Developing a Systematic Approach to Vocabulary Teaching and Learning in EFL Courses

概要

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Over the last twenty years, the role of vocabulary in language teaching has featured more prominently in EFL literature. The existence of large computer corpora has allowed linguists to learn more about how words are actually used in communication and how frequently individual words and phrases occur. Moreover, it has been pointed out that although a grammar based syllabus might allow beginner level students to function in a classroom environment, a survival level vocabulary of around 2,000 words is necessary before they can reasonably be expected to function, even on a very basic level, outside the classroom. However, despite an increased focus on vocabulary in many EFL courses and course books, this is often limited to the listing of some of the words that appear in the text that is used in a particular lesson plus, maybe, a short vocabulary practice activity. It is therefore frequently up to teachers to firstly adopt a more systematic and thorough approach to the teaching of vocabulary in the EFL courses they teach, and secondly to encourage students to take responsibility for vocabulary learning by introducing them to various vocabulary learning strategies. This paper will first look at guidelines that can be used in the development of a vocabulary programme and will then describe the steps that I take to select, present, practise and review vocabulary in a current affairs course that I teach to Japanese university students.