Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the recommended starting size for packs of words when learning vocabulary?
What is the recommended starting size for packs of words when learning vocabulary?
Which of the following is the most effective method to space repetitions?
Which of the following is the most effective method to space repetitions?
Which technique should be used for words that are difficult to learn?
Which technique should be used for words that are difficult to learn?
What is a potential issue with learning words of similar spelling together?
What is a potential issue with learning words of similar spelling together?
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How should the order of words in a learning pack be handled to enhance memory?
How should the order of words in a learning pack be handled to enhance memory?
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What effect does saying the word aloud have on learning it?
What effect does saying the word aloud have on learning it?
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What is a recommended method for learning verbs?
What is a recommended method for learning verbs?
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What is one key aspect of the keyword technique?
What is one key aspect of the keyword technique?
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What is the primary method suggested for the deliberate learning of vocabulary?
What is the primary method suggested for the deliberate learning of vocabulary?
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Which of the following activities contributes to the learning of vocabulary?
Which of the following activities contributes to the learning of vocabulary?
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Deliberate learning activities should ideally account for what proportion of a language course?
Deliberate learning activities should ideally account for what proportion of a language course?
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What distinguishes listening and reading from speaking and writing in language learning?
What distinguishes listening and reading from speaking and writing in language learning?
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Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a deliberate learning strategy?
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a deliberate learning strategy?
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What is a common characteristic of phrases like 'next week' and 'six o’clock'?
What is a common characteristic of phrases like 'next week' and 'six o’clock'?
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Which of the following phrases has a figurative meaning related to its literal interpretation?
Which of the following phrases has a figurative meaning related to its literal interpretation?
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What type of phrases contain elements like alliteration, rhyme, and repetition?
What type of phrases contain elements like alliteration, rhyme, and repetition?
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Understanding the history of phrases serves what purpose?
Understanding the history of phrases serves what purpose?
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What should one consider when learning related words together?
What should one consider when learning related words together?
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What is the primary benefit of focusing on phrases in language learning?
What is the primary benefit of focusing on phrases in language learning?
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Which of the following phrases indicates a lack of direct meaning correlation between its parts?
Which of the following phrases indicates a lack of direct meaning correlation between its parts?
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How frequently do phrases occur compared to individual words?
How frequently do phrases occur compared to individual words?
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What is the first step in using the keyword technique for vocabulary learning?
What is the first step in using the keyword technique for vocabulary learning?
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Which component is NOT part of the keyword technique?
Which component is NOT part of the keyword technique?
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How does the keyword technique improve vocabulary learning?
How does the keyword technique improve vocabulary learning?
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What is an example of a keyword used in the learning process?
What is an example of a keyword used in the learning process?
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In the example given, what does the keyword 'parit' help you remember?
In the example given, what does the keyword 'parit' help you remember?
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What is the expected result of using the keyword technique in learning vocabulary?
What is the expected result of using the keyword technique in learning vocabulary?
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What should be visualized in step 2 of the keyword technique?
What should be visualized in step 2 of the keyword technique?
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What is a crucial aspect of how the keyword technique functions?
What is a crucial aspect of how the keyword technique functions?
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What is the recommended approach after mastering a difficult sound in isolation?
What is the recommended approach after mastering a difficult sound in isolation?
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Which tool is suggested for practicing pronunciation with slowed speech?
Which tool is suggested for practicing pronunciation with slowed speech?
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How should a teacher assist students learning individual sounds?
How should a teacher assist students learning individual sounds?
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What does the principle of the four strands emphasize regarding learning?
What does the principle of the four strands emphasize regarding learning?
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What is a common misconception about learning grammar?
What is a common misconception about learning grammar?
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Which method is NOT mentioned as a way to learn grammar?
Which method is NOT mentioned as a way to learn grammar?
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What is the primary way grammar is assimilated according to the principle of the four strands?
What is the primary way grammar is assimilated according to the principle of the four strands?
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What is the main benefit of addressing pronunciation early in language learning?
What is the main benefit of addressing pronunciation early in language learning?
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Deliberate learning only involves the teacher's teaching and does not require learner participation.
Deliberate learning only involves the teacher's teaching and does not require learner participation.
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Using word cards is considered an ineffective strategy for vocabulary learning.
Using word cards is considered an ineffective strategy for vocabulary learning.
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Contextual vocabulary learning is the only important method for language acquisition.
Contextual vocabulary learning is the only important method for language acquisition.
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Bilingual word cards can help to separate the first language from the foreign language during early stages of learning.
Bilingual word cards can help to separate the first language from the foreign language during early stages of learning.
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Dictation, transcription, and oral repetition are not beneficial activities for vocabulary and grammar study.
Dictation, transcription, and oral repetition are not beneficial activities for vocabulary and grammar study.
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Using an electronic reader like Kindle can facilitate easy word look-up during intensive reading.
Using an electronic reader like Kindle can facilitate easy word look-up during intensive reading.
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It is important to only revise vocabulary that has been recently learned.
It is important to only revise vocabulary that has been recently learned.
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Deliberate learning does not include any form of grammatical study.
Deliberate learning does not include any form of grammatical study.
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The phrase 'raining cats and dogs' has a clear connection between its parts and its meaning.
The phrase 'raining cats and dogs' has a clear connection between its parts and its meaning.
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About 20% of phrases in English make use of alliteration.
About 20% of phrases in English make use of alliteration.
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Figurative phrases can sometimes have meanings that differ greatly from their literal interpretations.
Figurative phrases can sometimes have meanings that differ greatly from their literal interpretations.
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It is beneficial to learn words that are conceptually related at the same time.
It is beneficial to learn words that are conceptually related at the same time.
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Phrases and clauses with a figurative meaning always relate closely to their literal interpretation.
Phrases and clauses with a figurative meaning always relate closely to their literal interpretation.
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Finding out about the history of a phrase can enhance understanding of its meaning.
Finding out about the history of a phrase can enhance understanding of its meaning.
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Learning phrases as whole units can improve the accuracy and fluency of language use.
Learning phrases as whole units can improve the accuracy and fluency of language use.
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All phrases in English are equally frequent in usage.
All phrases in English are equally frequent in usage.
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The keyword technique involves visualizing an image that relates to the meaning of the L2 word and the keyword.
The keyword technique involves visualizing an image that relates to the meaning of the L2 word and the keyword.
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The keyword does not need to sound similar to the L2 word for the technique to be effective.
The keyword does not need to sound similar to the L2 word for the technique to be effective.
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Using the keyword technique typically results in 50% more learning compared to other methods.
Using the keyword technique typically results in 50% more learning compared to other methods.
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The keyword technique is primarily based on shallow repetition of words.
The keyword technique is primarily based on shallow repetition of words.
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The keyword technique has no limitations and can be applied without any imagination.
The keyword technique has no limitations and can be applied without any imagination.
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A keyword in the technique can sometimes serve as both a form and meaning link.
A keyword in the technique can sometimes serve as both a form and meaning link.
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A specific example of a keyword technique involves linking the L2 word 'council' with the Thai phrase 'khâaw săan'.
A specific example of a keyword technique involves linking the L2 word 'council' with the Thai phrase 'khâaw săan'.
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Visualizing an image is not a necessary part of the keyword technique.
Visualizing an image is not a necessary part of the keyword technique.
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Intensive reading involves reading a text multiple times with a focus on different aspects each time.
Intensive reading involves reading a text multiple times with a focus on different aspects each time.
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Delayed copying only aids in handwriting skills and has no effect on memory retention.
Delayed copying only aids in handwriting skills and has no effect on memory retention.
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Spelling practice should focus on writing out words using a writing system similar to that of the learner's first language.
Spelling practice should focus on writing out words using a writing system similar to that of the learner's first language.
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Repeating readings can help learners focus on the meaning of content words before exploring function words.
Repeating readings can help learners focus on the meaning of content words before exploring function words.
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Practicing vocabulary by writing the first letter of each word next to it is an ineffective technique.
Practicing vocabulary by writing the first letter of each word next to it is an ineffective technique.
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The primary goal of intensive reading is to memorize the text verbatim.
The primary goal of intensive reading is to memorize the text verbatim.
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Repetitive reading techniques can also be applied when listening to media like movies or TV programs.
Repetitive reading techniques can also be applied when listening to media like movies or TV programs.
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Writing down the first four or five words after reading is a technique called immediate copying.
Writing down the first four or five words after reading is a technique called immediate copying.
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Younger learners often require a significant amount of language-focused learning to develop their pronunciation.
Younger learners often require a significant amount of language-focused learning to develop their pronunciation.
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For older learners, the quality of pronunciation is often influenced by their opportunities to use the language.
For older learners, the quality of pronunciation is often influenced by their opportunities to use the language.
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Articulatory phonetics deals primarily with the meaning of words rather than how sounds are produced.
Articulatory phonetics deals primarily with the meaning of words rather than how sounds are produced.
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The pronunciation of the initial sound in the words 'this' and 'that' is typically easy for learners of English.
The pronunciation of the initial sound in the words 'this' and 'that' is typically easy for learners of English.
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Focusing on identifying difficult sounds is the first step in the deliberate study of pronunciation.
Focusing on identifying difficult sounds is the first step in the deliberate study of pronunciation.
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Older learners often achieve a native-like pronunciation through simple meaning-focused input alone.
Older learners often achieve a native-like pronunciation through simple meaning-focused input alone.
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Clear pronunciation has no impact on how well a learner is understood by native speakers.
Clear pronunciation has no impact on how well a learner is understood by native speakers.
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Deliberate study of pronunciation should only focus on complex sounds.
Deliberate study of pronunciation should only focus on complex sounds.
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Deliberate learning can involve the teacher teaching, but it must also involve you as the learner taking responsibility for your own ______.
Deliberate learning can involve the teacher teaching, but it must also involve you as the learner taking responsibility for your own ______.
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The most important deliberate learning activity is using ______.
The most important deliberate learning activity is using ______.
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Bilingual ______ are a very effective deliberate learning strategy that you should use.
Bilingual ______ are a very effective deliberate learning strategy that you should use.
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Using word cards is a deliberate learning strategy and fits into the language-focused learning ______ of a course.
Using word cards is a deliberate learning strategy and fits into the language-focused learning ______ of a course.
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Research has shown that in the beginning and intermediate stages of language learning, the first and foreign languages are stored ______.
Research has shown that in the beginning and intermediate stages of language learning, the first and foreign languages are stored ______.
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Using concordancers can help study words and ______.
Using concordancers can help study words and ______.
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You should do dictation, transcription, delayed copying, and oral repetition activities to gain familiarity with spoken and ______ forms.
You should do dictation, transcription, delayed copying, and oral repetition activities to gain familiarity with spoken and ______ forms.
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Deliberate learning should include vocabulary learning in context through meaning-focused input, output, and ______ development.
Deliberate learning should include vocabulary learning in context through meaning-focused input, output, and ______ development.
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Learning words that are ______ can make it more difficult to master them.
Learning words that are ______ can make it more difficult to master them.
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Transcription involves creating a written version of a short ______ text.
Transcription involves creating a written version of a short ______ text.
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Intensive reading requires a careful focus on language features in ______.
Intensive reading requires a careful focus on language features in ______.
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The activity can be done alone, or with the help of another ______, or with the help of a teacher.
The activity can be done alone, or with the help of another ______, or with the help of a teacher.
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The relationship that aids learning is when words are related as if in a ______.
The relationship that aids learning is when words are related as if in a ______.
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Repeated reading focuses on different aspects of the text on each ______.
Repeated reading focuses on different aspects of the text on each ______.
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Using word ______ can help in separating words of different languages during study.
Using word ______ can help in separating words of different languages during study.
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One benefit of the delayed copying activity is to improve ______ skills and memory for phrases.
One benefit of the delayed copying activity is to improve ______ skills and memory for phrases.
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It is suggested that related ______ should not be learned together to minimize confusion.
It is suggested that related ______ should not be learned together to minimize confusion.
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To reduce interference, it is advised to learn possibly interfering items at ______ times.
To reduce interference, it is advised to learn possibly interfering items at ______ times.
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Writing practice focused on letters of the alphabet can aid learners who are studying a ______ language.
Writing practice focused on letters of the alphabet can aid learners who are studying a ______ language.
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Intensive reading enhances our main focus on the ______ and thus largely the content words.
Intensive reading enhances our main focus on the ______ and thus largely the content words.
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Deliberate learning activities improve skills such as ______ and phrase recognition.
Deliberate learning activities improve skills such as ______ and phrase recognition.
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The activity encourages trying to hold longer sequences in your ______.
The activity encourages trying to hold longer sequences in your ______.
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Using a ______ can facilitate easy word look-up during intensive reading.
Using a ______ can facilitate easy word look-up during intensive reading.
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When learning vocabulary, it is often useful to focus on useful ______ units.
When learning vocabulary, it is often useful to focus on useful ______ units.
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The first step in the keyword technique is to think of a word in your first language that sounds like the L2 ______.
The first step in the keyword technique is to think of a word in your first language that sounds like the L2 ______.
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The keyword, such as 'parit' for parrot, serves to provide a form link and a ______ link.
The keyword, such as 'parit' for parrot, serves to provide a form link and a ______ link.
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To effectively use the keyword technique, one must visualize an ______ involving both the L2 word and the keyword.
To effectively use the keyword technique, one must visualize an ______ involving both the L2 word and the keyword.
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Using the keyword technique can lead to a learning improvement of about ______% compared to other methods.
Using the keyword technique can lead to a learning improvement of about ______% compared to other methods.
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The keyword does not have to sound exactly like the foreign word; it can resemble just the beginning of the ______.
The keyword does not have to sound exactly like the foreign word; it can resemble just the beginning of the ______.
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In order to remember the meaning of a word, one should think of its visual ______ and the keyword.
In order to remember the meaning of a word, one should think of its visual ______ and the keyword.
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The keyword method is effective because it encourages learners to engage in deeper cognitive ______.
The keyword method is effective because it encourages learners to engage in deeper cognitive ______.
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Words typically occur with other words to create ______ phrases.
Words typically occur with other words to create ______ phrases.
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Having to speak and write can improve the chances of learning through listening and ______.
Having to speak and write can improve the chances of learning through listening and ______.
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We can learn grammar deliberately by studying it and by memorizing useful ______.
We can learn grammar deliberately by studying it and by memorizing useful ______.
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Fluency development involves working with very easy familiar material with some encouragement to go ______.
Fluency development involves working with very easy familiar material with some encouragement to go ______.
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Learning vocabulary requires a balance between meaning-focused input and meaning-focused ______.
Learning vocabulary requires a balance between meaning-focused input and meaning-focused ______.
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Communicative activities should be conducted at a level of difficulty suitable for our present level of ______.
Communicative activities should be conducted at a level of difficulty suitable for our present level of ______.
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We can learn grammar incidentally through ______ development.
We can learn grammar incidentally through ______ development.
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Useful grammar study activities include getting feedback on spoken and written ______.
Useful grammar study activities include getting feedback on spoken and written ______.
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Deliberate study of grammar should make up much less than one ______ of your language learning time.
Deliberate study of grammar should make up much less than one ______ of your language learning time.
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Study Notes
How to Learn Vocabulary
- Repetition is key - Reviewing words repeatedly strengthens the connection between the word's form and its meaning.
- Start with small groups of words - Around 15-20 words are manageable, especially for challenging items.
- Increase the pack size as learning gets easier - Avoid exceeding 50 words per pack to prevent overwhelming yourself.
- Use spaced repetition - review words after minutes, hours, days, weeks, and even months for long-lasting retention.
- Incorporate depth of processing techniques - Utilize the keyword method, consider the word's context, and break it into word parts.
- Avoid learning similar words together - Separate words with similar spelling or meaning (e.g., days of the week, months, opposites, etc.).
- Shuffle words - Keep the order of words in a pack constantly changing to prevent rote memorization.
- Read words aloud - This aids in transferring word form to long-term memory.
- Formulate sentences - Write phrases or sentences containing the words to solidify their application.
The Keyword Technique
- Involves creating a link between a foreign word and a keyword in a known language that sounds similar.
- Visualize an image combining the L2 word and keyword's meanings.
- Example: For "parrot" (L2 word), use "parit" (Indonesian for "ditch") as a keyword and imagine a parrot in a ditch.
- The keyword serves as a bridge for both form and meaning.
- Research shows a 25% increase in learning using the keyword technique.
Multi-Word Phrases
- Phrases typically have meanings related to the words they contain, e.g., "next week," "six o'clock."
- Some phrases have less obvious connections, e.g., "kill two birds with one stone."
- A few phrases have no direct relationship between their parts and whole, e.g., "at all," "of course."
- It's crucial to focus on phrases as they contribute to accurate and fluent language use.
Learning Multi-Word Phrases
- Analyze the relationship between parts and whole meaning.
- Identify any form connections such as alliteration, rhyme, or repetition.
- Explore the history and origins of the phrase.
- Understand that phrase frequency varies.
Learning Related Words
- Learning related words together can be beneficial depending on their kinship.
- Practice difficult sounds within common words, phrases, and sentences, rather than in tongue twisters.
- Utilize audio editors to slow down speech and aid pronunciation practice.
- Imitate speech from movies to improve pronunciation.
- Early pronunciation practice minimizes future remedial efforts.
Learning Grammar
- Grammar learning is a multifaceted process that involves more than just identifying parts of speech or correcting errors.
- The "four strands" principle encourages a balanced approach to learning: input, output, deliberate learning, and fluency development.
Learning Grammar Through Four Strands
- Input - Learning through listening and reading repeatedly exposes us to grammatical constructions naturally.
- Output - Speaking and writing allow active application of grammatical knowledge learned through input.
- Deliberate Learning - Includes activities like vocabulary study, intentional analysis of language, and receiving feedback on production.
- Fluency Development - Engages learners with easy input and output to foster natural language use.
Applying the Four Strands
- The four strands can be applied to all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing).
- Deliberate learning activities are a vital but not the sole focus of language learning.
Deliberate Learning
- Deliberate learning is efficient and effective.
- It involves both the teacher and the learner taking responsibility.
- Word cards are a recommended tool.
- Word cards should be used for learning new vocabulary and revising old vocabulary.
Vocabulary Learning Strategies
- Some teachers advise against using word cards because they believe vocabulary should only be learned in context.
- Research shows that both in-context and decontextualized learning are important.
- Bilingual word cards effectively aid learning.
- Concordancers are helpful for learning words and grammar.
- Activities like dictation, transcription, delayed copying, and oral repetition are beneficial for familiarity with spoken and written forms.
- Intensive reading using electronic devices with word look-up is encouraged.
Multiword phrases
- Most multiword phrases have a meaning related to the words they contain.
- Some phrases have less obvious relationships between meaning and individual words.
- Some phrases have no obvious connection between the meaning of the parts and the whole.
- It's beneficial to pay deliberate attention to various types of phrases for fluent and accurate use.
Learning multiword phrases
- Analyze how meanings of individual words relate to the overall meaning.
- Examine the form of the phrase. Examples include alliteration, similar vowel sounds, rhyme, repetition, and partial rhyme.
- Consider the history and origin of the phrases.
- Use concordances to check the frequency of phrases for better understanding of common usage.
Related words
- Learning related words together can be helpful, depending on the relationship between them.
- The goal is to gradually understand text by working out the meanings of unfamiliar parts.
Intensive Reading
- Intensive reading can be done alone, with another learner, or with a teacher.
- Translation is often used for clarification.
- Repeated reading with different focuses on each repetition is helpful:
- First reading: Focus on unknown vocabulary and initial comprehension.
- Second reading: Focus on useful multiword units.
- Third reading: Focus on function words like prepositions or articles.
- Repeated attention with a change of focus while listening, like watching TV or movies, is also beneficial.
Delayed Copying
- Choose a text of about 200 words.
- Read for comprehension, using a dictionary if needed.
- Look at a few words at a time, try to memorize them, and then copy them without looking back.
- Gradually increase the length of the phrases you memorize.
- This activity improves handwriting and memory for phrases.
Spelling Practice
- If the language uses a different writing system, focus on it deliberately.
- Write words or phrases you want to practice down the left side of a lined page.
- Write the first letter of each word after the end of each word.
- Fold the paper to hide the words, and try to write them from memory.
- Unfold and check your work, repeat the process.
- Continue until each line is filled.
Learning Pronunciation
- Clear pronunciation is important for understanding and being understood.
- Learning pronunciation involves listening, speaking, studying specific aspects, and gaining fluency.
- Young children often learn pronunciation naturally through exposure, older learners may need more deliberate focus.
- The quality of pronunciation for older learners is influenced by usage opportunity and dedicated effort.
Deliberate Pronunciation Practice
- Identify difficult sounds based on the differences between the learner's first language and the target language.
- Practice difficult sounds in simple syllables.
- Understand articulatory phonetics (how sounds are made) to improve pronunciation.
Deliberate Learning
- Deliberate learning involves both teacher instruction and individual responsibility as a learner.
- The use of word cards is a highly effective deliberate learning activity.
- Word cards should be used consistently to revise previously learned vocabulary.
- Some teachers discourage word cards, arguing that vocabulary learning should occur solely in context. This is incorrect; both in-context and decontextualized learning are important.
- While some believe that using word cards, which involve first language translation, promotes thinking in the first language, research indicates that first and foreign languages are interconnected, especially in the early stages of learning.
- Bilingual word cards are a highly effective deliberate learning strategy.
- Concondancers are useful tools for studying words and grammar.
- Dictation, transcription, delayed copying, and oral repetition activities help build familiarity with spoken and written forms.
- Intensive reading, preferably using an electronic reader for easy word look-up, is another beneficial strategy.
Learning Vocabulary
- The keyword technique is a four-part strategy:
- The new L2 word
- The keyword (an L1 word or phrase that sounds similar or shares a beginning)
- An image combining the meaning of the L2 word and the keyword
- The meaning of the L2 word
- The keyword technique helps process more than one feature of a word, making learning more effective than simple repetition.
- The keyword technique has been shown to result in 25% more learning than other deliberate learning activities.
Learning Multi-word Phrases
- Learning near-synonyms, opposites, and members of the same lexical set together can make learning 50% to 100% more difficult.
- Related nouns that are visually similar, like apple and orange, are more likely to interfere with learning than those that are visually distinct, like banana and orange.
- Learning unrelated words in the context of a story can facilitate acquisition.
- Note words from reading onto word cards as they are unlikely to be part of the same lexical set.
- Learning items that are similar to each other, particularly those with formal similarities, increases the likelihood of interference. For example, Tuesday and Thursday are more likely to be confused than Tuesday and Sunday because of shared initial letters and similar sounds.
- To minimize interference, learn potentially interfering items at different times.
Transcription
- Transcription involves listening to a short spoken text (around 100 words) multiple times while attempting to write it down.
- It is best to use texts with a written version available for checking and correcting.
- This activity improves listening skills and provides feedback on word and phrase recognition.
Intensive Reading
- Intensive reading involves carefully working through a text with the aid of a dictionary, gradually understanding the text by analyzing unfamiliar parts.
- The activity can be done individually, with a partner, or with a teacher.
- Translation aids in clarifying sections of the text.
- Repeated reading with a different focus on each repetition can be effective. The first reading could focus on vocabulary and understanding, the second on useful multiword units, and the third on function words like prepositions and articles.
- Intensive reading is valuable because it allows focus on meaning (content words) in the initial stages and then shifts to how language is used to convey messages.
- Repeat this process with listening activities like watching TV or movies.
Delayed Copying
- Choose a relevant text around 200 words.
- Read to understand the text, using a dictionary if needed.
- Look at the first 4-5 words, memorise them, and write them down without looking back.
- Gradually increase the length of the phrases you try to memorise before writing.
- This activity improves handwriting skills and memory for phrases.
Spelling Practice
- If the target language uses a different writing system, give deliberate attention to the system.
- An effective technique is to write practice words or phrases down the left side of a lined page and then write the first letter of each word after the end of each word.
Learning Through Speaking and Writing
- Noticing gaps in knowledge during speaking and writing increases the chances of paying attention to those gaps during listening and reading.
- Trying out unfamiliar phrases and constructions in speaking and writing (even with the potential for errors) is a vital learning process.
- Patterns from the first language are often used in this process.
Deliberate Grammar Study
- Deliberate grammar study should make up less than one quarter of language learning time.
- Activities include using substitution tables, correcting spoken and written production, doing dictation, and studying clear explanations of important grammatical features.
Incidental Grammar Learning
- Grammar can also be learned incidentally through fluency development.
- Fluency development involves working with familiar, easy material with encouragement to speak quickly.
- These activities provide a lot of input and output, strengthening grammatical knowledge both receptively and productively.
Learning Vocabulary Through the Four Strands
- The four strands principle applies to vocabulary learning:
- Meaning-focused input
- Meaning-focused output
- Language-focused learning
- Fluency development
- Meaning-focused input, meaning-focused output, and fluency development are communicative activities focused on understanding and producing messages.
- These activities should be at a difficulty level appropriate for the learner's proficiency.
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Description
This quiz explores essential techniques for effectively learning vocabulary. It emphasizes strategies such as spaced repetition, breaking down words, and using context to enhance retention. Ideal for anyone looking to improve their vocabulary skills systematically.
