1、外文翻译一： The Teaching of Vocabulary in the Primary School Foreign Language Classroom Excerpt words to more and more complex phrases. Children learn to listen and to talk long before they learn to read and write. The same sequence should be followed in classroom teaching. Extra difficulty would be crea
2、ted if one would try to develop English reading and writing skills before children can speak the language. In order to be able to speak the language, students need to know some vocabulary first. In this paper I will focus on how to teach vocabulary that enables students to construct a rich vocabular
3、y bank. Guiding methods are introduced and sample activities are provided. II. Main Part 1. The Importance of Teaching Vocabulary 1.1. Vocabulary Development in the Primary Grades The findings of the National Reading Panel indicate that vocabulary instruction does lead to gains in comprehension, but
4、 that methods must be appropriate to the age and ability of the reader. Using both indirect and direct teaching methods to build students oral and reading vocabularies should be a part of a balanced reading program. Indirect methods would include read-alouds, shared reading and writing experiences,
5、and independent reading. Direct teaching of vocabulary should respond to the needs of the students and should actively engage them in the process(NationalReading Panel, 2000). All word learning tasks are not equal in difficulty. A child may understand the concept behind a word, but not know the word
6、 itself. For example, the wordceaserepresents a known concept to most children； however, a young child has probably not heard this word used forstop.Learning a new word that represents a known concept is not as difficult as learning a new word that represents a new concept. Teachers in the primary g
7、rades introduce many new concepts, and direct instruction is necessary to build up the understanding of these concepts and the vocabulary words that represent them. When teaching vocabulary words that represent known concepts, the emphasis should always be on the context in which the word appears. D
8、iscussing the meaning 2 of the word from the context of the reading selection together with supplying a definition of the word will help to build meaning for students. If students are to acquire this word as part of their vocabulary, then they must be given repeated exposure of the word in a variety
9、 of contexts. They must also have opportunities to practise using the word in conversation and/or writing. By the time children enter second grade, they are likely to know between 2,000 and 5,000 vocabulary words. This amazing growth continues throughout the elementary years, as most children gain 3
10、,000 - 4,000 new vocabulary words each year that they can read and understand ( Teaching Reading in the 21st Century, 2001). By encouraging independent reading and providing both indirect and direct instruction in vocabulary, students can be helped to develop the vocabulary knowledge they will need
11、for effective comprehension. 1.2. Educators View on Teaching Vocabulary Teaching one word at a time out of context is the worst way of teaching vocabulary, with rapid forgetting almost guaranteed, asserts Frank Smith, author of The Book of Learning and Forgetting (1998), recently published by Teache
12、rs College Press. According to Smith, people assimilate new vocabulary words from context the first time they read them, provided that the gist of the material being read is both interesting and comprehensible. Within five more encounters, the word and its conventional meaning are usually firmly est
13、ablished in the mind of the reader. Other educators who share this view add that when reading material isnt instantly interesting or comprehensible, its the teachers job to build context by activating students prior knowledge of the topic. With regard to vocabulary, that means having students identi
14、fy difficult words themselves and pool their knowledge to get the meaning. Ann Marie Longo, director of the Boys Town Reading Center, argues that teens cant use context effectively when their vocabularies are limited. Limited vocabulary is the most common problem among weak readers shes worked with.
15、 Longo begins with indirect instruction in words and their meanings and then provides high-interest opportunities to use the words. Vocabulary expert Isabel Beck of the University of Pittsburgh embraces both approaches. For her, there are 3 four ways to learn vocabulary: wide reading, hearing unfami
16、liar words in speech, direct instruction in words and gimmicks to boost students interest. Beck suggests teachers incorporate difficult words into their classroom routines and encourage students to look for the words in reading outside class. Longo agrees that students need to put new words to use i
17、n writing and conversation as well as reading. For vocabulary instruction to increase comprehension, says Longo, you have to see those words over and over again ( When Adolescents Cant Read: Methods and Materials that Work, 1999). 1.3. Memory and Storage Systems Understanding how our memory works mi
18、ght help us create more effective ways to teach vocabulary. Research in the area, cited by Gairns and Redman (1986) offers us some insights into this process. It seems that learning new items involve storing them first in our short-term memory, and afterwards in long-term memory. We do not control t
19、his process consciously but there seem to be some important clues to consider. First, retention in short-term memory is not effective if the number of chunks of information exceeds seven. Therefore, this suggests that in a given class we should not aim at teaching more than this number. However, our
20、 long-term memory can hold any amount of information. Research also suggests that our mental lexicon is highly organised and efficient, and that semantic related items are stored together. Word frequency is another factor that affects storage, as the most frequently used items are easier to retrieve
21、. We can use this information to attempt to facilitate the learning process, by grouping items of vocabulary in semantic fields, such as topics (e.g. types of fruit). Oxford (1990) suggests memory strategies to aid learning, and these can be divided into creating mental linkages (grouping, associati
22、ng, placing new words into a context), applying images and sounds (using imagery, semantic mapping, using keywords and representing sounds in memory), reviewing in a structured way and employing action (physical response or sensation, using mechanical techniques). The techniques just mentioned can b
23、e used to greater advantage if we can diagnose learning style preferences (visual, aural, kinesthetic, tactile) and make students aware of different memory strategies. 4 Meaningful tasks, however, seem to offer the best answer to vocabulary learning, as they rely on students experiences and reality
24、to facilitate learning. More meaningful tasks also require learners to analyse and process language more deeply, which should help them retain information in long-term memory. Forgetting seems to be an inevitable process, unless learners regularly use items they have learnt. Therefore, recycling is
25、vital, and ideally it should happen one or two days after the initial input. After that, weekly or monthly tests can check on previously taught items. The way students store the items learned can also contribute to their success or failure in retrieving them when needed. Most learners simply list th
26、e items learnt in chronological order, indicating meaning with translation. This system is far from helpful, as items are de-contextualised, encouraging students to over generalise their usage. It does not allow for additions and refinements nor does it indicate pronunciation. Teachers can encourage learners to use other methods, using topics
