The aim of this course is to examine the area of vocabulary from three broad perspectives: (a) description, (b) acquisition, and (c) pedagogical context. With regard to the first, the course will discuss issues such as word frequency and vocabulary size, the role of context in vocabulary learning, receptive vs productive aspects of vocabulary. With regard to the second, students will be exposed to recent research and theory relating to models of lexical acquisition, they will examine the structure of the mental lexicon and discuss issues related to first language influences on second language vocabulary acquisition. Finally, within the pedagogical framework, the course will provide an historical overview of vocabulary teaching; students will explore the relation between vocabulary and the syllabus and will be exposed to current trends in teaching and testing vocabulary. Learning outcomes and competences By the end of the course participants should be •familiar with terminology related to vocabulary description •aware of similarities and differences between L1 and L2 mental lexicon •familiar with research findings related to vocabulary acquisition and their implications for vocabulary teaching •able to adopt theoretical principles in their choice of lexical items for teaching and/or testing
Recommended reading: Is there a course textbook? Yes
Is there a list of readings? Yes
Assessment methods: Final written exams
Vocabulary Teaching at 3rd Primary School of Evosmos
