Skill: Vocabulary
Topic: Function in the classroom
Mode: Interpersonal
Level: Intermediate
Can-Do/Competency: Ask and respond to varied questions necessary for communicative success
Students will ask each other questions to learn the spelling, pronunciation, and definition of new words.
Components of this activity: teacher and student instructions
Additional materials:
- Notecards with vocabulary terms
- Authentic reading/listening text (source for the vocabulary words but not used in the activity)
- Dictionaries or access to online dictionary
- Blank papers and writing utensils (or word processing application)
Instructions to the teacher
Create a list of 10-15 new vocabulary words which you anticipate students will not know and which relate to an authentic text you will be reading or listening to in class. Write each new vocabulary word in the target language on a separate notecard. If you have more than 15 students, you should repeat some words so that some students will end up with the same terms. Students will have the task of learning the meaning and pronunciation of their word and then teaching it to their peers. (Note: Do not tell students who has duplicate terms—let them discover this and determine if they are teaching their words similarly.) You should tell students the total number of terms they are learning so they know when they are done. You may choose to check students’ papers for completion at the end of the activity and then go through the list together as a class to ensure the definitions and pronunciations are correct.
Before handing out the cards, pre-teach the following expressions to students:
- Can you repeat that, please?
- How do you spell that/write that?
- How do you pronounce that word?
- What does the word mean?
Using the above expressions, a pair of students might have the following conversation:
A: Hi ____. What is your word?
B: My word is ___________
A: How do you spell that?
B: It is spelled ___________________
A: Can you repeat that, please?
B: ________________
A: What does the word mean?
B: It means ____________
A: Ok, thank you.
B: What is your word?
A: …
Instructions to students
You have been given a notecard with a new vocabulary word which relates to an upcoming text we will be reading/listening to in class. You have also been taught some useful expressions for learning new words. For this activity, you will walk around the room to ask your peers questions about their secret words and to answer questions about your word. This activity has two steps and two important rules.
The rules are:
- You may not show your notecard to anyone else.
- You may only give information about your word if someone asks for it.
The steps:
- First, you are responsible for learning the definition and pronunciation of your new vocabulary word and then teaching it to your classmates. You need to look up the word using a dictionary. You also need to learn how to pronounce the word. If you need help with the pronunciation, you may access an online pronunciation tool or ask your teacher for help. You will teach your word’s definition and pronunciation to your classmates, and if necessary, you will spell it/draw it for them.
- You need to go up to each of your classmates and ask them what their word is and what it means. If you need them to spell the word or draw the character, you will need to ask them. You must write down the words your classmates teach you, including the definition. When you have written down all your classmates’ words, you will continue to teach others’ your word until everyone has learned it. When finished with your list, show it to your teacher for credit.