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Teaching and learning vocabulary

Module description

Vocabulary is one of the most important aspects of language learning. It is also one of the most challenging; learners continue to expand, deepen, and refine their knowledge of vocabulary throughout their lives. In this module, which is intended for students at all levels of teaching experience, you will explore the nature of vocabulary and vocabulary learning in detail. You will discuss what it means to know a word; what vocabulary different groups of students need to learn; how much vocabulary learners pick up from their listening and reading (and what makes such learning more likely); principles of teaching and learning vocabulary; and the design of vocabulary teaching materials and tests.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to help you develop a critical understanding of the place of vocabulary in language learning and of ways in which vocabulary can be taught and assessed. We will look at practical issues, such as how we can decide what vocabulary to teach to a particular group of learners; how the meaning and use of words can be most usefully explained to learners; whether some ways of teaching and learning vocabulary are more effective than others; whether some words are harder to learn than others (and if so, why); how we can validly measures students vocabulary knowledge. To help answer these questions, you will explore theories about the place of vocabulary in the broader language system and about the nature of vocabulary knowledge. We will also look at the extensive empirical research into vocabulary use, vocabulary learning, and vocabulary assessment.

By focusing on both pedagogical practice and the theory and research underlying that practice, the module aims to lay a foundation both for your future teaching career and for any further research or study you would like to pursue in this key area of ESOL.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate a critical understanding of central theories about the nature of vocabulary in use
• 2. demonstrate a detailed critical understanding of key research literature on vocabulary teaching, learning, and assessment.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. demonstrate the knowledge, understanding and skills to independently analyse educational theory and practice
• 4. demonstrate the ability to independently define and evaluate complex educational issues drawing on international research

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. demonstrate organisational and transferable skills central to professional autonomy
• 6. demonstrate knowledge and skills needed to apply theory to practice

Syllabus plan

The modules will cover the following topics:

• What vocabulary is and why it is important
• Vocabulary and phraseology
• Deciding what vocabulary to teach
• Theorizing word knowledge
• Incidental/intentional vocabulary learning
• Principles of vocabulary teaching
• Learning vocabulary independently
• Understanding/designing vocabulary teaching materials
• Understanding/designing vocabulary tests

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Durrant, P., Siyanova-Chanturia, A., Kremmel, B., & Sonbul, S. (2022). Research Methods in Vocabulary Studies. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Nation, I.S.P. (2022). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge University Press.
• Schmitt, N. & Schmitt, D. (2020). Vocabulary in Language Teaching (Second Edition). Cambridge University Press.
• Webb, S. (Ed.). (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Vocabulary Studies. Routledge.

Key words search

TESOL; vocabulary; corpus; language testing; formulaic language