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Vocabulary Queries
In almost every class as an EFL/ESL teacher, you will be asked to explain a new word or
phrase to your students. There are many ways that you can do this and a few ways in which
you can get the students to find out the meaning for themselves.
Explaining Vocabulary
Explaining unknown words or phrases is the quickest way your students have of
understanding new vocabulary. Simply by giving the students a few example sentences, the
students can understand the meaning and use of the new word. You could also try drawing a
quick picture on the board or doing a mime. Giving synonyms or antonyms also prove useful,
as they have similar or opposite meanings. This helps the students understand the new
vocabulary with ease. However, these methods turn the students into passive learners and
should only be used now and again.
Understanding
There are times when you may feel like a talking dictionary. When this happens, other skills
need to be utilized to get the students to understand unknown vocabulary. You can get the
students to understand new vocabulary by asking the students to guess the meaning of new
words from the context in which they are used. You could do this as a class or by putting the
students into small groups and having a feedback session afterwards.
Many students like to translate but by guessing the meaning from the context, the students
have more chance to remember the word. If a student simply translates, no real learning or
memorization happens. Furthermore, translating is time consuming and students have a
habit of becoming dependant on it.
Other students are also a useful tool by which the querying student can find the meaning.
Generally, different students know different words. So there is a high chance someone in the
classroom has come across the new vocabulary before. The teacher can also ask if other
students know the meaning.
Finally, there is of course the English to English dictionary.
Having students actively learn the new vocabulary for themselves is the most beneficial. It
gives the students the skills they will need for their development of English outside of the
classroom. Giving the students the ability to learn new words on their own prepares them for
the real-life situations.

Written by Paul Adams for Teach-This.com 20I3