UNIVERSITY OF EXETERGRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

EFPM 267: LANGUAGE AWARENESS FOR TESOL

Vocabulary Instruction at Box Hill College Kuwait

Student ID620033084

11 February 2013

Submitted to Philip Durrant

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Introduction

The importance of vocabulary in successful language learning is widely recognized by teachers, students and

researchers alike. Though each context will dictate the type of vocabulary covered, and perhaps even the

methods used to cover it, any well written language curriculum will clearly address the inclusion of vocabulary

instruction in the classroom.

Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK) is a private girl’s college in Kuwait which offers an EAP Foundation programme to

students prior to the start of their subject level studies. Because of the high number of expatriates in Kuwait,

and the inclusion of English in daily interactions, many students entering the BHCK Foundation programme

already have a grasp of basic, functional English. Though this might seem beneficial to students studying English,

it often proves the opposite as students become frustrated when their basic English does not translate into

useful academic English. This means that, not only are teachers given the task of assisting students in making

the huge transition from ESL to EAP, but also making the program as engaging as possible to overcome issues of

motivation brought on by frustration. In this context, vocabulary is of particular importance in several aspects

including the coverage of functional classroom and meta-lingual vocabulary early in their studies to enable

participation in higher levels of English study and coverage of academic vocabulary in order to prepare them for

participation in subject level study.

The reason I have chosen to address this area is that, despite the importance of vocabulary outlined above, the

BHCK Foundation curriculum largely fails to address vocabulary instruction. Much of the students’ language

learning prior to BHCK employs outdated methods like grammar-translation and rote memorization of

vocabulary, and this has lead to a general consensus among Kuwaiti administration that explicit instruction

proves that words are being learned. Thus, administration wants vocabulary to be taught explicitly but, without

guidance, teachers were generally unsure how to approach vocabulary instruction, selection of words to cover,

and useful activities for practice.

In an attempt to bridge the gap between proven vocabulary teaching theories and the practices at BHCK, I have

chosen to assess the programme’s general approach to vocabulary instruction. I will begin by outlining both

historical and current theories of vocabulary instruction with the aim of solidifying theoretical backing for best

practices. I will then analyze the inclusion of vocabulary in the BHCK curriculum as it stands and then provide a

suggested course of action to address areas of weakness. I will conclude by discussing ways in which my

suggested course of action raises the language awareness of teachers and students in my context.

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Theories of Vocabulary Instruction in Language Learning

This section will begin with a very brief overview of historical views of language teaching and their relation to

vocabulary instruction in particular. I will then proceed to discuss current trends in vocabulary instruction as

they relate to vocabulary choice, types of vocabulary knowledge, and effective processes for teaching

vocabulary.

Historical Perspectives

Any exploration of the history of language teaching theories will no doubt illustrate a pendulum-like swing

between a focus on structure and language accuracy and a focus on meaning and fluency of language use. This

swing is never more apparent than when tracing language learning theory through grammar translation, the

direct approach, audiolingualism, the situational approach, and communicative language teaching.

In the grammar translation tradition, the focuses of language instruction were structure and grammar, accuracy

of translation, and language rules (Kelly, 1969), and the students’ L1 played an important role in learning the L2.

Students were often drilled in grammar and vocabulary and then given texts to translate to and from L1 to L2.

Because of the focus on grammar, vocabulary was often introduced and used solely to demonstrate grammar

(Kelly, 1969). One of the primary problems with this approach was that little vocabulary practice took place in

the classroom, and instead students were given word lists and expected to learn independently through the use

of bilingual dictionaries.

As time progressed, the language learning community reacted against the focus on rules and accuracy of the

grammar-translation method, and this is evident in the direct approach wherein vocabulary was acquired

through involvement in communication situations. In this approach, the focus shifted away from grammar, and

the use of a students’ L1 was seen as having no place in the L2 classroom. Vocabulary instruction was achieved

by connecting words to reality through the use of realia, pictures, and classroom objects (Howatt, 1984:206), but

this sort of instruction seems more suited to general functional English classes than classes in an EAP

programme.

The popularity of the direct approach was followed by the audiolingual method which was made popular

through use by the American military and focused on drilling, memorization, and pronunciation and where

accuracy again took place over fluency (Schmitt, 2000). Vocabulary was taught, but was simple and rationed.

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The belief was that the focus on drilling, memorization, and pronunciation would to create ‘good language

habits’ which would naturally aid with expanding vocabulary (Coady, 1993:4).

At the around the same time as the audiolingual method, the situational method was popular in Britain (Schmitt,

2000). This method grouped grammar structures and lexis according to the needs for specific situations. This

approach aimed to systematically choose vocabulary by considering ideas of frequency suggested by Michael

West, whose frequency lists will be discussed later (West, 1953). This method also focused on the systematic

graduation of language difficulty (Zimmerman, 1997; Richards & Rodgers, 1986).

One of the most recent and widely known approaches to language teaching is the communicative language

teaching approach which focuses on fluency and communicating meaning. Little attention is paid to formal

teaching of vocabulary; rather it is addressed only as it assists in conveying meaning (Rivers, 1983). This method

has been welcomed by teachers incorporating vocabulary instruction as it shifted away from the frequency lists

used in the situational method, and instead allowed for choice based on teachers’ subjective ideas of

importance (Zimmerman, 1997).

Choosing Vocabulary

If we accept that modern teaching theory supports the inclusion of some explicit vocabulary instruction, then

the teaching of vocabulary begins with determining which items will be covered, and this choice is informed by a

number of different considerations. This section will provide an overview of research concerning vocabulary

size, vocabulary frequency, and vocabulary types which all impact the choices teachers make regarding specific

vocabulary items.

Research has estimated that there are approximately 54,000 word families in English when things like proper

nouns and words with multiple spellings are excluded (Goulden, Nation, & Read, 1990; Webster's third new

international dictionary, 1963). However, of these 54,000 word families, it is estimated that a graduate L1

speaker of English knows only approximately 20,000 word families (Goulden et al., 1990). As most would

consider this an unrealistic goal for L2 learners of English, it is important to look at figures suggested for a

learner’s comprehension. For understanding academic written discourse, it is suggested that a person know

8000-9000 word families (Nation, 2006; Hu & Nation, 2000). In order to understand spoken discourse, figures

vary from 800 word families (Adolphs & Schmitt, 2003) to 2000-3000 word families (Laufer, 1992), or 6000-7000

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word families (Nation, 2006). Finally, in order to produce spoken and written English, it is suggested that a

person know 2000-3000 word families (Hirsh & Nation, 1992).

In addition to know how much vocabulary a person needs, it is important to know what type of vocabulary they

need. There are four main types of vocabulary including high frequency, academic, technical, and low frequency

(Nation, 2001). High Frequency words appear often in written and spoken English. It is thought that there are

between 2000-3000 words of high frequency in English (Nation, 1990), and that knowing these words allows a

person to understand spoken discourse (Laufer, 1992) and produce written and spoken English (Hirsh & Nation,

1992). One of the most widely used references of high frequency words is the General Services List (West, 1953)

which contains the 2000 most frequently used words (Zimmerman, 1997). Though there have been critiques of

this list because of its age (Richards, 1974), and its focus on writing (Nation & Waring, 1997), a number of

studies have shown that the words it contains continue to account for an average of 82 percent of words in

written discourse (Nation & Waring, 1997).

Academic words are those that appear frequently across a range of academic texts (Nation, 2001). The more

specialized nature of these words means that they are likely to prove especially useful for students in EAP

programmes. Coxhead’s Academic Word List (Coxhead, 1998; 2000) provides a comprehensive and widely used

resource for academic words that is suggested by a number of experts in the field (Schmitt, 2000; Nation, 2001).

Technical words are even more specialized than academic words as they relate to a specific subject area. Thus

the technical words used in one field will differ greatly from those used in another field. The specialized nature

of this vocabulary means that the words are only like to prove useful to those studying or working in a particular

field. And finally, the low frequency word category contains, by far, the highest number of items. These may be

items that fall just short of higher frequency counts, but also include technical vocabulary for other fields,

proper nouns, and words that are generally used very little (Nation, 2001). Considerations of these types mean

that the choice of what vocabulary items to teach will be specific to each context, the students involved, and the

purpose for learning English.

Vocabulary Knowledge

The answer to the question of how to know a word in English may seem obvious at first, especially to L1

speakers of English, and may include criteria such as knowing the meaning, being able to use it in a sentence, or

being able to pronounce it correctly. Yet a deeper look at vocabulary knowledge sheds light on a vast amount of

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more nuanced ‘background’ information that can be known about a single vocabulary item. A number of

researchers in the field have provided in-depth explanations of vocabulary knowledge covering an extensive

range of aspects including concept meanings and prototypes, word sense relations like synonymy and

meronymy (Schmitt, 2000), grammatical word class and use (Ellis, 1997), and multi-word items and collocations

(Moon, 1997). However, Nation provides a table to vocabulary aspects which is more practical in its format and

explanation, and this table helps connect complex theory to concrete practice. This table is show in Figure 1.

Figure 1-What is involved in knowing a word

(Nation, 2001:27)

At its most specific end, this table offers 18 questions relating to receptive and production knowledge and

abilities that deconstruct the nature of knowing a vocabulary item. Yet even this more practical approach to

vocabulary knowledge can seem daunting when considering the inclusion of vocabulary instruction in the

classroom. In this case, it is important to remember that vocabulary learning is incremental and thus not all of a

vocabulary item’s aspects will be learned at the same time. A number of aspects like spelling, pronunciation,

word form and basic meaning are likely to be covered initially and through explicit teaching, while more

nuanced knowledge like collocations and word associations will come later (Schmitt, 2008). As with choosing

what items to teach, the context is likely to be a determining factor in what aspects to teach, and teachers are

likely to draw up significantly shorter lists of vocabulary knowledge that is relevant and manageable in the

context.

The Process

Once an instructor has chosen vocabulary items and determined relevant vocabulary knowledge, the actual

process of teaching can begin. Nation suggests a three step approach to teaching vocabulary that includes

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noticing, retrieval, and generation (Nation, 2001), and the steps in this approach are supported by a number of

other prominent researchers in the field. Each step is briefly outlined below.

It is not surprising that language teaching is more effective when language items are contextualized as this

provides students with motivation to engage with the language. But, as a review of the history of teaching

approaches illustrated, there is some disagreement over the balance between putting items in a relevant or

interesting context, and pulling items out of that context for further study. The concept of noticing does not

suggest that vocabulary items should be handled in a vacuum, but rather implies that pulling items out of a

larger context is necessary whether to facilitate more direct study, or simply as ‘awareness-raising’ (Lewis, 1997)

activities to help students recognize the usefulness of specific items (Nation, 2001; Ellis, 1991). In practice,

noticing can happen in a number of ways.

I believe that many teachers would agree that it is beneficial for initial exposure to new target vocabulary items

to be achieved through a broader context. This is often a reading or listening text of some kind, and the target

vocabulary, if chosen according to the research outlined in the previous section, would be high frequency words

found in that text. Teachers may draw attention to these target items by facilitating discussion where meaning

of target items is negotiated in the course of understanding the text message, writing target items on the board,

or engaging students in a wide range of vocabulary strategy activities with the target items including multiple

choice or matching where meaning is gleaned from context, dictionary practice where words are looked up, and

the entry of words into vocabulary notebooks or cards. Yet with target vocabulary, where the goal is help

students incorporate items into their language through a deeper understanding of multiple aspects of

vocabulary knowledge, teaching must go beyond noticing.

Once an item has been noticed, and even understood in the initial context, the next step in ‘internalizing’ that

item is through repeated retrieval (Baddeley, 1990). Nation suggests that retrieval can be either receptive or

productive where receptive retrieval involves hearing or seeing a word and having to retrieve its meaning and

productive retrieval involves wanting to communicate the meaning of the word and having to retrieve its written

or spoken form (Nation, 2001). To some extent then, retrieval is achieved through repeated exposure and need

for the word, though Baddeley points out that it is the necessity of knowledge retrieval that is useful, rather

than simple repeated exposure (1990). Thus, as Nation explains, “Retrieval does not occur if the form and its

meaning are presented simultaneously to the learner” (Nation, 2001:67)

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A number of other researchers also stress the importance of repeated exposure and some suggest that in order

for a word to be stored in memory, a person must be exposed to it between 5-16 times (Pigada & Schmitt, 2006;

Nation, 1990; Nation, 2001; Rott, 1999). Schmitt suggests that when new items are learned, a large amount of

the knowledge is forgotten soon after the initial ‘learning’ takes place, but the rate of forgetting decreases with

time (2000). To counteract this forgetting, a number of studies have suggested that initially repeated exposure

should happen frequently, but that exposure can decrease in frequency as time goes on (Schmitt, 2000;

Pimsleur, 1967; Baddeley, 1990).

The practice of retrieval offers even more opportunities for incorporation in the classroom than noticing. While

specific activities will be outlined in the following section, several general ideas include revisiting the initial

context in which items were presented, engaging students in classroom activities such as sentence writing, or

using flashcards or student created vocabulary cards.

The final stage outlined in Nation’s process of vocabulary teaching is generation. At its core, generation involves

meeting or using previously covered items in new ways or contexts (Nation, 2001). As many teachers will attest,

there is often a gap between a student’s ability to use knowledge in a controlled or expected way, and their

ability to transfer that knowledge into a new or unfamiliar situation. This trend holds true for vocabulary

knowledge as well. The importance of generative use then arises from the opportunities it affords for

knowledge transfer. A number of studies have demonstrated a connection between the quality and range of

vocabulary knowledge and participation in generative activities including story retelling (Joe, 1995), discussion

(Ellis, 1995), and negotiation of meaning (Nation, 2001).

What this means in practical terms is that involvement with vocabulary items must extend beyond controlled

activities like flashcards and revisiting initial contexts to allow students to engage with items in a number of

contexts. There are several ways to provide this sort of engagement including reading or listening to new, more

complex texts containing target items, writing dialogues which include vocabulary items, working with sample

sentences which use items in ways different from initially encountered use, or asking open-ended questions that

include vocabulary items.

The process outlined by Nation incorporates a solid theoretical background and allows for a vast range of

practical applications which can be modified to fit almost any context. Its usefulness stems from its concise and

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clear explanation of the stages of vocabulary learning which can easily be translated into the classroom and

ensures a systematic and contextual approach to vocabulary.

Evaluation of BHCK Approach

The teachers, students, and administration at BHCK are no exception to the general agreement on the

importance of vocabulary in language acquisition, but this recognition of this importance has not translated into

a clear, workable process for teaching and learning vocabulary. In this section, I will describe the general

approach taken by the administration and teachers as well as the ‘formal’ approach taken by the curriculum and

will argue that these approaches are severely lacking in many of the areas outlined above. I would continue by

suggesting feasible curricular and process changes that I believe best address shortcomings in the current

approach.

Current Approach

As is likely the case in many institutions, the curriculum and practice in the BHCK Foundation Programme are a

mix of formally published curriculum/outcomes and syllabi, choice of materials, and informal discussion, emails,

and individual teacher practice. However, it is the curriculum and syllabi that serve as the base for instruction

and provide guidance to teachers that shape classroom practice. Unfortunately, while the curriculum and syllabi

and BHCK dictate the inclusion of vocabulary in instruction, they fail to provide this guidance.

Appendix A includes the objectives which stand as the curriculum for the BHCK Foundation Programme. Though

outside the scope of this paper, it is interesting to note that the BHCK programme views these objectives as the

whole of the curriculum, which is in itself a major shortcoming. The objectives relating to vocabulary have been

highlighted to illustrate that, though vocabulary is included, the directives relating to it are too vague to be of

use to instructors. As can be seen, all levels require students to use contextual clues with unknown vocabulary,

but explicit vocabulary learning is mentioned only in Levels 2 and 3 with students being expected to use

appropriate vocabulary (see Appendix A). And even this is problematic as the curriculum fails to define

‘appropriate vocabulary’. The syllabi do little to clarify these objectives or translate them into classroom

practice as objectives are simply copied into syllabi as they stand in the curriculum.

Because of the lack of guidance provided by the objectives and outcomes, many teachers rely on the

coursebooks to provide and direct vocabulary instruction. However, BHCK fails again in this respect by often

choosing materials which, while including some vocabulary activities, do not account for informed word choice

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or necessary repeated use. While it is not the purpose of this paper to review coursebooks, some mention of

general problems with coursebook approaches to vocabulary is needed. The coursebooks used in the BHCK

programme are almost exclusively organized by topic. Most chapters in the reading and listening coursebooks

include, at most, two noticing activities for vocabulary items related to the topic. The issue here is that these

items are rarely high frequency words, and indeed many are extremely low frequency or technical words

unrelated to the students’ future areas of study. A second issue is that reliance on the coursebook means that

student engage in little, if any, further activities of retrieval or generation with the highlighted items.

A final factor that influences classroom practice is the informal communication that takes place amongst

teachers and administrators in a program. Through this communication, I learned that many teachers were not

addressing vocabulary beyond what was provided in the coursebook. For some, the coursebook helped them

meet the vocabulary aspect of the objectives, and they therefore saw no reason to provide further instruction.

For others, while they recognized that the coursebook activities were not translating into noticeably growing

vocabulary for students, they felt unsure of how to proceed independent of its guidance. Other teachers

included further vocabulary instruction through the use of vocabulary notebooks, but often had students focus

on the problematic vocabulary from the coursebooks or, after complaints by students (either on the work

involved or the fact that other classes were not using notebooks), chose to drop the scheme. Even when

teachers engaged students with high frequency vocabulary, the choice of specific items was individual to each

teacher which meant that some words were covered multiple times in multiple classes, while others were

neglected. One general complaint was, with little guidance and so much else to cover, time prohibited the

implementation of a series programme of vocabulary instruction.

Suggested Changes

As mentioned at the beginning of this paper, vocabulary instruction is of particular importance in the BHCK

Foundation Programme because of the wide gap between students’ previous learning and use of English, and

the English requirements for subject level study. The programme then faces the formidable task of moving

students from a basic general English vocabulary to a university level academic English vocabulary, and in order

to do this, it must adopt a more principled and systematic approach to vocabulary instruction.

Though vocabulary learning will undoubtedly take place in all skill classes as students are exposed to more

English, I propose that explicit vocabulary instruction be written into the reading curriculum because the

extensive texts with which students engage in reading provide ample opportunities for exposure to new

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vocabulary. To this end, I have designed a supplemental vocabulary curriculum for inclusion in the more general

reading programme (see Appendix B). Though I have chosen to leave the objectives as they are already written,

this supplemental curriculum provides the necessary clarification and guidance for uniform vocabulary

instruction across levels and groups.

The supplemental vocabulary curriculum I propose attempts to closely link practical classroom applications to

theories of vocabulary acquisition. The curriculum begins with an introduction for teachers, and a short

rationale for the implementation of a guided vocabulary curriculum. I included this introduction in order to

encourage teachers to support the curriculum rather than feeling restricted by it.

The introduction is followed by a table of vocabulary knowledge which simplifies the extensive deconstruction of

vocabulary knowledge offered by Nation (Nation, 2001:27) to better suit the context in regards to student level,

programme purpose, and time constraints. I included color coding on this table so that colors could be used

throughout the curriculum to continually connect practice and theory.

The next section of the curriculum outlines the mandatory use of vocabulary cards. A number of studies have

shown a positive connection between the use of vocabulary notebooks for vocabulary acquisition, retention,

and learner autonomy in vocabulary learning (Fowle, 2002; Nation, 2001; Schmitt & Schmitt, 1995). I made the

choice to use cards instead of notebooks primarily because cards offer more effective retrieval opportunities

because, unlike notebooks, students do not see the item and definition at the same time. Several other reasons

for my choice include the colorful and kinesthetic aspect of the cards, the fact that they are portable, and

positive feedback from students with whom I have trialed their use in the past. This section of the curriculum is

largely practical in explaining vocabulary cards and providing specific guidance for the implementation of their

use in the classroom. To this end, teachers are directed to the vocabulary card sample and instruction sheet

which further outlines the specific steps taken in class in order to successfully use vocabulary cards (see

Appendix C). As can be noted, color coding is used in this section to connect the specific information included

on cards to the types of knowledge that the curriculum outlines as most important for students.

The section on vocabulary cards also includes guidance for the selection of vocabulary items to target. As noted

above, at BHCK the choice of targeted vocabulary was often dictated by the coursebook, or was chosen by each

teacher individually, causing overlaps and gaps in vocabulary learning. I have attempted to address this issue by

providing specific lists from which each level chooses their vocabulary. It is important to note that teachers are

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still expected to choose vocabulary from their reading contexts, but frequency lists are used as a tool against

which teachers can measure the usefulness of chosen vocabulary items. Level 1 teachers are using the context

of the classroom to provide students with language necessary to any further study. Beginning at level 2,

teachers are asked to check items against frequency lists and limit choices to certain ranges on those lists. One

of the most important guidelines for item selection is that level teachers must agree on what vocabulary is

covered, and this ensures that vocabulary learning is more consistent for students.

Because another concern from teachers was the lack of time and knowledge to create relevant vocabulary

activities beyond those provided by the coursebook, I have used the next section to provide a bank of sample

activities for teachers to choose from or use as a model for their own exercises. This section breaks activities

into the three categories of the teaching process outlined by Nation including noticing, retrieval, and generation

(Nation, 2001). Each section provides teachers with a brief explanation of the purpose of the activities, and my

hope is that this explanation will allow teachers to expand the types of activities they use while still maintaining

a strong theoretical support for classroom practices.

Each activity is identified by type, and color coding is used to link the activity type to the types of vocabulary

knowledge covered by the curriculum. I have then included a short description of each activity that should

provide teachers with enough information to recreate the activity while still allowing for individual teaching

styles and responses to classroom needs. The notes section of each activity is included to provide useful tips

and variations for each activity. When useful, I have included a sample activity that teacher could simply modify

for their own use. These samples include a multiple choice noticing activity (see Appendix D), a link to Quizlet

for sample retrieval activities (see Appendix B), an example board game retrieval activity (see Appendix E), an

open-ended activity/quiz generation activity (see Appendix F), and instructions for using Go!Animate in dialogue

generation activities (see Appendix G).

Though the implementation of a much guided curriculum like this supplemental vocabulary curriculum is likely

to raise concerns with both teachers and students, I feel that it addresses the current shortcomings of the BHCK

Foundation programme with regards vocabulary instruction. It is likely and even desired that, after

implementation, evaluation feedback would lead to adaptations to the curriculum to make it more practical and

relevant to the context.

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Vocabulary Curriculum and Language Awareness

The proposed vocabulary curriculum is designed to connect theories of vocabulary acquisition to classroom

practices. In doing so, it will help raise awareness of vocabulary instruction and actual vocabulary items for both

teachers and students.

As noted, though teachers agree that vocabulary is important in language acquisition, many teachers are unclear

on how to best include vocabulary instruction in their teaching. The curriculum is designed to provide a clear

and concise explanation of the theories backing specific classroom activities in order to help teachers better

understand not only what the students need to know, but why they need to know it, and how it can be taught.

Care has been taken to continually connect practice back to theory because, as teachers solidify this connection

for themselves, they are better able to implement systematic and effective vocabulary instruction in their

classrooms, assess vocabulary programs, suggests necessary changes, and rationalize vocabulary activities to

students.

I also believe that, as teachers become more familiar with theories of vocabulary instruction, word frequency

lists, and vocabulary teaching processes, they are better able to assess materials that are appropriate and

relevant to their context. Teachers can more quickly assess the level of materials and its suitability for their

students, as well as assessing coursebook approaches to vocabulary instruction. This may lead to the adoption

of specific vocabulary coursebooks, or may inform teachers on effective adaptations for other coursebooks in

order to make included vocabulary activities work best for their students.

Though this curriculum can broaden teacher language awareness, the more obvious focus is raising awareness

of vocabulary for students. The systematic approach of the curriculum seeks to provide students with steady

exposure to and use of new and useful vocabulary. By engaging students with range of vocabulary knowledge

and in a range of vocabulary activities, the curriculum not only provides students with the words to learn, but

the means to internalize word knowledge and transfer it to future situations. This is likely to be especially useful

for the BHCK students as they progress to their subject level studies in that they will be better able to

understand the materials covered, and better able to express themselves in class and on paper. And the benefit

of these abilities stretches beyond the classroom and into their future workplace.

The curriculum also provides students with specific motivations for learning vocabulary, and this motivation is

likely to spread to other areas of learning. At level 1, students focus on vocabulary necessary to participation in

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the classroom and to language learning. At level 3, students are focusing on academic vocabulary and applying

this to reading high level academic texts in the coursebook. Both of these situations create a need for

vocabulary and involvement in learning that research has shown can lead to more effective learning (Laufer and

Hulstijn as cited in Nation, 2001).

Finally, the curriculum provides students with opportunities to practice vocabulary learning strategies in

addition to learning specific vocabulary items. Students engage in activities where they use context clues, use

dictionaries, and generate meaningful written and spoken output with new vocabulary. These are skills that

students are able to transfer to other learning situations, and by raising their awareness in dealing with

unknown language, students are likely to more confidently approach future learning tasks.

Conclusion

This paper has examined the role of vocabulary instruction in the EAP context by analyzing the BHCK Foundation

Programme. An exploration of language learning theories provides the background and foundation for solid

vocabulary teaching practices that can be implemented in the classroom. By applying this theory and the

resulting outline of best teaching practices to the current vocabulary teaching situation at BHCK, the

shortcomings of the programme become very apparent. I have attempted to address the programme’s

shortcomings by suggesting a supplemental vocabulary curriculum that ties theory to practice and provides

actionable guidance for teachers to successfully incorporate vocabulary instruction into reading classes. The

implementation of a systematic and principled vocabulary curriculum will not only assist in students’ vocabulary

acquisition, but will increase the overall language awareness of teachers and students alike.

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Rott, S. (1999). The effect of exposure frequency on intermediate language learners’ incidental vocabulary acquisition and retention through reading. Studies in Second Language Acquisition , 21, 589-619.

Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Schmitt, N. (2008). Instructed second language vocabulary learning. Language Teaching Research , 12 (3), 329-363.

Schmitt, N., & Schmitt, D. (1995). Vocabulary notebooks: Theoretical underpinnings and practical suggestions. English Language Teaching Journal , 49 (2), 133-143.

Webster's third new international dictionary. (1963). Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam Co.

West, M. (1953). A general service list of English words. London: Longman, Green.

Zimmerman, C. B. (1997). Historical trends in second language vocabulary acquisition. In J. Coady, & J. Huckin (Eds.), Second language vocabulary acquisition (pp. 5-19). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

16

BOX HILL COLLEGE KUWAITFOUNDATION PROGRAM

CURRICULUM-LEARNING OBJECTIVES BY LEVEL

Level 1Reading Writing Communication Skills

Develop the habits of intensive and extensive rereading in a variety of genres

Learn to use a variety of contextual tools to discover the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary

Develop pre-reading skills such as previewing and predicting to increase reading comprehension

Develop skills in reading comprehension, identifying the main idea and supporting details in multi-paragraph texts.

Identify the sequence of events in an narrative text

Develop skills in skimming and scanning texts Develop skills in synthesizing reading

materials: annotation, note taking, outlining, summarizing and paraphrasing

Develop skills in inferencing Identify the tone and purpose of a written text Distinguishing between fact and opinion in

written texts Develop skills in critical reading and thinking Exercise practical practice on the above skills

making consistent improvements

Organize and write a paragraph Define and write simple and complex

sentences Implement correct grammatical structure Write journals Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of

prewriting actives Write a paragraph on instructions Write a descriptive paragraph Write a paragraph stating reasons and using

examples Write a paragraph expressing your opinion Edit and correct their own work Edit and correct their classmates’ work

Understand simple verbal instructions Recognize main ideas and details in oral texts Take notes from short oral texts Use a variety of contextual tools to discover

the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary while listening

Practice pre-listening skills such as previewing and predicting to increase listening comprehension

Identify the sequence of events in oral texts Recognize facts and opinions in oral texts Demonstrate simple academic skills such as

critical thinking Do simple research based on listening and

speaking assignments Use the grammar taught at this level in

speaking activities Pronounce intelligibly the words taught at this

level Give short prepared and impromptu

presentations Demonstrate effective presentation skills such

as body language and good delivery techniques

Engage in group and class discussions in which they express opinions and use simple conversational management skills

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Appendix A

Level 2Reading Writing Communication Skills

Develop the habits of intensive and extensive rereading in a variety of genres

Learn to use a variety of contextual tools to discover the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary

Develop pre-reading skills such as previewing and predicting to increase reading comprehension

Develop skills in reading comprehension, identifying the main idea and supporting details in multi-paragraph texts

Identify the sequence of events in an narrative text

Develop skills in skimming and scanning texts Develop skills in synthesizing reading

materials: note taking, outlining, summarizing and paraphrasing

Develop skills in the ability to make inferences Identify the tone and purpose of a written text Distinguishing between fact and opinion in

written texts Develop skills in critical reading and thinking Recognize and use vocabulary appropriate to

Level 2.

Organize and write a paragraph Define and write simple and complex

sentences Define subjects, Verbs, and Objects Write journals Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of

prewriting actives Write a paragraph on instructions Write a descriptive paragraph Write a paragraph stating reasons and using

examples Write a paragraph expressing your opinion Edit and correct their own work Edit and correct their classmates’ work Recognize and use vocabulary appropriate to

Level 2.

Understand more complex verbal instructions Draw simple inferences Recognize main ideas and details in longer

oral texts Identify the purpose of an oral text Distinguish between fact and opinion on oral

text Demonstrate skills in note taking, outlining,

summarizing and paraphrasing in order to synthesize oral texts

Demonstrate more complex academic skills such as critical thinking

Use and pronounce intelligibly new vocabulary in oral communication

Engage in group and class discussions in which they express opinions and use more complex conversational management skills

Use the grammar taught at this level in speaking activities

Give longer prepared and impromptu presentations

Demonstrate effective presentation skills such as body language and good delivery techniques

Recognize and use vocabulary appropriate to Level 2.

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Level 3Reading Writing Communication Skills

Read successfully at a high intermediate level Develop reading speed and reading fluency Understand vocabulary from context Develop reading comprehension strategies Scan for specific information using skimming

techniques Identify supporting details Identify main ideas within paragraphs Identify cause and effect Work on awareness techniques needed for

predicting, analyzing, hypothesizing, critical thinking and understand inferred meanings

Recognize and use vocabulary appropriate to Level 3.

Plan their paragraph or essay in an outline before writing

Support their main idea with relevant and convincing reasons, examples, and details.

Self-edit and peer-edit for problems in format, content, organization, grammar, and mechanics

Recognize and correct fragments, run-ons, and comma splices

Understand and identify subject-verb-object in sentences and clauses

Identify and create simple, compound, and complex sentences in their writing

Comprehend and use basic punctuation and capitalization

Use information researched for a debate in communication skills in order to write a research essay

Recognize and use vocabulary appropriate to Level 3.

Follow complex verbal instructions Draw inferences from complex oral texts Recognize main ideas, details and

organizational patterns in complex oral texts Identify the purpose and tone of an oral text Demonstrate skills in note taking, outlining,

summarizing and paraphrasing in synthesizing longer oral texts

Demonstrate complex academic skills such as critical thinking

Use and pronounce intelligibly new vocabulary in complex oral communication

Engage in longer group and class discussions to express opinions and use more complex conversational management skills

Use the grammar taught at this level in speaking activities

Deliver longer prepared and impromptu presentations

Demonstrate effective presentation skills such as body language and good delivery techniques

Recognize and use vocabulary appropriate to Level 3.

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Box Hill College KuwaitFoundation Program

Supplemental Vocabulary Curriculum

Vocabulary instruction is now required as a component of the reading classes in the BHCK Foundation program. In the interest of best serving the students, this supplemental vocabulary curriculum provides guidance for a more uniform and systematic approach to the teaching of vocabulary. This is a necessary component of any good EAP programme, and especially relevant for our students as they have a limited time in which to prepare for the language requirements of academic study in English.

This vocabulary program will also attempt to improve student knowledge of vocabulary items in a number of different aspects. These aspects are outlined below. Color coding is used throughout the document to connect activities to the aspects we hope to cover.

Vocabulary cards are a required aspect of this vocabulary curriculum, and a description of their use is provided as well as examples of vocabulary cards and instruction sheets for students.

To support this more systematic approach to vocabulary, teachers will also be asked to complete noticing, retrieval, and generative activities. A brief description of each is provided in the sample activities section.

modified from (Nation, 2001, p. 27)

Vocabulary CardsVocabulary cards are a required aspect of the vocabulary program. Students will be able to purchase card packs and rings in the student bookstore prior to the start of classes. The following guidelines outline the vocabulary card program.

Cards come in four colors. These are used as follows:o Pink=verbso Yellow=adverbso Green=nounso Blue=adjectives

Use of cards should begin in Week 2. New vocabulary items should be covered each week excepting exam weeks.

Vocabulary is chosen by agreement amongst level teachers and is taken from the text. Words should be check against frequency lists where applicable, and limited according to level as follows:

o Level 1-prepositions, articles, classroom vocabulary, and meta-linguistic terms (noun, verb, etc.)o Level 2-From the 1000 most frequently used words

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Appendix B

Aspects of Vocabulary KnowledgeForm R what does the word sound like

what does the word look likewhat are the words recognizable word parts

P how is the word pronouncedhow is the word written

Meaning R what does this word form signalwhat other words are associated with this one

P what word form can be used to express this meaningwhat words can we use instead of this one

Use R in what patterns does this word occurwhen, where, and how often would we expect to meet this word

P in what patterns must we use this wordwhen, where, and how often can we use this word

o Level 3-Evenly taken from the 1000-2000 most frequently used words and the Academic Word List

Each week, students will choose several words themselves. This may be done as a class in the lower levels or individually at the more advanced levels. Students should complete vocabulary cards for their chosen words.

A check of cards should be done weekly for the first 4 weeks of class. This is time intensive but necessary to see if students are struggling to complete cards.

Evaluation of cards past 4 weeks can continue, decrease in frequency, or be included in vocabulary tests as a series of questions requiring cards to answer.

Below is a list of the information students should include on their cards. The information is color coded to match it to the areas of knowledge outlined above.

o wordo part-of-speecho words in the same familyo pronunciation information o text sentence o definitiono sample sentenceo page/week numbers

See Vocabulary Card Instruction sheet for sample card and printable instructions to give to students.

Sample Vocabulary ActivitiesBelow are a number of sample activities for noticing, retrieving, and generating vocabulary items. Each section contains a brief description of the overall aim of the activities. Following, each activity type lists the type of vocabulary knowledge that is the focus of the activity.

Noticing Activities-these activities are designed to make students aware of specific targeted vocabulary items that are encountered in class texts.

Activity Type Multiple Choice (Form, Meaning)Activity Description In this activity, students are asked to guess the meaning of the target vocabulary items

based on the context of the text from which target items are drawn. Questions are composed of the text sentence containing the target item, and four choices of ‘closest meaning’ to choose from. Students are also asked to determine the part of speech, and to make a note explaining their choice of answer.

Notes This activity should take place during the initial stages of vocabulary instruction time but may work better if following a general discussion of the text.

Students may work alone or in pairs, but no dictionary is allowed at this stage. Focus students on the explanation of their choice to avoid random guessing. This activity should be followed immediately by a discussion of the answers. VARIATION: This activity may also be formatted as a matching exercise. VARIATION: Words may be written up prior to reading and students engage in a

predicting exercise to activate prior knowledge.Example See Appendix C

Activity Type Discussion (Form, Meaning)Activity Description In this activity, students engage in guided discussion in order to negotiate the meaning

of the target vocabulary. Questions are composed to elicit specific information about the text ranging from main ideas to finite details. These questions may either incorporate the target vocabulary, or require students to analyze the section of text containing the target vocabulary.

Notes: This activity should take place during the initial stages of vocabulary instruction

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time and would likely take the place of a general discussion on the text. Students may work alone or in pairs, but no dictionary is allowed at this stage. Though target words may be highlighted if used in wording the questions, focus

student attention on the information being asked for, rather than the specific word.

This activity should be followed immediately by a discussion of the answers. For each item, this discussion should cover not only the answer to the question, but should guide students to the meaning of the target item.

Activity Type Words on board with discussion (Form, Meaning)Activity Description This activity can take a number of forms, and is dependent largely on the class. This is

a less formal activity where target items are written on the board following exposure to them in text. Each word is then located in text and analyzed as a class. Aspects to analyze might include: part of speech, pronunciation, syllable and stress, any known words from the word family, and discussion of meaning.

Notes This activity should take place during the initial stages of vocabulary instruction time but may work better if following a general discussion of the text.

This works well as a whole class activity. However, if desired, students may work alone or in pairs to prepare for class discussion, but no dictionary is allowed at this stage.

Focus students on the explanation of their choice to avoid random guessing. VARIATION: Words may be done as a chart, or students could get into groups and

discuss aspects in a mind map before presenting to the class for discussion. VARIATION: Words may be written up prior to reading and students engage in a

predicting exercise to activate prior knowledge.

Retrieval Activities-these activities require students to retrieve known information about the targeted vocabulary items. These provide necessary repetition to prevent ‘forgetting’ of covered vocabulary.

Activity Type Discussion (Form, Meaning, Use)Activity Description This activity is much the same as the discussion activity under ‘Noticing Activities’ with

some small variations. For this activity, discussion questions need to contain the target vocabulary as discussion will happen prior to exposure to items in text. Students will activate prior knowledge and, in addition to answering the questions, will predict the meaning of the target word. Once the text has been covered, students will revisit the discussion questions and reassess target word meanings.

Notes This activity should take place prior to exposure to the items in text. Students may work alone or in pairs, but no dictionary is allowed at this stage. Target words should be highlighted and students given a dual focus on the

information being asked for and the meaning of the specific word. This activity should be followed immediately by coverage of the text. A revisit of this activity should take place following a noticing activity.

Activity Type Quizlet (Meaning)Activity Description The Quizlet website is for use in the language lab. After entering target vocabulary and

definitions, the site automatically creates a number of retrieval activities for students including:

Flashcards-These can be used with or without audio to reinforce pronunciation. They can also be used with the item given first or the definition given first.

Space Race-In this activity, the definitions are scrolled across the screen and

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students must recall the vocabulary item and type it into a box.Notes The website is free to use and links to specific lists can be emailed to students.

Students can access the site from home as well. Students do not need an account to access the site. Space Race offers a score. If desired, students could send scores or be encouraged

to track scores in order to note improvement as activity is repeated.Example http://quizlet.com/19559871/unit-6-flash-cards/

Activity Type Back to the Board (Meaning)Activity Description In this activity, one student is chosen to sit in a chair in front of the board facing the

class. A vocabulary item is written on the board which the chosen student cannot see. Classmates then give clues to the chosen student until the student is able to guess the word.

Notes Remind students that they cannot use the word on the board! VARIATION: With more advanced learners, clues can be limited to synonyms,

antonyms, or collocations only.

Activity Type Speed Vocabulary (Meaning)Activity Description Students stand in two lines facing each other so that each student is paired with

another student. Each student is given 3-4 cards containing vocabulary items. When the teacher shouts ‘GO!’, students are given 2-3 minutes to describe their words to their partner. When the teacher shouts ‘SWITCH!’, one row moves down one person so that new pairs are confirmed. The process is then repeated.

Notes Remind students that they cannot use the word on the card! This is a good activity to use later in a term as the list of covered vocabulary items

is longer.

Activity Type Board Game (Use)Activity Description This is a board game where each square asks the student to perform a different task

related to target vocabulary items. Game templates can be found online at http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/word_games.html. Fill in the template with vocabulary items, making sure that the type is formatted to indicate task. For example: ·

• normal : give definition.• italics: provide syllables and stress.• bold: make sentence.• bold italics: list 2 words in family.• bold underline : ask question.• underline : make sentence with 2 words.

Students get into groups for the game and each group is given a dice and a game piece for each student. Students take turns rolling the dice and performing the task on which they land. The game ends when a student reaches ‘Finish’.

Notes VARIATION: To increase the number of tasks each student has to perform in a game, a coin could be used in place of a dice. Flipping heads means to move 1 space while flipping tails means to move 2 spaces.

Example See Appendix D

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Generation Activities-these activities require students to engage their knowledge of targeted vocabulary items in a variety of situations. This enables them to transfer their vocabulary knowledge from controlled activities to a broader range of free activities.

Activity Type Story Chain (Use)Activity Description In this activity, students write a story using randomly chosen vocabulary items.

Students should be in groups of 4-6. Each group is given a stack of cards, each containing a vocabulary item. The first line of a story is written on the board. The story proceeds as follows:

• Student 1 draws a card and writes one sentence in the story using the chosen vocabulary item.

• Student 2 draws a card and writes the next sentence in the story using the chosen vocabulary item.

Play progresses until time is called or students run out of cards.Notes Prompts may be decided as a whole class.

With more advanced students, no prompt need be given. With more advanced students, more than one sentence may be written per turn.

Activity Type Open-ended Questions (Written) (Form, Meaning, Use)Activity Description Students answer a series of open-ended questions written using target vocabulary

items. Questions should not be related to the context or topic in which the words were initially encountered. Instead, questions should ask students for opinions, suggestions, or to display critical thinking on a topic. Target vocabulary items should be bolded in questions, but student focus should be on the meaning of the question and their answer.

Notes It may prove necessary to limit students to answering without using the target vocabulary.

This activity can be used as a test of vocabulary knowledge if desired. To provide a check on student vocabulary cards, a section could be added that

asks for information from the cards. Students would be on honor that open-ended questions were not answered using cards.

A short dialogue containing vocabulary items could also be included with students taken turns to read the dialogue to check on pronunciation.

Example See Appendix E

Activity Type Dialogues (Use)Activity Description Students work in pairs to write dialogues containing target vocabulary items.

Dialogues are then read to the class while classmates notice any incorrect use of items or incorrect pronunciation.

Alternatively, students could input dialogues into Go!Animate and create cartoons performing their dialogue. This may be a way for students to share their work without the stress of speaking in front of the class.

Notes Students are able to create a free account on Go!Animate.Go!Animate takes some time to grasp, so expect students to make lots of mistakes at first!

Example See Appendix F

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Weekly Vocabulary Assignment

Every week you will be responsible for learning 10 new vocabulary words. These words will be from our textbook and class discussions. You will get 7 new words from your teacher and will pick 3 other words that you find interesting.

How to Complete the Vocabulary Cards

***Colors: pink=verb; blue=adjective; yellow=adverb; green=noun

On the front of the card:

Write the word. Write its part of speech, too (e.g. noun, verb, etc.). In the upper left corner write the week #. Write the page # on which the word was found. Write the number of syllables and the stress for each word Write down words that are part of the word’s family.

On the back of the card:

On the back, write the sentence from the coursebook in which you found the word. Write the definition of the word. Use a learner dictionary to write its definition. Write the sample sentence provided in the dictionary if there is one. If you would like, you made add a translation of the word in your native language.

FRONT OF CARD BACK OF CARD

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__ Week #_____________________ Page # ______________________________________________________________________________Word__(part of speech)________ ___________(Syllables/Stress)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Word(s) in the same family_______

Textbook Sentence: __________________________________________________________________________

Definition:________________________________________________________________________

Sample Sentence from Dictionary:__________________________________________________________________________

Appendix C

Each card will appear as follows:

Front of Card

Week

Page #

Word/Part-of-Speech

Syllables/Stress

Words in the same family

Back of Card

Text Sentence

Definition thatmatches use intext

SampleSentence(copied from dictionary)

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Week 2 p. 11 __ behavior (n.)_ __ 3/2 __ __ behave (v) Text Sentence: Is it their behavior—their______ funny jokes, interesting stories?______________ ________________________________________________Definition: the way that you behave: to do or say things in a particular way_____________________________________________________

Vocabulary in ContextFor each number below:

1. Write the part of speech (POS) of the bold word or phrase in the space provided at the end of the sentence.2. Next, select the letter of the answer that is closest in meaning to the bold word or phrase. 3. Finally, make note of WHY you chose your answer. What clues did you use?

**Remember**NO DICTIONARIES!!Clues can be found ANYWHERE. Check before and after the word. If you’re still not sure, look further!

1. However, after decades of study, scientists and researchers have concluded that there are important differences

in the way males and females think, speak, and act. (POS: _Verb_)

a. answered c. wonderedb. guessed d. determined

Clues: ____after decades of study, there ARE (not might be)____________________________

2. And they know that these differences are true across countries, cultures, ages, and other factors. (POS: _________)

a. aspects c. namesb. numbers d. stories

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

3. Over the years, there have been varying opinions on this subject. (POS: _________)

a. facts c. beliefsb. answers d. lists

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

4. And society certainly does affect our thinking and behavior. (POS: _________)

a. influence c. ignoreb. upset d. dislike

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

5. And society certainly does affect our thinking and behavior. (POS: _________)

a. appearance c. attitudeb. actions d. goals

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

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Appendix D

6. At play, little girls naturally practice carrying infants. (POS: _________)

a. don’t like c. prepare forb. exercise d. read about

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

7. And while a woman talks to create a relationship with the listener, men on the other hand try to influence the listener. (POS: _________)

a. understand c. destroyb. change d. make

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

8. And while a woman talks to create a relationship with the listener, men on the other hand try to influence the listener. (POS: _________)

a. contract c. businessb. connection d. conversation

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

9. Furthermore, they believe that the different ways in which men and women use language in e-mails is a result of their different goals. (POS: _________)

a. description c. causeb. worry d. outcome

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

10. Language is used for competition. (POS: _________)

a. friendship c. rivalry b. understanding d. laughing

Clues: _________________________________________________________________________

28

29 Start

Move Ahead 3 Spaces

Super Skip

Move Ahead

Move Back 3 Spaces

Skip One Turn

Oh No!

Go Back

Move Ahead 2 Spaces

Oh No! Go back to Start

For each word:

o normal: definition.

o italics: syllables and stress

o bold: sentence.o bold italics: 2

words in family.o bold underline :

ask question.o underline: 2

sentences

Finish

concludefactor

opinion

affect

behavior

practice

createrelationship

result

competition

operate

propose

consist

intendeventually

reject

independence

reputation

disaster

consider

realize

Appendix E

Name______________________________ ID Number _____________________Score______ / 14

Vocabulary Quiz #4, Part I

Answer the following questions. You do not need to answer in complete sentences.

1. What is your top (most important) priority in life?

2. Imagine two of your friends are having a fight. Do you think it is necessary to intervene? Why or why not?

3. Name one thing you can obtain in the nurse’s office at Box Hill College and one thing you can obtain from the bookstore at Box Hill College

4. The teacher said, “The test consists of a reading section and a writing section.” What does the woman’s sentence mean?

5. What is one bad habit you would like to eliminate from your life?

6. A man said, “I consider her to be very friendly.” What does the man’s sentence mean?

7. a. What part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) is realize? Ex: When I got to class, I realized I had left my book at home.

30

Appendix F

b. What part of speech (nount, verb, adjective, adverb) is disaster? Ex: The natural disaster cause a lot of damage to buildings in the area.

Total: _____/ 7

Name______________________________ ID Number _____________________

Vocabulary Quiz #4, Part II

Answer the following questions using your vocabulary cards.

1. What is the textbook sentence for reputation?

2. What are the syllables and stress for intervene (for ex. 2/1)?

3. What is the sample sentence from the dictionary for disaster?

4. What is the textbook sentence for obtain?

5. What is the definition of consist?

6. What are the syllables and stress for realize (for ex. 2/1)?

7. What is the definition of priority?

Total: _____/ 7

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Opening a new account:1. Go to www.goanimate.com2. Click on the ‘Sign Up’ link at the top of the page

3. Click on ‘Sign up for Basic’ at the bottom left.

4. Enter the required information5. **GOANIMATE WILL AUTOMATICALLY CREATE YOUR DISPLAY NAME**

Creating your cartoonsTo create a cartoon, click on ‘Make a Video’ at the top of the page.There are two ways to create cartoons.

1. The first is to use ‘Quick Video Maker’ in which the website guides you through the creation process. Things to remember about ‘Quick Video Maker’:

a. You are limited to ten lines of dialogue TOTALb. You have less freedom to customize the background, characters, etc.

2. The second way is to use ‘Full-Featured Video Maker’. This is a self-guided process, but allows for longer dialogues and more freedom to customize your cartoon.

Quick Video Maker Cartoons1. Choose the cartoon type.2. Choose your background and characters (make sure to only use characters that come with the free

account!)3. Enter your dialogue (ONLY TEN LINES TOTAL!)4. Preview the cartoon.5. Click ‘Save’ and give your cartoon a title.

Full-Featured Video Maker1. Choose the cartoon type and click ‘Make a Movie’2. Use the dashboard on the left side to customize your cartoon

3. Click ‘Save’ in the upper right hand corner. a. Include a title and a tag (marked with *)b. Choose ‘Public’ under ‘Save As’ at the bottom of the boxc. Click ‘Save and Share’

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Choose characters

Add speech bubbles

Change

Add objects

Add music

Add special effects

Appendix G

Adding dialogue:You can add audio dialogue or speech bubbles by typing lines for each characterTo add audio dialogue:

1. Click on the character that will speak2. On the dashboard, click the ‘Voice’ tab3. Enter the dialogue for the character4. Choose the voice for your character5. Click ‘Add Voice’

Things to remember:1. Only one character can talk in each scene. So, when you want a new person to talk, you must enter a

new scene.2. If you go back to a previous scene and add or alter dialogue, you must click ‘Update Voice’ for the

changes to save.3. Watch the Credit meter on the dialogue entry! If it is a zero, you cannot enter audio dialogue.

To add speech bubbles:1. Click on the speech bubble icon on the left menu.

2. Move the bubble to the correct spot in the scene.3. Click on the character that will be using the speech bubble.4. Click on the speech bubble and use the editing screen on the left to enter your text.

Getting around the website

Adding friendsAdd your instructor first:

1. Go to ‘Home’ on the menu shown above.2. On the right side of the screen, in the middle of the box, click the ORANGE ‘Find Friends’ button3. You will see the ‘Find Friends’ screen on the left.4. Click ‘Manual Input’ at the top.5. Enter your instructor’s email in the box and click ‘Find Friends’6. When your instructor’s account shows up, click ‘Become a Fan’

Adding other friends:1. You can add other friends using the steps above.2. You can also add other friends by visiting your teacher’s page and finding your classmates.

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Go here to look at your cartoons.

Go here to see what your friends are doing.