TEFL Vocabulary Terminology 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Nation's vocabulary framework, what does 'word knowledge' include?
- Only the spelling and pronunciation of a word
- Form, meaning, and use of a word (Correct answer)
- Etymology and historical usage only
- Syntactic category and collocational frequency
Correct answer: Form, meaning, and use of a word
Paul Nation's framework holds that knowing a word fully involves knowledge of its form (spoken/written), meaning (concepts/referents), and use (grammatical functions, collocations, constraints).
Question 2: What is a 'concordance' and how is it used in vocabulary teaching?
- A list of antonyms organized by register
- A tool showing multiple authentic examples of a word in context (Correct answer)
- A phonetic chart mapping vowel sounds to vocabulary items
- A grammar reference for checking word collocations
Correct answer: A tool showing multiple authentic examples of a word in context
A concordance is a database tool that displays a target word in multiple authentic sentence contexts, helping learners observe patterns of use.
Question 3: What does 'keyword technique' (mnemonic keyword method) involve?
- Identifying the most important content words in a reading text
- Linking a new L2 word to an L1 word that sounds similar via a mental image (Correct answer)
- Repeating target vocabulary aloud in keyword sentences
- Categorizing new words by their grammatical function
Correct answer: Linking a new L2 word to an L1 word that sounds similar via a mental image
The keyword technique pairs a new foreign word with a phonetically similar L1 word and creates a memorable mental image connecting their meanings.
Question 4: What is 'register' in relation to vocabulary?
- The speed at which vocabulary is delivered in listening tasks
- The level of formality appropriate to a particular situation or context (Correct answer)
- A list of words associated with a specific academic subject
- The frequency ranking of a word in a language corpus
Correct answer: The level of formality appropriate to a particular situation or context
Register refers to the variety of language used in a particular social situation, affecting vocabulary choices between formal, informal, neutral, and technical levels.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'vocabulary notebook' in language learning?
- Recording all grammar rules alphabetically
- Personalizing vocabulary records with context, examples, and associations (Correct answer)
- Listing words that will appear on upcoming exams
- Tracking the number of new words learned per day
Correct answer: Personalizing vocabulary records with context, examples, and associations
A vocabulary notebook allows learners to record new words with personalized context, collocations, synonyms, and images, deepening engagement and retention.
Question 6: What does the 'Vocabulary Levels Test' (Nation, 1983) assess?
- A learner's ability to produce vocabulary in writing tasks
- A learner's receptive knowledge of words at different frequency levels (Correct answer)
- The speed at which a learner can read vocabulary-dense texts
- A learner's awareness of morphological word families
Correct answer: A learner's receptive knowledge of words at different frequency levels
The Vocabulary Levels Test measures receptive vocabulary knowledge at frequency bands (2,000, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000 words, and Academic Word List) to gauge coverage needs.
Question 7: What is 'incidental vocabulary learning'?
- Studying vocabulary lists with flashcards during free time
- Acquiring vocabulary as a by-product of extensive reading or listening, without deliberate focus (Correct answer)
- Learning words that relate to unexpected classroom incidents
- Reviewing vocabulary accidentally skipped during lesson planning
Correct answer: Acquiring vocabulary as a by-product of extensive reading or listening, without deliberate focus
Incidental vocabulary learning occurs when learners pick up new words naturally through exposure to comprehensible input without explicit vocabulary instruction.
TEFL Vocabulary Terminology 4
In Nation's vocabulary framework, what does 'word knowledge' include?