The Effects of 10-minute Vocabulary Instruction : Using Word Lists in the EFL Classroom
摘要
Vocabulary learning is one of the most important processes of learning a foreign language, however it is often a boring and frustrating task for learners. In class at Bunkyo Gakuin University, students must study hundreds of English words a short time and many of them grow weary of this demanding task. So I introduced a new technique for vocabulary instruction using original word lists. During the class period, students were given 10 minutes to work on a vocabulary list followed by a feedback test. The primary objective of this instruction was to establish students’ study habits and help them get higher scores on the chapter tests. As a result of this treatment, the students’ average score went up by 10%, and 70% achieved higher scores on the term-end vocabulary test. Many students spent more hours leaning vocabulary during the semester. It was obvious that the classroom teaching worked effectively to motivate the students. In this paper, I discuss the ways it raised student performance and increased motivation. Introduction Teachers and learners should give careful consideration to how vocabulary is learned. Many studies emphasize the important role of vocabulary in language teaching. However, some language teachers presume vocabulary learning is solely the students’ responsibility. These teachers then do not encourage students to learn vocabulary, nor do they introduce vocabulary study explicitly into their classroom teaching. Although Hunt & Beglar (2005) are convinced that lexical development is a major concern for EFL learners, it is still frequently undervalued by course designers and instructors. In recent years, the idea that vocabulary plays an important role in communication has established a broad consensus in the field of second language acquisition. One cannot speak, understand, read, or write a foreign language without knowing many words. Therefore, Rubin &Thompson (1994) declare that vocabulary learning is at the heart of mastering a foreign