LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Techniques to Teach Vocabulary to Regional Medium Students

J. R. Nirmala, Ph.D.

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to study the impact of vocabulary teaching techniques on vocabulary learning by Regional Medium Students of Tamilnadu. For this study, nearly 60 students from professional colleges, particularly I year B.E./B.Tech. students, were identified based on their medium of instruction at the school level. This strength was divided into two different groups, namely,

1. Student studied in Tamil medium from Urban Background - Tamil Medium &Urban Background, TM & UB.

2. Student studied in Tamil medium from Rural Background. - Tamil Medium & Rural Background, TM & RB.

The First Group TM & UB, consists of 28 students, both boys & girls. Of this strength 12 are girls and 16 are boys. These students were taught to learn new English words by producing either spoken or written sentences using them (a contextualizing technique).

The Second group TM & RB had 32 students. Of this, 10 were girls, and the remaining 22 were boys. These students were taught to learn new English words by memorizing word lists associated with their Technical Subjects (a de-contextualizing technique) and allowing them to practice.

The data were collected using two types of tests: a memorization test and a sentence-making test, which were administered to both groups.

The results of the study revealed that the students in the TM & RB outperformed those in the TM & UB quite significantly on a vocabulary memorization test. The TM & UB had better performance on a sentence-making test than the TM & RB, though the difference was not statistically significant.

Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that memorization of word-lists can work better than sentence-making practice, especially for Tamil Medium Students of Rural Background at low levels of proficiency.

Introduction

Vocabulary learning, by far, plays a very crucial role in learning another language. Seal, (1990, as cited in Celce-Murcia, 1991, p. 269) states that "To the non-language specialist, the common sense view of how languages are learned is that always we substitute the words in our first language for the corresponding words in the second language. Words are perceived as the building blocks upon which knowledge of the second language can be built."

The vocabulary of any language is huge and its acquisition takes time, even for a native speaker. Research has concentrated more on how words are learnt than on what should be taught, though everyone agrees that a threshold of around 2000-3000 words is a requirement for further progress. Extensive reading leads to good vocabulary gains. Also teachers can help the learners to become autonomous by teaching useful strategies and ensuring the availability of appropriate, motivating materials.

Importance of Vocabulary Teaching/Learning

Considering the crucial role attributed to vocabulary learning in second or foreign language learning, one can appreciate the importance of vocabulary teaching as well. A number of research studies have dealt with lexical problems, namely, problems which language learners face in vocabulary learning. The research findings have revealed that lexical problems frequently interfere with communication. As a matter of fact, communication breaks down when people do not use the right words (Allen, 1983).

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