The teaching of new language items

Abstract

In the early days of SUFL * teaching and when the Grammar-Translation method was queen of the day, vocabulary occupied a prominent position in SUFL programmes. However, the fortunes of vocabulary soon changed with the oncoming of the Direct Method and the Audio-Lingual Method. One of the important underlying principles of these two methods is that language is not made up of words but of patterns of usage (Lado, 1965). Consequently, a greater emphasis was given to the teaching of structures, and vocabulary had less attention. There is presently a renewed interest in the teaching of vocabulary due to the development of Functional-Notional Syllabuses. (O'Neil and Snow, 1978). It is, therefore, necessary to reconsider the teaching of vocabulary and develop a systematic technique to achieve our objectives. Different objectives are defined for recognition and productive vocabularies. An EFL ** student needs to recognize and enunciate recognition vocabulary, but he does not need to spell or use such vocabulary items. The EFL student, however, will need to recognize, pronounce, spell and use those vocabulary items that are intended for productive use. The sequence in which these four skills (recognizing, pronouncing, spelling and using) are presented and taught is of great significance, both for linguistic and methodological principles.