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Marjorie Fuchs
Marjorie Fuchs


Margo BonnerMargo Bonner

A Word About Vocabulary: A New Feature in Focus on Grammar 4e
Marjorie Fuchs and Margo Bonner

Learning vocabulary is an essential and integral part of learning a language, whether it's a first, second, or fifth one. Therefore, it cannot be separated from learning the grammar of the language, or from practicing oral, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students themselves realize the importance of vocabulary development and are highly motivated when it comes to learning new words. To help them in this endeavor, and in response to teacher feedback, the fourth edition of Focus on Grammar (FOG) now has a new vocabulary strand.

In our last article, we discussed the importance of presenting the grammar in the context of interesting, relevant topics. The new vocabulary strand supports this approach by helping students acquire the vocabulary they need to understand the readings and to express their own ideas.

Each level of Focus on Grammar chooses several words from the opening text (and from an illustrated vocabulary chart in Level 1) to focus on. These words are then immediately practiced in a vocabulary exercise. And since research has shown that multiple encounters of new words facilitate retention and deepen understanding, the words are also generally recycled throughout the unit and practiced in My English Lab: Focus on Grammar.

Students are introduced to the selected words in context. This gives them the added advantage of hearing how the words are pronounced since all opening texts and illustrated vocabulary charts are recorded on a CD included with the Student Book and in MyEnglishLab for Focus on Grammar. In levels 2-4, other possibly unfamiliar words in the opening text are glossed in footnotes to provide additional vocabulary support.

Many of the selected vocabulary words in Focus on Grammar come from updated versions of popularly used word lists such as the General Service List (GSL), originally produced by Michael West, and the Academic Word List (AWL), developed by Averil Coxhead. The GSL contains a little over 2,000 of the most frequently used words in written English. The AWL contains ten sublists in order of frequency of the most common academic words used across disciplines.

The selection of words for the vocabulary strand progresses throughout the series:

LEVEL 1

In the first level of the series, common vocabulary, most of which comes from the GSL, is often presented in sets of thematically related words (shopping for electronics in Unit 11), or semantic sets (modes of transportation in Unit 17). The words come from the opening text or from the vocabulary chart. In some cases, the chart expands the vocabulary by presenting related words. Concrete words are illustrated and glosses are provided for more abstract ones. The words are recorded and students listen, repeat, and then write them in a notebook. Following the chart is a vocabulary exercise, which most often consists of personalized communicative oral practice, but can also take the form of a matching or fill-in-the- blank task.

LEVEL 2

In the second level, five to eight words, and sometimes expressions, are chosen from the opening text. In Unit 9, for example, vocabulary words such as messy, neat, easygoing, outgoing, and wake up are related to the unit theme, Roommates. The words are then practiced in a fill-in-the-blank (sentence level or mini-conversation), multiple choice, or matching exercise, and they are recycled in exercises in Focused Practice. In Communicative Practice, students use them actively in discussions and writing. Many of the words come from the General Service List. In addition to the words chosen for explicit practice, words in the text that may be unknown to the student, but that are not as common as GSL words, are glossed.

LEVELS 3 and 4

The third and fourth levels also present words from the General Service List, but since the grammar is more complex, these levels introduce many words from the Academic Word List to support the more complex ideas. The scope and sequence at the beginning of each level of Focus on Grammar lists all the vocabulary words from each unit. In addition, for levels 3-5 it indicates which words come from the AWL. As in Level 2, these words are then practiced in a variety of exercise types and recycled in the unit and also in the accompanying Workbooks. Just as in level 2, additional words from the text are glossed.

Using Lextutor to Analyze the Level 3 and 4 texts

For levels 3 and 4, progressively more words from the AWL List are used in order to help prepare students for their future studies and jobs. To ensure the inclusion of AWL words, Lextutor, an online text analyzer (http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/) was used. When an opening text was drafted, it was run through Lextutor (by cutting and pasting it into the analyzer) in order to get a list of how many words were from K1 (1-1000 most common words from the GSL), K2 (1001-2000 most common words from the GSL), and, most importantly, the AWL. If there weren't any or weren't enough words from the AWL, a printout of the AWL list was used in order to try to add some to the text. To give an example of how the analyzer works, here are the results of running this article through Lextutor.

Vocabulary Analysis of This Article

K1 78.06%    
K2 5.75%    
AWL 7.37%    
Offlist 8.83%    

Among the AWL words are:
abstract context highlight scope
academic draft illustrated selected
accompanying edition indicate
sequence
acquire encounter integral
series
analysis enhance item
target
analyze ensure job
task
approach expand modes
technique
chart explicit motivated
text
communicative facilitate relevant
theme
complex feature research
topic
concentrate focus response
transportation
consist goal retention version

LEVEL 5

In the fifth level, eight to ten vocabulary items per unit are selected for students to learn and practice through matching, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank exercises. Although this level uses words from the AWL, it also concentrates on useful expressions and idioms (for example, out of the blue, chart your own course, and take plastic) which enhance fluency when discussing the unit theme. The selected words are those appropriate for developing an academic vocabulary and include items such as e.g. and i.e. Also, appropriate to higher level authentic texts, level five readings do not contain glosses. As with all levels, students should be encouraged to guess meaning from context, when possible, and, more importantly, use dictionaries as they would in tackling real-life, out-of-class readings.

Beyond the Book

As you have seen, Focus on Grammar highlights and provides practice for several words per unit for students to focus on, and students will no doubt find other words in FOG that they will want to learn. There are several techniques that can be used both in class and out to help them reach their goal of learning new words.

Index cards, for example are a very handy, tried and true instrument. Students can write the target word on one side of the card. (It's also helpful for them to write the word in a sentence on the front side of the card.) On the other side of the card, they can put either a translation, English gloss, or picture of the word. Index cards are great because they are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and very portable. Students can use the cards to practice on their own or in pairs. A notebook with two columns can also be used. In class, teachers can put some of the new words on the board and encourage students to use them with the grammar point being studied either as a written or oral exercise.

These activities and others can help students "own" the new words and gain confidence and fluency in English. If you have a favorite way of practicing new vocabulary with your students, we'd love to hear your ideas!

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