Today when Alice demonstrated how would she present new vocabulary, I suddenly realized that even high school students need to know the basic rules of syllables and stress. I have more teaching experiences with elementary school children, so I tend to forget that these fundamental rules are crucial to high school kids as well, espeically when memorizing vocabulary is important to them. Making the association between wrods and sounds would definitely make students memorize better. I never tried to teach vocabulary to high school kids this way. Yet, I also found that even the teachers (refering to me and my classmates here) may not be familiar with these rules, either. Some of my classmates learned how to pronounce words through phonics, and they may not have a clue of what KK is or how to count syllables. They were never taught via this technique. This phenomenon indeed poses a danger on teaching vocabulary. All in all, the way Alice did it today really inspired me. Thank you, Alice!
alicechiu said
Hi, Angel,
Yes, it’s important to remind students of word-sound association so as to help them to memorize the spelling. It’s important in the primary level, so is it in junior or senior high schools. You’ll be surprised that many teenagers have difficulty remembering new words, partly because they are not properly taught how a word is pronounced and which syllable is stressed. They can recognize the word, but they can’t pronounce it right. When they have to write the word, they get the spelling wrong. That’s why in the orientation stage (usually the first month of a new school year), I put an emphasis on the pronunciation, meaning and spelling of a new word. It’s a habit formation, to my knowledge, to link the three basic elements of a word. Once the students learn how to make the connection, we can spend more time on the other important aspects of a new word, such as word family, grammar points, collocation, etc. Most important of all, we need to help them to “recycle” the words and make those words meaningful in their life. Or, they are just a list of unrelated words which they would forget soon after an exam.
The lion said
Hello. My name is the Lion. I live in Japan and I am a university student. I study English same you.
I agree your opinion because I think the word-sound is important to memorizing the new words. I teached English for elementary school students befour. Of course, they could not write English. But when I spoke English to them, they spoke English following me. I found they learned English through the sounds!
I think that memorizing the spelling relate the word-sound very much.
I think your opinion is interesting. And I want to meet your teacher? Alice very much.
Thank you.
The lion
cheesecake said
Hello. I’m cheesecake. I’m Japanese and I’m majoring in English at university.
By reading your blog, I found that it is important for high school student to understand the basic rules of syllables and stress in memorizing vocabulary.
I also keenly realized that teachers need to acquire the general and expert knowledge of English or expand them to teach students English.
Memorizing vocabulary with the right pronounciation is concerned with learning the words correctly, I think.
I wish that I could see the Alice’s demonstation very much!
Thank you.
yoshiehb said
I live in Japan. I study English teaching method in university.
I think it is important to learning pronounciation for word study too.
Because I’ve also learned English by pronouncing the word since I studied English. There are dicreased the scene that I mistaken spelling miss by this way.
I think there is deep connection between pronouciation and Memorizing vocaburally. Your opinion is very interesting.
Thank you.
RIP said
Hi,I’m RIP.I’m japanese university student and take a English Learning Methodology class.
I was able to mention new thought on teaching vocabulary trhough your blog.That reminds me,an English teacher when I was a junior high student always said pronunciation was important to learn words.In junior High school or High scool,teachers usually make much of reading and understanding of a long sentence than pronunciation.So I couldn’t understand rerationsip between pronunciation or syllables and stress and memorizing vocabulary. But,now,I learned phonics and realized importance of association between wrods and sounds.So I sympathize with your thought very much.