Abstract
Traditional mnemonic methods of teaching vocabulary in the Second Language (L2) classroom are not providing the students with sufficient vocabulary knowledge to facilitate effective communication, i.e. students do not use the words they have learnt for communication as textbook presentation and drill do not ensure student use of these same structures in the student’s own spontaneous expression (Savignon, 2000). The strategies to facilitate meaning-vocabulary1 learning as part of a wider outcome to teaching elements of functional communication in a multilingual society is not clearly defined in the Revised National Curriculum Statement (DoE, 2003). This research report set in a constructivist framework, will attempt to raise awareness in language teachers of a need to recognize the importance to facilitate meaning-vocabulary in L2 in OBE and collaborative learning.
The aim of this research was therefore to find an effective strategy to facilitate collaborative L2 meaning-vocabulary learning to develop functional communication.
The research question in this study was:
* How can facilitators more effectively guide collaborative meaning-vocabulary learning to improve functional communication?
Secondary questions to this study were:
* Why do L2 facilitators not spend enough time on collaborative meaning-vocabulary learning?
* What is the role of the facilitator in L2 collaborative meaning-vocabulary learning through communicative teaching strategies?
* How should meaning-vocabulary be taught to ensure students acquire the ability to use the L2 critically and creatively in functional communicative situations outside the classroom?
I have set my methodology in a qualitative paradigm, used an action research design, made use of interviews and interpreted the interviews to clarify the research topic by means of a ‘thick description’ (Henning, et al. 2004:142). The data used in this research were not only gathered from describing and analyzing the practices of the classroom community, but it also originated in real life classroom situations and both of these are characteristics of action research (Burns, 2000).
I have used different data collection methods to ensure the validity of the findings and the recommendations. The methodology used to gather the data guided me to explore qualitative content analysis, grounded theory analysis and to a lesser extent discourse analysis. I have used these three methods to condense the data to find some meaning in the form to enable me to construct a theory around facilitating meaning-vocabulary learning, i.e. construct my own interpretive text. Qualitative content analysis was the basis for grounded theory analysis, while the discourse was dissected to find alternative proof for the findings.
Some of the findings included guidelines which a teacher should keep in mind when facilitating meaning-vocabulary learning:
1. Know your students.
2. Keep meaning-vocabulary learning enjoyable – use different strategies when possible, but let them ‘construct’ their own knowledge. The students must ‘do’ something when they are learning meaning-vocabulary.
3. Encourage the students to use the words during functional communication exercises and essay writing.
4. Encourage the students to engage in their L2 inside and outside the classroom as often as possible, e.g. listen to radio, watch television, engage in conversation with friends or family in the L2.
5. Focus on meaning-vocabulary in communicative language.
6. Engage in conversation with your students as often as possible, not only about a theme or topic but also about their experiences and feelings in your classroom.
7. Use pictures to explain word meanings. Let them create their own images where possible.
8. Use the new meaning-vocabulary during discussions.
Mr. W.A. Janse van Rensburg