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This is a resource provided by Gwinnett County through teachers’ eClass portal under additional resources.

Several units each offer 20 new vocabulary words for students to learn through explicit instruction, practice and by reading high quality texts.  Students get to practice their new words using a variety of word learning strategies.

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Gwinnett County Public Schools, located in the metro Atlanta area, is the largest school system in Georgia and continues to grow. As a school system of choice, the finest teachers, involved parents, and a supportive community are key elements in the district's quest to become a system of world-class schools.

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This website is great for all students, especially ELL students in particular. Each podcast is six minutes long and geared towards middle-high school students. All podcasts come with a transcript with bolded vocabulary words, and at the end of the podcast, students answer questions regarding the content and vocabulary. The podcasts are also ranked by beginner, intermediate, and advanced vocabulary.

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Our long-running series of topical discussion and new vocabulary, brought to you by your favourite BBC Learning English presenters.

From the archives

All 6 Minute English programmes pre-September 2014 can be found here.

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Our long-running series of topical discussion and new vocabulary, brought to you by your favourite BBC Learning English presenters. All 6 Minute English programmes pre-September 2014 can be found here.

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This is a vocabulary method that allows students multiple ways of representing new words that they learn. TIP stands for term, information and picture. This is a great tool for all students and especially ELLs.

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Vocabulary is an essential component of learning; however, many of our students struggle with understanding vocabulary terms. A lack of background experience often creates barriers to learning new vocabulary terms. How can we provide our students with effective ways to access and understand new vocabulary terms?

What is the TIP Chart?

In her book, Learning the Fast Lane, author Suzie Pepper Rollins describes a vocabulary method called a TIP Chart, which stands for:

Term

Information

Picture

Using a TIP Chart provides students with multiple means of representing vocabulary terms so that students have the foundational knowledge and experiences to understand terms. Here's an example of the term bridge:

Make Your TIP Chart Interactive!

I like the idea of using a TIP Chart to help students learn important terms. Here are some suggestions to make it even better!

1. Make an electronic version of a TIP Chart in Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets. This will allow students to have access to it inside and outside of the classroom. If we want students to use vocabulary outside of the classroom, then we need to provide ways for them to access terms. Using technology is a great way to make it portable.

2. Share Your TIP Chart with a QR Code, shortened URL, or post it to your Google Classroom. The idea is to provide students with access.

3. Add links to additional videos and websites to provide different exposures to the term. Sites like YouTube, YouTube 360, Flocabulary and Quizlet provide students with great visuals and videos to better understand terms.

Creating and Sharing a TIP Chart in Google Sheets

Want to see how I created mine in Google Sheets? Check out my video below:

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Creating and Sharing a TIP Vocabulary Chart in Google Sheets

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Vocabulary is an essential component of learning; however, many of our students struggle with understanding vocabulary terms. A lack of back...

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See the following quick steps to teach vocabulary using the SNAP method:

S - Show students a list of target words

N - Review the words with students by using each in a sentence

A - Students form a small group and discuss words

P - Students write a sentence using two of the target words

The attached lesson includes scaffolding for those who need it and extension for your gifted/accelerated learners.

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In my work as a consultant to schools, I've met many teachers who are concerned about the number of words their students know, as well as the limited knowledge of how words work, which students display. When we begin to discuss these issues, the teachers often share with me that they don't have resources to address these deficiencies and that they are concerned about how to integrate meaningful vocabulary instruction into their lessons.

In response to these concerns that I've heard so many times, I began crafting short lessons intended to teach a few target words, building on a similarity (like a shared root) that the words have. Each mini-lesson contains four components, represented by the acronym . S represents the students seeing and saying each word. This step allows for students to see spelling patterns, notice word parts, and practice pronunciations. N stands for the teacher naming a category the words fall into or for noticing connections among the words or making other associations that will support students in connecting new words to prior knowledge. A stands for the students acting on the words in some way. In this step, students engage in conversation about the words or otherwise dabble in using the words informally. Lastly, in step P, students produce an original application of some or all of the words, usually in writing. The written product serves as a quick formative assessment, giving the teacher vital information about what the student remembers from the lesson.

Each SNAP mini-lesson is designed to take about 15 minutes of class time and to be varied enough to engage all students. Each lesson contains several words, some of which may be familiar and others of which may be totally new. I provide suggestions for how to support struggling students and ideas about accelerating for advanced students for every mini-lesson I make. The key to every lesson is its flexibility: you as the teacher decide how best to use it. If a lesson seems to take a bit longer, you can cut it off and continue it the next day. You can repeat certain lessons throughout the year if there are certain words you want to ensure are internalized. You can also use the SNAP structure to teach groups of words from literature your class is studying or content-area words that are related in some way.

The Benefits of SNAP Lessons

Short, frequent vocabulary lessons such as the SNAP lessons have many benefits. First, students get into the habit of examining words and word parts, which helps to build a sense of curiosity about words, but more importantly also helps to build efficacy. When students repeatedly tackle unfamiliar words and learn strategies for unlocking meaning, they become increasingly skilled and confident in doing so. This, in turn, helps students become more capable readers who have a toolbox of strategies and a larger lexicon to draw upon when reading independently.

Secondly, students need to see teachers who are "word nerds." Their teachers are their most powerful models of literacy outside the home and family. Therefore, it's important for teachers to demonstrate a love of words. Each SNAP mini-lesson is structured to be quick and fun, but each also allows for the teacher to have a conversation with students about words. These are not lessons where students take notes or complete worksheets. They are instead designed to be more authentic-to mirror the way adults might talk about and learn new words. The ultimate goal of vocabulary acquisition is for students to use powerful words in both speaking and writing. They need to see adults who do this too!

Another benefit is that students get a regular "dose" of vocabulary through short lessons like the SNAP lessons. It becomes clear to them that learning new words and understanding word parts, like Greek and Latin roots, are integral parts of academic learning. Word learning is not limited to lists of isolated words or footnoted, uncommon words that come along only every once in a while; instead, they begin to see word learning as integrated with all study and all learning.

Each lesson also includes discussion and collaboration with other students. This allows students to talk with each other, which is usually enjoyable, and experiment with words, without facing a penalty for getting something "wrong." The goal is to make word study enjoyable as well as practical.

Sample Lesson

Could SNAP mini-lessons work in your classroom? Examine this sample lesson and see what you think.
Root: ann, enn
These roots, which are alternative spellings of each other, originate in Latin and mean "year." Ann is most often used at the beginning of words, like annual and anniversary. Enn is used in the middle of words, like centennial.
Lesson: Annual, anniversary, millennium, millennial
S
(2 mins.)
The following lists target words students should see and say for this mini-lesson.

Annual (adj.): Happening once a year

Anniversary (n.): The date on which something occurred in a previous year

Millennium (n.): A period of one thousand years

Millennial (adj.): Relating to a period of or anniversary of one thousand years

N
(2 mins.)
Consider saying something like the following to your class:

"All these words are about time, and specifically, they are about periods of time. Annual means one year has passed. An anniversary is a date marked each year, like a wedding anniversary or an anniversary of moving to a new place or meeting one of your friends. Millennium and millennial have been used frequently since we passed the year 1999. The year 2000 and beyond is what we call a new millennium-a new period of one thousand years has begun. The year 3000 will mark the next millennium. You may have also heard the word millennial to describe people who reached adulthood in the year 2000 or since. They are people who came of age during this new millennium."

A
(3-4 mins.)
Form small groups of students. Ask them to discuss the following:

What is something that happens annually, meaning that it happens every year? Come up with as many things as you can think of.

Does your family celebrate any anniversaries? If so, what are they?

P
(4-5 mins.)
Have each student write a sentence using two of the target words (or related forms of those words). Have a few share aloud if time allows.

Scaffolding for Struggling Students

Provide sentence templates like the following for students to choose from:

Acceleration for Advanced Students

Related words bicentennial and centennial may be of interest or may be familiar to some students. Discuss these words as appropriate, or ask advanced students to find out more about them during step A and to share what they find in step P.

Bicentennial (adj.): Relating to a 200th anniversary or a period of two hundred years

Centennial (adj.): Relating to a 100th anniversary or a period of one hundred years

For more mini-lessons like this one, read Vocabulary in a SNAP: 100+ Lessons for Elementary Instruction. The book provides many more research-based mini-lessons to help you efficiently shape instruction, each taking less than 20 minutes.

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magento files are not readable In my work as a consultant to schools, I've met many teachers who are concerned about the number of words their students know, as well as the limited knowledge of how words work, which students display.

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This technique requires students to define target vocabulary and apply their knowledge by generating examples and non-examples, giving characteristics, and/or drawing a picture to illustrate the meaning of the word. This information is placed on a chart that is divided into four sections to provide a visual representation for students.

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Writing an acrostic is an easy and quick resource that can be used with any content area. This approach is especially great for ELLs as well. Students write an acrostic poem to define new vocabulary terms.

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One of the things my students have enjoyed in the past is creating an acrostic with one of the science vocabulary words. It challenges them to think of new ways to describe a word by having a specific letter to work with.

Here is how I would suggest introducing this idea. I would suggest trying this over a period of several days.

Step 1: Model with the class. Choose a short vocabulary term you have been working with and work together to come up with an acrostic for it.

Step 2: Split students into groups and assign each group a term. Provide books and resources!

Step 3: Have students try one individually and share what they came up with for each letter.

This can seem daunting at first, but it is a terrific way to reinforce vocabulary and engage students’ brains!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Science Vocabulary Strategy: Acrostic - The Science Penguin

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One of the things my students have enjoyed in the past is creating an acrostic with one of the science vocabulary words. It challenges them to think of new ways to describe a word by having a specific letter to work with. Here is how I would suggest introducing this idea.

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This activity would be great to use with the Sadlier vocabulary words offered by the county. Post the unit vocab words in clear sight in your classroom. Each time a student writes or speaks using any of the vocab words, they earn an incentive  and become part of the “Million Dollar Word Club.” Teachers can be creative and come up with a list of classroom incentives to be earned.

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Today, I’m sharing a few vocabulary activities to use right away in your classroom. Last summer I took a grad class all about vocabulary and comprehension instructional strategies. I remember being thrilled to have so many new ideas. I could not wait to try them ALL out. Then the first week of school rolled around (whirlwind!) and next thing you know it was December.

My students scores on our benchmark assessments were low in two areas. Which two? You guessed it, vocabulary and comprehension. I knew something had to change.  What about all my fabulous ideas? Well I don’t know about you but the last thing I want to do in the middle of the school year is pull out a grad textbook. I looked over my notes to refresh my brain about those fantastic strategies I read all about last summer.

I did some leg work and created these easy peasy lemon squeezy vocabulary activity cards to have at my fingertips during my daily guided and shared reading instruction.  And now I am here to share a couple of my favorites AND some freebies!

Character Match

First up is Character match.  This is a slight twist on describing a character’s thoughts, feelings and actions but with incorporating vocabulary.  Students take the list of vocab words from the story (after they have been introduced to the words and read the text) and organize them based on which part of the character they best fit.

What I love about this activity is that it can be very subjective.  NO RIGHT ANSWERS!! Isn’t that the best? It requires students to use their noggins to support their answers with text evidence!

You can pick up this recording sheet FREE.  Just DOWNLOAD the product preview here.

Million Dollar Words

Next is a simple activity to motivate students to actually USE the words they have learned into their writing and academic language.

Whenever a students uses one of those posted vocabulary words (there is an option for 6 or 8 words), the whole class yells says “Cha-ching!” and they get to sign the Million Dollar Word Wall. It can just be a piece of scrap paper hanging below the words or may you have them posted on the whiteboard so they can write with a dry erase marker which we all know is super special.

This gives students an incentive to use the words and we know if they start using them they are more likely to incorporate into their mental vocab bank.  AND the rest of the class has to be on top of it by staying mindful of those 6-8 words!

If you are interested in picking up the 20 Vocabulary Activities resource, click here or on the picture below.

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Vocabulary Activities to Use Right Away - The Sassy Apple

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Planning vocabulary activities that are meaningful and engaging can be challenging. Here are some ideas with a freebie to get started!

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This is a game that can be used with the Sadlier vocabulary words offered by the county. Students can use index cards and create the game cards for the popular game, Taboo. Students write a vocabulary term on each card. Below the word is a list of other words that students may not use when they give clues to get a student on their team to say the vocabulary word at the top.

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Bridge Education Group TEFL TESOL Certifications

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TEFL LIKE A PRO: Teaching Vocabulary with Taboo

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This is another strategy that can be used with the Sadlier vocabulary words offered by the county. After the target words are prominently displayed in the classroom, both teacher and students intentionally use words throughout the school year, as many times as possible, during informal conversations.

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by Stacia Levy 918,470 views

When other teachers, even other ESL teachers, hear I'm teaching an ESL conversation class, they often say it sounds "relaxing," or "fun" or "easy." Most teachers will smile at this, of course, recognizing that any teaching, while it may be fun, is almost never "relaxing" or "easy."

And while the conversation class may certainly be less rigorous than, for example, an advanced writing class, it has its own set of problems. In a writing class, I know what the students need, and the title "Advanced ESL Composition" alone suggests the curriculum: course readings and several student essays on related topics over the course of the semester, in drafts increasing polished and focused on structure, grammar, and punctuation. A conversation class, however, is less defined. What exactly is a conversation class? What is the curriculum? Sometimes there's not even a course text available. Despite this initial lack of clarity, however, there are general principles of best practice that a conversation class can be built around.

9 Basic Principles of Teaching Conversation Classes

1. Focus on communication and fluency, not correctness

I'm always surprised when in the first days of class students turned to me or ask their classmates if they are holding the conversation "correctly," if it is "right." Rarely even in our native languages do we concern ourselves if the conversation is proceeding "correctly"; the point is if our meaning is coming through. This is what should be emphasized to students: it's not a matter of "right" but whether or not your classmates understand you and can respond to you!

3. Student directed: student choice of topics

There are few things more uncomfortable than being in a conversation on a topic you either intensely dislike or have nothing to say on. Most native speakers will excuse themselves from such conversations as soon as possible. Teachers should be wary of assigning controversial topics such as the legality of abortion or same sex marriage without gauging the climate of the class and having an idea of how receptive students will be to such topics. Some classes are perfectly capable of holding a mature conversation on these topics, others not depending on their language and cross-cultural and interpersonal skills. Teachers should ask themselves the following: Are my students capable of listening to their peers on the topic without erupting in anger? Can they advance their own opinions without undue embarrassment? One way around this concern is allowing students to come up with their own topics to use over the course of the term. Have them work in groups, write agreed-upon topics on index cards, and collect them. They do not have to be " academic" topics like the validity of global warming but almost anything students are interested in and can discuss for an extended time, such as favorite music. One class session or part of one in brainstorming topics will likely yield enough topics for the term, and the instructor can just draw an index card to use during discussion time.

4. Small group/pair work

Conversation occurs in small, not large groups. Having students work in small groups or pairs is usually more productive for a number of reasons: students are less self-conscious if they are "performing" in front of a small group rather than large, and they have more chance to speak in a smaller group. In addition, conversations generally occur in smaller groups, as any party or meeting will demonstrate-people gather in small groups to talk when given the opportunity. Setting aside regular time for students to get into groups for discussion will help them develop their conversation skills.

5. Teach vocabulary

It seems elementary, but it is often forgotten that students may not be participating because they simply don't have the vocabulary to enter a specific conversation. Introducing some key phrases and words related to the topic will help this. For example, on the topic of different types of vacations today, students should learn words like " condo," " time share," " hotel," " motel," " extended stay," " business class," and " coach."

6. Grade on degree of participation and understanding of conversation. Assess informally.

Because the focus of instruction, and of conversation itself, is on communicating meaning rather than on correctness, students should be assessed mostly informally. The instructor can walk around the class, sit in on conversations, and get an idea this way on the degree of participation of each student. Students can also be asked to hold a conversation in front of the teacher or class and be assessed by a rubric on the degree of responding to and advancing topics, on use of strategies and vocabulary, and so forth. Finally, more formal quizzes and tests can also be given in the form of listening to taped conversations and answering questions about topic, vocabulary, responses, strategies, and so on.

Teaching conversation can seem challenging because at first blush it seems as if there are few principles to guide the instructor.

However, keeping in mind such strategies as preteaching vocabulary, establishing small groups, and teaching conversational strategies, there is plenty to teach and do in the conversation class!

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.

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How to Teach Conversational English: 9 Best Practices

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by Stacia Levy 918,470 views And while the conversation class may certainly be less rigorous than, for example, an advanced writing class, it has its own set of problems. In a writing class, I know what the students need, and the title "Advanced ESL Composition" alone suggests the curriculum: course readings and several student essays on related topics over the course of the semester, in drafts increasing polished and focused on structure, grammar, and punctuation.

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This resource is a great tool for students to use as an online dictionary. Students can search a word in the search bar in order to find the word’s definition, examples of the words in sentences, and a detailed description of the etymology of the word. This is a great resource for students to see the context and origin of words.

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Find out how strong your vocabulary is and learn new words at Vocabulary.com.

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Vocabulary.com helps you learn new words, play games that improve your vocabulary, and explore language.

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This resource is a wonderful tool to use for students to see groupings of words that are similar to one base word. This interactive website is great for content vocabulary and creative writing skills.

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This resource is a creative way to find new words for certain phrases. For example, if a student is looking for a word for the phrase “the one you love,” they would write that phrase into the search bar and the website will give them a collection of words to choose from (such as “love, agape, romance, amour,” etc.). This is a great tool to use for creative writing!

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About Reverse Dictionary

The way Reverse Dictionary works is pretty simple. It simply looks through tonnes of dictionary definitions and grabs the ones that most closely match your search query. For example, if you type something like "longing for a time in the past", then the engine will return "nostalgia". The engine has indexed several million definitions so far, and at this stage it's starting to give consistently good results (though it may return weird results sometimes). It acts a lot like a thesaurus except that it allows you to search with a definition, rather than a single word. So in a sense, this tool is a "search engine for words", or a sentence to word converter.

I made this tool after working on Related Words which is a very similar tool, except it uses a bunch of algorithms and multiple databases to find similar words to a search query. That project is closer to a thesaurus in the sense that it returns synonyms for a word (or short phrase) query, but it also returns many broadly related words that aren't included in thesauri. So this project, Reverse Dictionary, is meant to go hand-in-hand with Related Words to act as a word-finding and brainstorming toolset. For those interested, I also developed Describing Words which helps you find adjectives and interesting descriptors for things (e.g. waves, sunsets, trees, etc.).

In case you didn't notice, you can click on words in the search results and you'll be presented with the definition of that word (if available). The definitions are sourced from the famous and open-source WordNet database, so a huge thanks to the many contributors for creating such an awesome free resource.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: Elastic Search, @HubSpot, WordNet, and @mongodb.

Please note that Reverse Dictionary uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.

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The way Reverse Dictionary works is pretty simple. It simply looks through tonnes of dictionary definitions and grabs the ones that most closely match your search query. For example, if you type something like "longing for a time in the past", then the engine will return "nostalgia".

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This online, interactive game gives teachers quite a few options to practice vocabulary terms. First, teachers create a list of words they want their students to focus on. Next, they choose an activity they want students to practice; their options are: spelling, writing, phonics, and vocabulary (in which students match definitions, determine meaning based on context, and determine meaning based on synonyms and antonyms). Each activity is a game that students can participate in.

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This interactive website allows its user to match vocabulary words to their synonyms. By doing this, students are able to practice expanding their vocabulary and word recognition. The more vocabulary that students score correctly, the more rice (and other food) this website sends to countries in need.

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This website is a great tool to find a plethora of resources for teaching vocabulary, especially for ELL students. It has various links, such as: learning strategies, lesson plans, word lists, graphic organizers, and printable activities. These activities are also aligned to WIDA standards (which are necessary when teaching ELL students).

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BrainPOP ELL brings English language learning to life in your classroom! To help you make the most of this product, explore this rich collection of support resources, from ELL-specific graphic organizers and action images to learning strategies, lesson plans, vocabulary activities, and more.

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BrainPOP ELL Teaching Resources | BrainPOP Educators

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From ELL-specific graphic organizers and action images, to learning strategies and lesson plans this rich collection of classroom support resources enhance will help you and your students use BrainPOP ELL to its fullest, bringing English language learning to life in the classroom.

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Resource #16: “Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching Vocabulary” (Edutopia Article)

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Resource #16: “Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching Vocabulary” (Edutopia Article)

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This article includes teaching ideas that include strategies for selecting vocabulary words based on students’ prior knowledge. Afterwards, this article details a step-by-step method (created by Robert Marzano) that teachers can use to teach these words. This is particularly useful for newer teachers.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Resource #17: 4 Activities to Boost Target Language Vocabulary Acquisition” (Edutopia Article)

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Resource #17: 4 Activities to Boost Target Language Vocabulary Acquisition” (Edutopia Article)

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This article includes teaching ideas/strategies that educators can use in order to teach vocabulary. While this article is focused on L2 target language acquisition, the ideas presented can be used in any classroom for vocabulary building skills. These resources also focus on all components of learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

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To give his students repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary terms, the author relies on a tried-and-true tool: index cards.

redsnapper / Alamy Stock Photo

The wide scope of topics typically covered in intermediate to high-level world language classes requires students to master a lot of meaningful new terms. Given the time constraints students face and the virtually endless number of relevant lexical items, teachers often struggle to integrate vocabulary-developing activities into their daily practice. The problem becomes even more serious when we consider that for vocabulary instruction to be effective it needs to be not just explicit and engaging but frequent-which means running up against those time constraints repeatedly.

Developing a vocabulary deck can be a great way to keep a growing number of terms in learners' lexical repertoire. A deck is an easy-to-create resource that can be exploited in numerous ways with minimal preparation. The following activities allow teachers to promote students' vocabulary acquisition naturally by consistently drawing on different language skills-listening, speaking, reading, and writing-at the same time.

Building a Vocabulary Deck

In each print or audio text we cover in my classes, I select several keywords that are important for students to know. I add only five to eight terms at a time-early in a course there may be more new words than that in a single text, but emphasizing too many new terms at once may overwhelm most learners.

The items I select are often associated with formal contexts, and they may appear frequently in the authentic materials students deal with in class, regardless of the topic-terms such as to carry out, achievement, scarce, on average, and findings. Sometimes the terms are specific to a certain field; for these words, I try to involve students by asking them to imagine they are specialists in that field (biology, technology, art, etc.) about to travel to a country where the target language is spoken. They need to select and learn vocabulary that will be useful for them to do their work in the target culture.

I write each word on a four-by-six-inch index card in large enough letters to be read from all the way across the classroom. As the year goes on, the deck grows and is gradually purged of words that my students and I deem too easy. Still, it's valuable to keep a certain amount of unchallenging terms because they're reminders of what students know and they help keep all students engaged.

4 Vocabulary Deck Activities

1. Source retelling: I summarize out loud ideas from a source text we've covered in class, leaving out keywords that students, working in groups, need to guess. This is a more complex exercise than it may seem: Students need to use their background knowledge and their listening skills as they recall fairly complex content and mobilize their lexical knowledge, and they have to use the target language when conferring in their groups.

Once the correct answer is provided, I hold up the card for everyone to see. Since students work in groups and anyone in the class can call out an answer, the stakes are very low. As an alternative, you can designate an official speaker for each group. At the end of the class, as a review activity, I may ask one or two students to play the role of the teacher, which has the bonus of fostering a cohesive and inclusive learning community.

2. Quickfire rounds: Divided in teams of three or four members, students take turns trying to have their teammates guess as many words from the deck as possible in 30 to 60 seconds by writing a sentence with a blank space where the keyword would go. To ease anxiety, I sometimes let students skip one or two cards. Some groups may be more engaged if I keep score, but this is not always the case.

On occasion I may challenge students to make up original sentences (not definitions), and I push them to venture outside the original context and discover the potential semantic range of each term. For example, if they learn a Spanish word such as nivel (level) in a text that deals with waste management, I might require them to use the word in a sentence that deals with a different topic.

3. Whiteboard descriptions: In this activity, one or two students stand in front of the room while I display for the rest of the class a word from the deck. The group tries to lead the standing student or students to guess the word by writing definitions on their whiteboards.

This activity provides a valuable opportunity to informally assess written accuracy, especially if learners are directed to use only one specific structure or tense. With these constraints, both the student who needs to guess the word and the ones writing definitions receive repeated exposure to a certain language feature, which promotes grammatical awareness.

4. Vocabulary sweep-up: Students lay out all the cards on a table or other large surface and then take 30- to 45-second turns picking them up after using a card's word in a sentence that shows they understand the meaning of it. They use, or sweep up, as many words as they can during the allotted time. This activity can be done with groups each working on their own or as a competition between groups.

In order to get students to speak spontaneously in this activity, I may call on them randomly. If I do this, I work to reduce students' anxiety by making it clear that any inaccuracies carry little consequence as long as speakers manage to produce meaningful stretches of language.

Seeing which words are the last to be swept up shows me which vocabulary words may need to be reviewed. For students, it's often empowering to see how many words they're able to sweep up in just a few minutes.

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4 Activities to Boost Target Language Vocabulary Acquisition

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To give his students repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary terms, the author relies on a tried-and-true tool: index cards. redsnapper / Alamy Stock Photo The wide scope of topics typically covered in intermediate to high-level world language classes requires students to master a lot of meaningful new terms. Given the time constraints students face and the virtually endless number of relevant lexical items, teachers often struggle to integrate vocabulary-developing activities into their daily practice.

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Resource #18: “21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary” 

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Resource #18: “21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary” 

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This article focuses on teaching ideas/strategies that educators can add to their toolkit when they want to focus on vocabulary. These strategies can be used in any classroom and altered for high school, middle school, and elementary school. They can also be used in any content in order to enhance vocabulary practice.

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21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary in the Classroom

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Looking for ideas for teaching vocabulary? Here are 21 activities for teaching vocabulary in the classroom, along with links to other sources and ideas.

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IXL is a great resource for students to practice building vocabulary skills. This link has options for all teachers, including pre-K. There are various skills included for each grade level. When a student answers questions on IXL, they earn points towards a skill level. When they miss questions, they receive an explanation and an example.

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IXL brings learning to life with over 200 different vocabulary skills. Engaging questions and fun visuals motivate students to master new concepts.

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This link takes the user directly to a site where ELL students have the chance to practice building vocabulary skills as they relate to real-life scenarios, such as: clothes, food and drink, cooking and eating, jobs, work words, health and illness, etc. This is extremely useful for ELL students as they learn to navigate life in a different country and a different language.

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Cutting-edge EFL/ESL lesson plans, course plans, downloadable worksheets, audio and video resources. Plenty of free materials to try.