Vocabulary and Its Importance in Language Learning

Vocabulary and Its Importance in Language Learning

1. What is vocabulary?

   • Refers to all the words in a language, the entire vocabulary of a language.

2. The importance of Vocabulary

   • Vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas.

3. Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge

   • Form
     • Spoken
       • What does the word sound like?
         • How is the word pronounced?
   • Meaning
     • Form and meaning
       • What meaning does this word form signal?
         • What word form can be used to express this meaning?
   • Use
     • Grammatical functions
       • In what patterns does the word occur?
         • In what patterns must people use this word?

4. Developing a Love for Vocabulary Learning

   • English vocabulary’s expansion is exciting, but it also means that teachers and students alike need to be in the habit of learning vocabulary.
     • People can expand their English vocabulary knowledge in many different ways.