The importance of vocabulary

Background With the implementation of Right To Education Act on 1st April, 2010, education has become a compulsion for every child in India. This has greatly enhanced the quantitative aspect of education with every child getting free education but when it comes to the qualitative aspect, Indian education still has miles to go. Let us take a look at why quality is important when it comes to teaching language and vocabulary.

♣ According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2011 there has been a decline in students’ basic reading levels. ♣ The all India figure for the proportion of children in class V able to read a class II level text has dropped from 53.7% in 2010 to 48.2% in 2011.

The low levels of basic reading ability suggested by ASER points to an urgent need to focus on basic learning outcomes. Each state should make realistic, measurable outcomes in reading and understanding that can be understood by teachers and parents. The RTE states that children’s progress has to be communicated to parents. Textbook content needs to be reviewed. – Times of India.

Why Improve Vocabulary?

English is spoken by more than 300 million native speakers, and between 400 and 800 million foreign users. It is the official language of air transport and shipping; the leading language of science, technology, computers, and commerce; and a major medium of education, publishing, and international negotiation.

In the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) international competition for children’s learning, India came 72nd out of 73 countries. Educationist Helen Abadzi writes “people must be able to read one word per second, or per 1.5 seconds at the outside, to be functional readers.”

English language is our window to the world English language is our window to the world. We can learn from others’ experiences. We can check the theories of foreigners against our experience. We can reject the untenable and accept the tenable. We can also propagate our theories among the international audience and readers. English has thus become an effective means of promoting Indian view of life, and strengthening our cultural identity in the world.

Need for Improving English language Improving Job prospects Communication skills – understanding others and expressing oneself better Reading skills – to be able to access the world through the Internet and books Country’s global importance: Economic growth and trade

How to Improve Vocabulary?

Let the teacher begin her practice at home first. That every student needs to learn the language is the first step towards realization Discussion, analysis and fun are ‘must-haves’ to improve language skills and vocabulary

A teacher should herself be aware of what she/he is teaching first A teacher should herself be aware of what she/he is teaching first. Improving her/his English proficiency and having the required qualifications should be made compulsory especially for the teachers teaching languages. An interest in teaching language is another factor that should be considered.

Employing a variety of teaching-learning techniques to make language learning interesting helps a lot.

Board games like scrabble or pictionary or simple crossword puzzles and word jumbles can be employed while teaching to make learning and using English words fun.

♣ Apart from writing and reading, debates and conversation should be encouraged in the class. ♣ Teachers can conduct “literature week” to give students chance to take part in essay writing workshops, spelling and pronunciation games, and recitation and reading events. ♣ By introducing students to poetry, prose, theatre and dramatics, teachers can inculcate in them a love for the English language and literature.

Students should be encouraged to use the dictionary in all classes and outside the classroom as well. It’s use should not be restricted to teachers or the language classroom.

Active literature clubs, book clubs, and reading clubs for teachers as well as students can be initiated. There are many recommended reading lists online.

There are a lot of confusing words in English that look or sound alike but have very different meanings. Teachers could clarify the pronunciation and usage of these words by using them in poems and sentences. Here are some words: Word 1 Meaning Word 2 accept to agree to receive or do except not including adverse unfavourable, harmful averse strongly disliking; opposed advice recommendations about what to do advise to recommend something affect to change or make a difference to effect a result; to bring about a result

It is said that..

But for that we have to become a tree of knowledge first!

Thank You!