Vocabulary activities and techniques in teaching English to young learners

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Aktivnosti i tehnike vokabulara u podučavanju engleskog jezika za mlade učenike
• Author: Vedrana Danilović
• Mentor: Tea Gavrilović Smolić (mentor)
• Committee member: Silvija Hanžić Deda (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Alenka Mikulec (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tea Gavrilović Smolić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2022-09-21, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies; Teaching Methods in the Humanistic Sciences

Abstract

When children start primary school, they encounter learning a foreign language, which they learn in instructional settings, as opposed to their mother tongue, which they acquire in communicative situations. In schools, teachers use textbooks and workbooks to teach the language, using different methods, techniques and activities, which they find appropriate for the learners, their age and cognitive developmental stage.
The first part of this thesis is theoretical and aims to present and describe various activities and techniques that can be used in teaching vocabulary to young learners, i.e. from the first to the fourth grade of primary school. The activities and techniques mentioned in the thesis make learning more efficient, accessible and easier for students, enhance adoption of vocabulary, prevent monotony and increase motivation and interest of the students.
The second part of the thesis investigates vocabulary activities in four textbook sets intended for learning English as a foreign language in the second and the third grade of primary school, published by two different publishing houses, a domestic and a foreign one.
The frequency of different categories of vocabulary activities is presented and discussed, followed by an analysis of the sequence of acquiring language skills through vocabulary activities. The textbook sets published by domestic and foreign publishers are also compared. Finally, the same activities are analysed in relation to the outcomes prescribed by the National Curriculum.
The analysis shows a wide variety of activity types which enable the learners to acquire the target vocabulary. While acquiring the vocabulary, the sequence of acquiring skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) is appropriate and the outcomes from the Curriculum for the subject the English language can be achieved through the activities in the mentioned textbooks and workbooks.

Abstract (croatian)

Kada djeca krenu u osnovnu školu susreću se s učenjem stranoga jezika koji uče u formalnom okruženju, za razliku od njihovog materinskog jezika, koji usvajaju u komunikaciji. U školama učitelji koriste udžbenike i radne bilježnice za poučavanje jezika, koristeći razne metode, tehnike i aktivnosti koje smatraju primjerenima za učenike, njihovu dob i fazu kognitivnog razvoja.
Prvi dio ovog rada jest teorijski i cilj mu je predstaviti i opisati razne aktivnosti i tehnike koje se mogu koristiti u poučavanju vokabulara mladih učenika, od prvog do četvrtog razreda osnovne škole. Aktivnosti i tehnike spomenute u ovom radu čine učenje učinkovitijim, pristupačnijim i jednostavnijim za učenike, poboljšavaju usvajanje vokabulara, sprječavaju monotoniju i povećavaju motivaciju i interes učenika.
U drugom dijelu rada istražene su aktivnosti iz četiri seta udžbenika i radnih bilježnica namijenjenih učenju engleskog kao stranog jezika u drugom i trećem razredu osnovne škole, objavljenih od strane dviju izdavačkih kuća, domaće i strane.
Predstavljena je i razmotrena učestalost različitih kategorija aktivnosti za usvajanje vokabulara, popraćena analizom redoslijeda usvajanja jezičnih vještina kroz same aktivnosti. Također se uspoređuju udžbenici i radne bilježnice izdani od strane domaće i strane izdavačke kuće.
Na kraju, iste aktivnosti se analiziraju u odnosu na ishode propisane Nacionalnim kurikulumom.
Analiza pokazuje raznolikost vrsta aktivnosti koje učenicima omogućuju usvajanje vokabulara. Tijekom usvajanja vokabulara poštuje se redoslijed usvajanja jezičnih vještina (slušanje, govorenje, čitanje i pisanje), a ishode za predmet Engleski jezik propisane kurikulumom moguće je ostvariti kroz aktivnosti u spomenutim udžbenicima i radnim bilježnicama.

• Keywords: young learners; vocabulary acquisition; activities; techniques; textbooks and workbooks
• Keywords (english): mladi učenici; usvajanje vokabulara; aktivnosti; tehnike; udžbenici i radne bilježnice
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:361146
• Study programme: Title: Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study of Primary Teacher Education and Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study for Primary Teacher Education with English and German Language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2023-02-21 12:36:41