One of the most powerful ways ENGin volunteers can impact their students’ language skills is by helping them build a rich vocabulary. Here’s a guide for teaching vocabulary to beginners, intermediate, and advanced students, complete with creative tips and resources to try in your next session.
For Beginners: Building a Foundation with Simple, Everyday Words
For beginner students, start with essential, high-frequency words they’ll encounter often in daily life. The goal is to make vocabulary relevant and immediately useful.
Tips & Activities
Use Flashcards and Visuals: Flashcards with images or even short videos help students connect new words with pictures rather than just translations.
Resource: Quizlet offers flashcard sets and interactive games, making learning vocabulary fun and memorable.
Label Common Household Items: Encourage students to label items around their home in English. It’s a low-pressure way to keep English present in their day-to-day environment. Suggest making labels with sticky notes for words like “door,” “window,” “table,” etc.
Practice Through Repetition and Review: Repeat new words in different contexts. For example, introduce a word in a story, use it in conversation, and revisit it in follow-up sessions.
Resource: Vocabulary.com is a fantastic tool for tracking vocabulary and reinforcing words through usage-based practice.
For Intermediate Students: Expanding Vocabulary with Context
Intermediate students are ready to move beyond everyday vocabulary, focusing on building words used in various topics or conversations. Contextual learning can deepen their understanding and retention.
Tips & Activities
Use Word Maps: Create word maps for different topics, like food, travel, or emotions. A “food” word map, for example, could include “fruit,” “vegetable,” “sweet,” and link to specific examples under each.
Resource: MindMeister is an easy-to-use online tool for making word maps.
Introduce Synonyms and Antonyms: Help students add depth to their vocabulary by learning related words. For example, teach "happy" alongside "joyful," "cheerful," and "content." Have students match words with synonyms or antonyms and use them in different sentences.
Read Short Stories Together: Reading is one of the best ways to introduce new words in context. Choose short stories or articles that use intermediate-level vocabulary and discuss any unfamiliar words as you go.
Resource: Engoo offers news articles at various reading levels, perfect for reading comprehension and vocabulary building.
For Advanced Students: Deepening Vocabulary Through Idioms and Expression
Advanced students benefit from learning more nuanced language, such as idioms, phrases, and advanced synonyms that help them express complex thoughts and emotions.
Tips & Activities
Focus on Idioms and Phrasal Verbs: Advanced students often find English idioms and phrasal verbs challenging but rewarding to learn. Explain common expressions they’ll hear in conversations or movies.
Resource: The Cambridge Dictionary has a great list of idioms and phrasal verbs, complete with examples.
Discuss Abstract Topics: Advanced vocabulary often involves abstract concepts. Choose a topic like “success,” “courage,” or “adventure” and explore the different ways to discuss it. Ask students use descriptive words or phrases to talk about these ideas, enhancing their ability to express complex thoughts.
Read and Analyze Articles: Choose articles, essays, or opinion pieces that use sophisticated language. Go through any unfamiliar words, discussing their meanings and usage.
Resource: The Atlantic and BBC offer articles with a range of vocabulary that’s great for higher-level learners.
General Tips for All Levels
Incorporate New Words Into Every Session: Every session, pick 2-3 new words to introduce, and make sure to review them at the start of the next session.
Encourage Curiosity: Encourage students to ask about any unfamiliar word they encounter. When they come across new vocabulary on their own, they’re more likely to remember it.
Use Real-Life Context: Whenever possible, link new words to the student’s life or interests. If they love music, for example, introduce vocabulary through song lyrics or discussions about their favorite artists.
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