Words are the way we express what we know. Words also help us learn new ideas and concepts. Because vocabulary knowledge is so closely tied to reading comprehension, students who are English language learners face special challenges. Unlike native speakers of English, they may have very limited listening and speaking vocabularies. And although they may learn to speak the new language quickly, they face a constant challenge — to recognize and understand new words in print. Many of these “book words” are not words that students hear or use in everyday conversation. Educators can help their students develop a rich academic vocabulary and thus motivate students to become avid, lifelong readers.

Scientific research on vocabulary instruction tells us two important points:

- Most vocabulary is learned indirectly through experiences with oral and written language.

- There is a need to teach some vocabulary directly.

 Indirect Methods

Engage children in daily oral language. Second language learners can benefit greatly from structured conversations with adults and peers who are more proficient in English. Daily vocabulary activities provide opportunities for students to experiment with language in risk-free and meaningful contexts. Picture cards introduce students to academic vocabulary with a clear and colorful visual preview. As they sing songs and work with the cards, students have repeated experiences with the content area words. This interactive, hands-on approach makes new concepts and words come alive.

Read aloud to children

Children learn new words when they are read to. For those who are in the initial stages of English, use pictures to “walk through” key story events and main ideas before reading the selection aloud. This gives children a basis for understanding the new words in the story. In addition to previews, try sheltering strategies to make the language of each selection comprehensible. For example, you can restate words and phrases; act out and summarize events; and convey meanings with gestures, real objects, and sound effects.

Have students read on their own

Students who are able to read independently should be given ample opportunity to do so. The availability of books that students CAN READ and WANT TO READ is crucial. As with read alouds, English language learners benefit from structured talks with peers about what they have read.

Direct Teaching of Vocabulary

Pre-teach specific words. Students also benefit from the explicit teaching of specific words before reading. Instruction is most worthwhile when it focuses on the words that are key to understanding a selection or are important because of their general utility. Idioms and multiple-meaning words are often confusing to English language learners. To reduce students’ frustration, you can explicitly teach these terms and expressions prior to reading a selection. Key selection words can be introduced in memorable ways, such as with songs, through role-plays, or in photo stories. To deepen word knowledge, the key words are reinforced in daily activities. Students will need repeated exposure in a variety of contexts to fully grasp the meanings of new words. This is especially true of words that are conceptually difficult or represent entirely new concepts for children.

Words that are abstract in nature will need to be taught by example and non-examples. Graphic displays, such as definition maps and semantics maps are helpful to show the relationship of new words and concepts to those previously learned. Graphic displays also can be used to help highlight connections among words and concepts. For younger English language learners, illustrating the new word in a drawing, making up new sentences with the word, or acting it out will make the vocabulary items more memorable. It is essential to make these activities as interactive as possible and to make them fun!

Model the use of references aids

Students need to know how to use dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauruses to expand their vocabulary knowledge. However, using these resources may be difficult for them. It is not sufficient to focus on the mechanics of finding an entry by using guide words and alphabetical order. Students often become confused when they look up a word and find many different definitions listed. Words with multiple meanings are especially problematic for English language learners since they may not understand that words with the same spelling can have several different meanings, depending upon context. Teachers need to model how to look up the meaning of an unknown word, choosing from among several definitions the definition that fits the particular context.

Students need to know how to use. Built-in vocabulary support, such as that in Hampton Brown’s Avenues, encourages students to practice using reference aids. Key selection words are highlighted in the text and defined on the page. The on-page glossaries allow students to substitute an unknown word or phrase with a more familiar word or phrase and then continue reading. Each key word also appears in a Picture Dictionary at the end of the Student Book. This is another way to make the meaning accessible and encourage the use of helpful reference aids.

Help students become word detectives

Students may know how to break a word into parts to sound it out, but may not know how to break a word into parts to unlock its meaning. Teaching students how to recognize units of meaning such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots can help them expand their content area vocabulary.

- A small number of prefixes (un-, re-, in-, and dis-) accounts for a large number of the prefixed words that appear in school texts. Teaching the meaning of these common prefixes is extremely beneficial.

- To teach suffixes and inflections you can draw on those that students have begun to incorporate in their oral speech (e.g., -s, -ed, - ing, -ly).

Spanish-speaking students already possess a clear understanding of the use of prefixes in their home language, and many Spanish suffixes are linked to common English suffixes. They should also be encouraged to draw on the vast number of English-Spanish cognates. When students are new to the language, it is especially helpful to incorporate cognates and word derivatives in word study activities such as word webs and other graphic representations that show how root words and cognates relate to English words. A word of caution — recognizable word parts and cognates can sometimes be misleading for English learners. The vocabulary demands on English language learners are incredibly intense. The serious teaching of vocabulary is crucial if students are going to be able to comprehend increasingly complex texts. To help youngsters build strong academic vocabularies we must employ specialized strategies that have been proven effective for second language learners.