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Tips for Learning Vocabulary in Context.

 

What is context and why is it important?

The dictionary defines context as being: The background, environment, setting, framework, or surroundings of events or occurrences. Simply put, context means circumstances forming a background of an event, idea or statement, in such a way as to enable readers to understand the narrative or a literary piece. ... This piece of information is called context.

In language learning be it either your native language, or a second language, context allows the learner to form a picture in their minds of the word in an environment that makes its meaning easier to understand.

For many older native speakers, they are able to read academic papers, books etc and completely understand virtually all of the vocabulary based upon the overall context even if they have never experienced many of the words before.

Attaching Context to Vocabulary

Attaching context to the vocabulary that you are either studying or teaching to students will connect the learner with those new words in a more meaningful way.

Many English teachers and independant learners place great importance on this vocabulary teaching method due to its proven track record of success

There are a few strategies based on teaching or learning with context. For one, you can group words together using context. You’ll want to show how vocabulary work together in sentences and paragraphs. You’ll want to present the specific vocabulary with a complete story or a video clip that utilizes all of it.

How to teach/learn ESL vocabulary with context:

  • Fistly, decide upon a subject. The chosen subject will put everything else in place. For this article, we’ll use the weather as the subject. After all, the weather will always be a part of everyones lives outside of the classroom. 

    To establish context, first find a weather story or video from an online news channel, a website, or YouTube. Remember that whilst a video is an excellent learning tool, choosing written materials for reading is also very helpful.
  • Pick five to ten new words you’ll focus on from the chosen material. Give a written explanation of how they were used in the video and write down their definitions as part of your preparation materials.
  • If you are a teacher, present the vocabulary in context to your students. Show them the video or reading material. Then present the new words, their definitions, and your written explanation. Have a little discussion and answer questions as needed before moving on.
  • Once you have introduced the new vocabulary into your students’ minds with context, it’s time for contextual action. Put your students into small groups of three or four, then instruct them to develop their own weather scripts using their newly experienced vocabulary. They can work together in their groups and simply modify the transcriptions from the video, or they could even create totally new and compelling scripts of their own.
  • Have the groups present their scripts in front of the class in order to build confidence and have them learn that vocabulary once and for all.

  • If you are a self-studying student, play the video or read the materials two or three times to allow yourself to absorb the vocabulary, in context, into your memory. Next, as a review activity, write a report and then create a short cellphone video utilizing the vocabulary in its correct context.

  • Another way to revise and utilize the vocabulary is by writing a report/article/story/video and uploading it to a blog that you can share with fellow language learners.

  • You can also make your own flashcards with pictures that you find in Google images. This will help associate an image with the new word in your mind.

    All of these different ideas practice the vocabulary in context. If you just repeat the words to yourself or write them many times, the information is isolated. It is not connected to any of the other English words that you know.

    If you study new words in context, you will remember them much better. This will help you learn English even faster!
I hope that these ideas helped and that you are able to utilize them in your studying/teaching.

Good luck










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  1. Mack22griggOctober 20, 2022 at 4:20 AM

    Reading makes you go miles. Be it comprehension, writing, or learning English vocabulary daily. Try to read a transcript, no matter where from. Note the new words on your stickynotes and write meanings.place the notes on your daily go to area where you happen to visit the most Like your bed room ,living room, kitchen etc. You will happen to learn most of it.

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