Session 07: Language as discourse (I) Teaching Vocabulary

Question 1

What is Discourse?

Answer 1

a general term for examples of language use. It refers to larger units of languages such as paragraphes, conversations, and interviews

-> modern language teaching tries to focus more on the interdependence of language patterns, e.g. of vocab and syntax

Question 2

describe the use of language

Answer 2

triangle between form (outer appearence), function (how is the word used, formality, grammar) and meaning (content, images)

Question 3

How can discourse be taught?

Answer 3

• on different levels (sounds, gestures, words, units, context)
• in different genres (political, educational, fiction)
• with different (inter-)relations, which are culturally determinded (see you later -> bis später)

Question 4

Which role does the mental lexicon play when it comes to teaching/learning vocab?

Answer 4

• words are stored interconnected in the mental lexicon, not individually
• “two ways of learning”: 1) Words 2) Connections
• Process: New word is introduced, using top-down and bottom-up skills,storing in mental lexicon

Question 5

What are word associations and how are they stored?

Answer 5

• from the same semantic field
• from the same word class
• in pairs (minimal pairs)
• oppositional (antonyms)

-> conclusion: words/items are stored in a mental lexicon alongside with meanings and associations

Question 6

Name types of associations

Answer 6

• Clang associations (e.g. bat-hat, not semantically linked)
• Connotations
• Paradigmatic relations
• Syntagmatic relations

Question 7

Outline the process of introducing words

Answer 7

input (sound, signs) -> association (top-down/bottom-up, clang, paradigmatic, syntagmatic) -> meaning (word family, frequency, occurrence)

Question 8

What is the aim of learning new words?

Answer 8

Learning words in an embedded context

Question 9

Outline the 3-step-process of teaching discourse

Answer 9

Comprehensible input -> Creative construction -> Comprehensible output

Question 10

Outline the 3-step-process of teaching vocabulary

Answer 10

Present new item or structure -> Enable exploring/evaluating… -> Provide common situations for practice

Question 11

What should students know about an item?

Answer 11

• What it means
• The form
• How it is pronunced
• If it follows any unpredictable grammatical patterns
• the connotation the item may have
• how the word is related to others

Question 12

What are possible ways to present vocabulary?

Answer 12

• Illustration
• Mime
• Synonyms/ Antonyms/ gradable items
• Definition
• Translation
• Context
• finding out pronunciation and meaning by themselves/ in groups
• Worksheets
• …

Question 13

Differentiate between indirect and direct approach of teaching vocabulary

Answer 13

direct: teacher explains the words
indirect: students should find out the meaning themselves

Question 14

Give possible ways to introduce new vocabulary in class

Answer 14

• physical demonstration
• explanation
• synonyms / antonyms
• dictionaries
• super-/ subordinate terms
• realia
• analogy
• derivation

Question 15

Outline the process of teaching pronunciation

Answer 15

Challenging conditions -> Consequences for teachers -> Consequences for students

Question 16

What is modern language teaching?

Answer 16

Modern language teaching tries to focus on the interdependence of language patterns (e.g. vocab and syntax) -> lexicogrammar