Authentic Vocabulary Instruction | Proficiency-Based Vocabulary Acquisition

One-Hour Session for World Language or General Education Teachers

Does your vocabulary instruction involve helping students memorize a list? Why not teach students to figure out vocabulary in context instead? Using authentic sources to introduce vocabulary facilitates engagement, helps students learn words naturally, provides linguistic context, and offers the fun of problem solving in the target language. As students finalize a collaborative list, they engage deeply in evaluating content. The end result: a list the kids have ‘bought into’ and often have memorized before it is even finalized.  Authentic vocabulary instruction is student-centered, technology-integrated, and fun!

In this session participants will:

• Discuss limitations of traditional approaches to teaching vocabulary

• Use target language video and written texts to create vocabulary lists

• Learn to find authentic texts and to scaffold inductive vocabulary lessons for students at different proficiency levels

• Examine techniques to differentiate vocabulary instruction for fast finishers and for students who need extra support