In this module
Cambridge Veritas · Original TESOL self-study resources
Module overview
Vocabulary teaching aims to make expressions available for understanding and use. A translation can provide access to meaning, but learners may also need pronunciation, a grammatical pattern, collocation and a sense of context. Select a manageable set of items for a clear purpose. Plan how to convey and check meaning, how to record a useful example and how to revisit the language. A successful first presentation is the start of word learning rather than its completion.
Use the guides below to connect the core ideas with practical teaching decisions. Each guide contains a classroom example, an application task and a sample response. Work through the whole module, or choose a topic for a lesson you are preparing.
Explore the topics
What learners need to know about a word
Knowing a word involves more than matching it to a translation. Learners may need its meaning, spoken and written form, grammatical behaviour, common partners and level of formality. Select the details required for the intended task.
Read the guide & try the taskPictures, realia, mime and definitions
Choose a presentation technique that makes the intended meaning visible. Realia can clarify concrete objects; mime can clarify actions; a short situation can clarify abstract meanings. A picture alone may be ambiguous, so check the interpretation.
Read the guide & try the taskEfficient eliciting
Elicit when learners may know an item and when their responses will inform the lesson. Make the clue specific and keep the process brief. Supplying an unknown item is useful teaching; endless guessing can waste time and reduce confidence.
Read the guide & try the taskConcept checking vocabulary
A useful concept check targets a likely confusion with simple language. It should require the learner to make a meaningful distinction. Repeating the new word inside a difficult question can test the question more than the concept.
Read the guide & try the taskCollocation, chunks and appropriate use
Words occur in recurrent combinations. Recording a useful chunk helps learners use the item with an appropriate verb, preposition or pattern. Include context so that a natural combination is connected to an actual message.
Read the guide & try the taskVocabulary practice, recycling and retrieval
Move from recognising meaning to retrieving the expression and using it. Recycling should include earlier lessons, not only the newest list. A learner who guesses correctly in a matching exercise may still need supported recall.
Read the guide & try the taskPutting the module into practice
- 01
Select expressions that learners need for a meaningful task and identify the most relevant aspects of word knowledge.
- 02
Convey meaning through a suitable context, visual, object or concise explanation and check the likely confusion.
- 03
Model the spoken form and record a useful chunk or example alongside the spelling.
- 04
Move from supported retrieval into a message-focused task, then schedule a later review with new cues.
Support and extension
Provide a small illustrated or contextual word bank, and rehearse the expressions before asking for independent use.
Ask learners to compare collocations or register choices in new contexts and justify which expression fits.
Check your understanding
Plan a teaching task
Choose one guide from this module. Use its classroom scenario or adapt the task for a group you know.
- Learners and purpose: Describe the context and what learners need to do.
- Success criterion: State one observable outcome.
- Procedure: Plan the setup, model, learner task and feedback.
- Support and extension: Include a way into the task and an extra challenge.
- Evidence and reflection: Decide what to observe and what would make you change the plan.
Module questions
Where should I begin with this module?
Select expressions that learners need for a meaningful task and identify the most relevant aspects of word knowledge.
How can I make the work accessible?
Provide a small illustrated or contextual word bank, and rehearse the expressions before asking for independent use.
How can I go beyond the first attempt?
Ask learners to compare collocations or register choices in new contexts and justify which expression fits.
Sources and authorship
This module maps to the supplied syllabus PDF, Teaching vocabulary (4 pages). The study notes, examples, application tasks and self-checks on these pages are original Cambridge Veritas resources.
View the supplied PDF ↗ · Publication reference: source chapter
Written by Cambridge Veritas. Updated .
Use these resources for preparation and reflection. Browser self-check results are for personal study and do not award a qualification or replace observed teaching practice.