How to Teach Vocabulary With Games
Vocabulary is key to learning any language. Whether you are a teacher of ESL (English as Second Language) students or simply helping high school students study for a standardized test, vocabulary must be taught and learned. However, few things are more dreaded than lists of unknown words. Using games to teach vocabulary can help make the whole process more engaging for you and your students.
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Instructions
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Know your audience. Discover what type of students you are teaching and their desired vocabulary goal. Vocabulary words and the games used to teach them will be much different for second graders preparing for a weekly vocabulary test than high school juniors preparing for the SAT.
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Compile a list of words you want your students to know. Make a long list, but do not push too many words on the students at once. Have more words in case they catch on quicker than expected, but don't overwhelm them with 30 words to learn in one game. Make sure, too, that you are fully familiar with the meaning of the word by checking the definition in a dictionary.
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Determine the desired outcome. What do you want your students to be able to do? Do you want them to be able to define the word on command or figure out the meaning from the sentence? Are you trying to incorporate grammatical aspects into the vocabulary, and if so, what aspects of grammar are you wanting to teach?
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Choose the type of game. Several varieties of games are available. One option is to place a student on a seat in front of the room with his or her back to the board. Write a word on the board, and have a team or a class try to get him or her to guess the word by giving clues. However, they may not use the word on the board or any rhyme of it; the clues must all be based on the word's definition.
Another option is to have students draw a large square on a piece of paper and divide it into 16 equal sections. Write 30 vocabulary words on the board, and have the students write one word in each of the squares. Read out a definition or synonym of a word on the board, without using the word itself, and if students think they have that word, they cover a square with a game chip or small piece of paper. When a student fills all squares across, down, or diagonal, they call out, "Bingo!" Check for accuracy. -
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Measure results. A mark of any good teacher is the ability to assess the effectiveness of a lesson. Which games help students know vocabulary, and which seem to just perpetuate ignorance? Reinforce the games that seem to produce the desired results.
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Comments
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it seem interestint, so I like some advice.
