, the types of activities that are suitable for
learning, and the roles of both teachers and students in the classroom. The principal goal of
communicative language teaching is the teaching of communicative competence. This
approach is considered as a new phenomenon in foreign language education. Richards (2006)
states that “communicative language teaching is a set of principles that guide the development
of the classroom for students to foster communicative competence.” Additionally, Jeremy
Harmer comments that communicative language teaching (CLT) has an active role in the
classroom because it encourages students to communicate real meanings as a way of learning
and emphasizes language use.
The importance of communicative language teaching relies on the use of authentic materials
within a real context for students to work collaboratively. In communicative language
teaching, teachers aim at creating communicative conditions in the classrooms that looks like
real life communication situations. This approach puts emphasize on interaction and meaning
learning experiences for learners. Here the teacher is seen as a facilitator. He has to guide
learners in their conversation and topic of discussion.

2.3. Activities and tasks

Activity is any kind of exercise or engagement that learners undertake to practice language
skills. Activity enables students to enhance or improve their vocabulary knowledge.

Task is a more specific type of activity that require learners to use language to achieve a
specific goal, often involving problem-solving or completing a real-life scenario.

Examples of activities:

 Brainstorming activates prior knowledge and generates interest in the topic

 Matching allows to know whether the testee is aware of the existence of the
(combined) word! Which probably means they also know its meaning.

However, when teachers choose to teach vocabulary using the communicative language
teaching approach, the focus should be to provide students with communicative activities that
encourage the use of language for meaningful communications. The attention of the learners
is needed when using the words for different situations and they are exposed to a large range
of vocabulary in context.

 Think-Pair-Share (TPS) and Games

Activities as Think-Pair-Share (TPS) can be used in communicative language teaching

approach to teach vocabulary. This activity involves students thinking individually about a
topic, discuss their thoughts with a partner then share with the class. This promotes
collaboration, critical thinking and a variety of perspectives. Another activity that can be used
in CLT approach is games. Games create a collaborative learning environment, motivate
learners, encourage them in learning and permit them to use flexibly and communicatively the
language.

Others activities:

 Information gathering / Information sharing

These kinds of activities allow learners to share or exchange information in the course of
many communicative activities, for example storytelling and reporting an event, information
gathering inside or outside the classroom, treasure hunt, interviews.

 Information transfer

This kind of activity requires learners to transfer information in another way. From a written
text or a spoken passage, for instance, students can be asked to:

 Complete a map
 Reconstruct a sequence
 Fill in the chart
 Provide answers
 Information gap-activities

The purpose of this type of activity is to obtain information that learners don’t hold. Here
learners have to develop tasks according to newly learned vocabulary.

 Dramatizations: encompass activities as:

 Role-play
 Simulation
 Stories
 Improvisations
 Word attack skills

It allows learners to unveil the meaning of unfamiliar words; using morphology, context,
guessing.

 K-W-L Chart
It encourages students to connect existing knowledge to new information and set learning
goals. Here students fill out a chart indicating what they already Know, what they Want to
learn, and after reading what they Learned.

2.4 Major techniques in teaching vocabulary for Second

Form EFL classrooms
Commonly, for successful vocabulary instruction, teachers are expected to be able to apply
appropriate and efficient techniques in order to help students to expand their vocabulary.
However, it is necessary to note that teaching vocabulary is not easy as we think it. in
addition, teaching vocabulary for beginners is totally different from teaching adults. Jeremy
Harmer (1991: 151) said that “teaching vocabulary is more than just presenting and describing
new words.” Since we are aware of that, many vocabulary teaching techniques have been
described by different authors. Gerlash (2006) defines techniques as follows: “Techniques are
the ways and means adapted by a teacher to direct students, activities to achieve the
objectives, which means techniques are the tool of the teachers.” Similar to Gerlash, Brown
(2001) argues that “technique is as any of wide variety exercises activities or tasks used in the
language classroom that where consistent with a method and therefore where harmony with
an approach as well.” Therefor, to introduce new vocabulary or lexical items, the teachers
must be enough armed with knowledge, techniques and sometimes tricks to help pupils for an
effective and efficient vocabulary acquisition.

Vocabulary teaching techniques can be divided in three parts: Techniques of presentation,

techniques of practice and techniques of training.

1. Techniques of presentation

There are different techniques for presenting vocabulary in teaching.

a. Visual techniques

Visual is the fact of using realia (real objects, mimes and gestures, pictures and flashcards,
drawings). This technique helps students in remembering new words better.

 Realia: with the use of real objects, teachers come to demonstrate and teach easier new
vocabulary regarding to the context. For example, the teacher can use devices (cell
phones for example) to teach vocabulary of new technologies.
  Mimes and gestures: the meaning of words or abstract concepts come to be conveyed
by teachers through actions and physical expressions. Mimes and gestures put
emphasize on communication.
 Showing pictures: pictures or photos can be used by teachers to present words. It
makes easier the remembering of words. Pictures can also be used in a printable
flashcard where it is matched with words it represents. Zebrowska (1975:452) said that
“learners remember better the material that has been presented by mean of visual aid.”
 Drawings: this technique facilitates the vocabulary learning for students. It doesn’t
necessitate the teacher to be a good drawer; it just needs to draw in order to give a
clear idea about the word or concept.
b. Verbal techniques
 Meaning definition: in this technique, teachers are expected to be able to show or to
explain the words in other terms in the same language. They have to provide precise
definitions which will help students to understand that meaning.
 Translation: it is a quick technique to convey the meaning of the word. There, the use
of mother tongue is well allowed and helps a lot both teachers and students.
 Scale: this technique aims at introducing related words in scales. Here, both visual and
verbal techniques are combined.
Example: 32° Celsius. In this term, the visual is the degree sign (°).
 Synonyms and antonyms: they are very important in building new vocabulary because
they clarify words relationships and expands vocabulary. We say synonyms when two
words can be interchanged in a given context. And we say antonyms when two words
have opposite meanings in a given context.

2. Techniques of practice

These techniques call for classroom review the vocabulary already presented as well as
homework. These practices draw the belief that practice makes perfect. These techniques
include vocabulary games as well as repetition drills.

a. Vocabulary games

Second Form students love vocabulary based on games. This practice engages them and also
makes the learning fun and interactive. With games, students are interested, enjoyed and come
to retain the words easily.
 b. Repetition drills

This technique is important. It allows students to know the way the word is pronounced. It
also helps them to retain the word easily but in drilling. Mistakes are not allowed to be made
by the teacher, as he is seen as a model for students.

3. Techniques of training

These techniques put emphasize on how to help students for an independent vocabulary
learning by using dictionaries or asking for others.

 The use of dictionary

The use of dictionary provides access to word meanings, pronunciations and usages. It helps
students to know more about synonyms and antonyms, expand their vocabulary and enhance
their understanding of how words fit within a language.