Spanish Vocabulary Learning in Meaning-Oriented Instruction

Description

Spanish Vocabulary Learning in Meaning-Oriented Instruction is the first comprehensive overview of current research and instructional practices into Spanish vocabulary acquisition through the lens of Meaning-Oriented Instruction (MOI). Key features: • a breadth of topics including language variation, input, tasks and processing specificity, incidental learning, idiomatic language, lexicographic perspectives, lexicosemantic representation, vocabulary testing, and receptive and productive vocabulary; • a combination of theory and practical guidance highlighting pedagogical best practices in the teaching of vocabulary; • guidance on the difficulties teachers face when teaching vocabulary in the classroom; • clear explanations with plenty of examples and useful references; • tasks and activities that help teachers move from a traditional curricular approach to a more innovative and engaging one focused on communicating, completing tasks, and learning content. Written by an international cohort of scholars in a succinct and accessible manner, Spanish Vocabulary Learning in Meaning-Oriented Instruction is an essential resource for teachers of Spanish at all levels. It is also an excellent reference book for researchers and both undergraduate and graduate students interested in Spanish vocabulary acquisition. Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Contents List of figures and tables Notes on contributors Meaning and vocabulary: two key elements in Spanish language teaching 1 Identifying target Spanish vocabulary: issues of regional variation 1. Introduction 2. Vocabulary acquisition 3. Pedagogical implications of lexical variation 3.1. Frequency and context of use 3.2. Learner needs 3.3. Formality 4. Communicative language teaching and task-based learning 5. Sample lessons 5.1. Lexical lessons 5.2. Discursive-pragmatic lexical lesson 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 2 Input, tasks, and processing specificity in Spanish vocabulary learning 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research on lexical input processing 2.1. What is the TOPRA model and what does it predict? 2.2. What is the most effective type of input? 2.3. What are the most effective types of tasks? 3. The IBI approach 3.1. IBI principles 3.2. IBI checklist 4. Integration within MOI 4.1. Intentional vocabulary learning as focus on meaning 4.2. Increased exposure to words while focusing on meaning 5. Sample lesson 5.1. Sample IBI lesson 5.2. Completion of seven-item checklist for the sample lesson 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 3 Incidental learning of L2 Spanish vocabulary 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research 2.1. Input hypothesis 2.2. Output hypothesis 2.3. Interaction hypothesis 2.4. The Involvement Load Hypothesis 2.5. The TOPRA model 2.6. Summary 3. Methods and techniques: activities for incidental vocabulary acquisition 3.1. Reading 3.2. Writing 3.3. Other activities 4. Incidental vocabulary acquisition within Meaning-Oriented Instruction (MOI) 4.1. Communicative language teaching 4.2. Task-based instruction 4.3. Content-based instruction 4.4. Toward more effective MOI 5. Sample activities for L2 Spanish 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 4 Acquisition of idiomatic language in L2 Spanish 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research 3. Methods and techniques 3.1. Justification for a focus on idioms 4. Integration within Meaning-Oriented Instruction (MOI) 4.1. The benefits of recognizing the literal underpinnings of idioms 4.2. Why learners need assistance in establishing connections between idiomatic meanings and their literal underpinnings 5. Sample activities 5.1. Selecting, organizing, and systematizing the linguistic material 5.2. Applying a constructivist approach 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 5 Lexicographic perspectives and L2 Spanish vocabulary 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research 2.1. How has the SFL/SSL dictionary been used in general? 2.2. How can the dictionary be better used in a Spanish class? 2.3. What is the meaning of the Spanish learners’ dictionary? 2.4. What are the characteristics of Spanish learners’ dictionaries? 2.5. How do Spanish learners gain access to the dictionary? 2.6. Are existing Spanish dictionaries designed for learners adequate? 2.7. What possible solutions are there to reverse the lack of adequate online dictionaries? 3. Methods and techniques 4. Integration within MOI 4.1. Should dictionaries be used within MOI? 4.2. How can dictionaries be used effectively within MOI? 5. Sample activities 5.1. Activities to familiarize the students with the text 5.2. Activities involving dictionaries 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 6 Quality of lexicosemantic representations in L2 Spanish 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research 2.1. Cognates and cognate facilitation: Definitions and empirical evidence 2.2. Psycholinguistic perspective 2.3. Second language processing perspective 3. Methods and techniques 4. Integration within MOI 5. Sample activity 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 7 Testing L2 Spanish vocabulary knowledge 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research 2.1. Dimensions of vocabulary knowledge 2.2. Some measures of vocabulary knowledge 3. Methods and techniques 3.1. Proficiency guidelines used in vocabulary testing 3.2. Classroom-based assessment 3.3. Eight recommendations 4. Integration within MOI 4.1. The inextricability of vocabulary and grammar 4.2. Comparing proficiency with learner corpora 5. Sample activity 6. Conclusions 7. Bibliography 8 New vocabulary levels tests for L2 Spanish 1. Introduction 2. Theory and research 3. Methods and techniques 4. Integration within MOI 5. Conclusions 6. Bibliography Index