Jay Doubleyou: vocabulary myths: applying second language research to classroom teaching
Myth 5: Guessing words from context is an excellent strategy for learning L2 vocabulary.
In the real world
Folse relates an incident where he failed to guess a word in context, despite applying the usual "word attack" strategies.
What the research says
We typically acquire much of our L1 vocabulary by guessing the meaning of new words from the comprehensible contexts in which they are set. Several relatively recent studies, however, have found that this method is less effective for L2 vocabulary acquisition.
Essentially, this is because L2 learners may not know several of the surrounding words in any given context. They consequently do not have enough clues to make accurate guesses about new word meaning, and thereby develop their vocabulary in the way L1 learners do.
What you can do
- Teach the use of context clues as a good reading strategy, but recognize that learners cannot rely on this compensatory strategy for vocabulary growth.
- Choose context clues and activities that match the proficiency level of your students.
- Exercises that ask students to guess word meanings should be done in class so that the teacher can give immediate feedback. Another option is to have your students do these exercises on a computer-based program that gives immediate feedback
- Reading can be a conduit for vocabulary growth, especially when done with vocabulary exercises.
Vocabulary Myths: Applying Second Language Research To Classroom Teaching
Some quite different ideas and tips on 'context':
What Does it Mean to Learn Vocabulary in Context?
Building Vocabulary: Using Context Clues to Learn Word Meaning
Online-Tool for Learning Vocabulary in Context | Resources for non-spoken aspects of the language | Forum — Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips
Learning Vocabulary in Context Part 1 - YouTube
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