1. Enhancing English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Primary Level
English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
March 2012

2. Dimensions of Vocabulary Knowledge
(e.g. paint, painter, painting)
(e.g. look at the painting)
(e.g. singulars/plurals: a painter, painters
parts of speech: paint, painting, painted )

3. Key Strategies for Vocabulary Teaching
Promote understanding of the form-meaning relationship and make associations
Guide students in the development of vocabulary building skills
Provide multiple exposures to target words using vocabulary-focused activities
Create opportunities for vocabulary use 3

4. Why do we need to introduce vocabulary building skills to our learners?
Learners need knowledge and strategies to decode and figure out the meaning of a large number of unknown words encountered in tasks and reading texts
Vocabulary building skills can enhance self-learning of vocabulary items

5. Vocabulary Building Skills
Word Formation
Word Association
Paradigmatic Approach
Syntagmatic Approach

6. Vocabulary Building Skills
Word Formation
Affixation
Compounding
Conversion
Derivation
(e.g. unhappy, careless)
(e.g. foot+ball=football)
(e.g. cook a meal, a cook)
(e.g. excite, exciting, excited,
excitement)
English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)(2004), pp 6 6

7. Vocabulary Building Skills
Word Association
Synonyms
Antonyms
Homonyms
Collocations
Lexical sets
(e.g. happy = glad)
(e.g. bright dark)
(e.g. catch a bus, catch a cold)
(e.g. make a wish, watch TV)
(e.g. furniture – table, chair, desk,
cupboard)
English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)(2004), pp
English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)(2004), pp 7 7

8. Vocabulary Building Skills
Paradigmatic Approach
help students expand the size of vocabulary
Syntagmatic Approach
help students understand the use of the vocabulary 8

9. Paradigmatic Approach
Deliberately organises words into hierarchies
Develops associative networks
Bases associations on semantic categories
Associated with receptive vocabulary
Encourages efficient vocabulary learning 9

10. Syntagmatic Approach
Word combinations (the key to productive use of English)
Develops associative networks
Bases associations on collocations
Focuses on:
multi-word units (e.g. formulaic expressions such as ‘See you later.’, ‘Have a good trip!’)
collocations (e.g. ‘go shopping’,
‘have a shower’, ‘play football’)
Associated with productive vocabulary 10

11. Multiple Exposures to New Words
How often do students need to meet a new word before they remember it?
Research into the effectiveness of extensive
reading for vocabulary uptake shows that the new
vocabulary gains from reading of novels is
disappointing. Participants were able to select only
one correct definition in 12 of the new words in
text (Horst 2000)
Far more vocabulary is learned if the same text is
read several times (Horst & Meara 1999)
6 to 20 times 11

12. Vocabulary-focused Games & Activities
Games could be used in the instruction, practice and revision of vocabulary items to:
- lower students’ anxiety
- enhance students’ motivation in learning English
Vocabulary items should be introduced in context and not just as a time filler

13. Introduction to the Resource Package on ‘Enhancing English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
at Primary Level’
Web version can be accessed at:

14. Contents
Chapter 1: Theoretical Underpinnings of Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
Chapter 2: Learning and Teaching Materials for Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
Chapter 3: Vocabulary Games and Activities
Chapter 4: References
Appendix 1: Preamble to the Development of the
Wordlists for the Primary English Language Curriculum
Appendix 2: Learning Targets for KS1 & KS2

15. Development of Wordlists for the English Language Curriculum
Background
Recent evidence of inadequate vocabulary of HK university entrants
Most 2004 entrants to CUHK knew between 2000 and 3000 English words only (Chiu 2005)
International research suggests that students need at least 5000 words to cope with university study in English (Laufer 1989 and 1992)

16. Development of Wordlists for the English Language Curriculum
A collaborative project with CUHK on Vocabulary Study
to strengthen the vocabulary component of the English Language curriculum
to propose vocabulary targets set for each key stage of learning
to develop wordlists for schools’ or teachers’ reference

17. Vocabulary Targets Key Stage Stage Target Cumulative Target* KS1 KS2
*It should be stressed that the number is indicative rather than prescriptive.

18. Vocabulary Study – Sources of wordlists

19. Vocabulary Study References of the frequency-based wordlists
General Service List (GSL) - West, 1953
Academic Wordlist (AWL) - Coxhead, 2000
British National Corpus (BNC)

20. Principles guiding final selection of words
Relevance to learners
Usefulness
Combinability (collocations)
Word class distribution
Superordinates

21. Uses of the Wordlists for reference only
the target number is indicative rather than prescriptive
a general indication as to what words (and how many) words students should learn at different stages of learning

22. Uses of the Wordlists Do’s
 design meaningful tasks and activities to help
students develop their vocabulary knowledge and
provide ample opportunities for vocabulary use
 add words to the lists (or replace words) according
to the topics and materials students have studied
in their classes
 provide students with the flexibility to develop a
vocabulary that is personally meaningful
Don’ts
 ask students to memorise the words mechanically

23. Developing English vocabulary across stages of learning

24. Enquiries: English Language Education Section Ms Iris Chan 2892 6414
Ms Charmaine Kwok