Five Energizing Activities to Boost Vocabulary Production and Retention

Jenia Ivanova and Rus Wilson

English Language Institute, University of Utah

–Introduction Often the task of word learning may be daunting for second language learners; however, it is not impossible.

To know a word means to know a great deal about it.

The types of knowledge involved in knowing a word include its spoken and written forms, grammatical patterns, meaning, collocations, frequency, and appropriateness (Nation, 1990).

Providing focused vocabulary practice that is effective may be crucial for acquiring selected target words that need to be internalized within a limited learning period.

Focused vocabulary exercises should aim to develop not only learners’ receptive word knowledge (the ability to recognize a word) but also their productive word knowledge (the ability to use a word)

L2 learners often experience difficulties in their word production, and their language development is held back by limited productive vocabularies.

Laufer (1991) suggests that the “productive lexicon will grow only until it reaches the average level of the group in which we are required to function.”

In order to develop learners’ productive lexicon, we should provide effective vocabulary practice that lends opportunities to the students for contextualized production of the target words in the classroom environment.

Production Exercises

Student Songs and Stories