LITERACY

Engaging Vocabulary Activities for Classroom Success

7 October 2023/ By Zineb DJOUB

Vocabulary is a fundamental aspect of learning. Yet, learning words is complex as it involves many aspects, including spelling, meaning, synonyms and related words, connotations, and grammatical form. So, vocabulary learning and teaching is not solely about presenting and practicing vocabulary. Students should also be engaged in meaningful vocabulary activities that help them understand how words are used and retain this knowledge. In this blog post, we are suggesting a list of engaging and effective vocabulary activities that will not only enhance your students’ language skills but also make learning words a lot of fun.

1. Word building activities

Though learning vocabulary in context can help students connect words’ meaning, form, and use, students may benefit more from focusing on vocabulary in isolation first.

So, an explicit focus on vocabulary is necessary when practicing new words for the first time.

There is a range of word-building activities that you can start with. These will support students in recognizing words’ meanings and practicing spelling. Here are some examples:

Word creation challenge: Give students a set of letters and challenge them to create as many words as possible using only those letters. You can set a time limit for that (e.g., 2 minutes).

Word scramble: Provide a list of scrambled words and have students unscramble them to form meaningful words.

Word puzzles: Create word puzzles such as crosswords, word searches, or word jumbles. The puzzles allow students to work alone or in groups, encouraging critical thinking and vocabulary retention.

Word sorting: Students are to sort a list of words into groups based on common prefixes, suffixes, or themes.

Vocabulary cards: Include a root word on one side and its definition, synonyms, antonyms, or example sentences on the other side. Students can match the word with its definition, find synonyms or antonyms for the word, create sentences using this word, draw visual representations, etc.

Spelling bees: Host spelling bees in which students take turns spelling words aloud. They can also define the words or use them in sentences.

2. Vocabulary in practice activities

For effective vocabulary practice, students should be exposed to words embedded in context and through skills work. This is because knowing a word also entails ‘knowing it actively and productively as well as receptively’ (Carter, 2001, p.43).

Therefore, we should use vocabulary activities that employ a mixture of explicit and implicit approaches (communicative activities with meaning-focused input). This has been found to be an effective approach since it allows students to go deeper than simply recognizing words (Sonbul & Schmitt, 2010).

To help students practice vocabulary in meaningful and authentic ways, engage them in various tasks, such as

• Group discussions or debates where students use the vocabulary words to express their views.
• Role-play activities where they act out real-life situations using the vocabulary words.
• Authentic reading materials, such as newspaper articles, blogs, or short stories that incorporate the target vocabulary.
•  Writing assignments that require students to use the vocabulary words in their compositions such as writing descriptive essays, dialogues, books/movie reviews, and science reports (in science classes), making up a story, and writing business proposals, resumes, and cover letters for more advanced students.
• Vocabulary projects where students create vocabulary posters, podcasts, presentations, acrostic poems, vocabulary flashcards, etc.
• Vocabulary games like Word Bingo, vocabulary charades, or vocabulary Jeopardy can make learning fun and engaging. You can also use online vocabulary games like Kahoot, Quizizz, or Gimkit to engage students in practicing vocabulary.
• Vocabulary quizzes to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of specific vocabulary words. You can either create your vocabulary quizzes (matching definitions, filling in the blanks, multiple choice, etc.) or use online resources and platforms such as Quizlet, Vocabulary.com, and Fun Trivia Vocabulary Quizzes.

 

Creating learning stations can help students take turns participating in different vocabulary activities. Remember to encourage students’ interaction and meaningful engagement by practicing these vocabulary activities in natural contexts that are current and relevant to their needs.

3. Activities to reinforce vocabulary retention and memory

Research shows that 80% of what we forget happens within the first 24 hours. When teaching vocabulary, students need to encounter and use a word many times. Repeated exposures are necessary to consolidate a new word in the student’s mind.

Therefore, making vocabulary revision a habit is necessary for vocabulary learning.

The following vocabulary activities can be used regularly as warmers, or at the end of your lessons, to revise vocabulary.

Vocabulary Word Maps: Ask students to create word or concept maps for new vocabulary words. They write the word in the center of a piece of paper and then branch out to include related definitions, synonyms, antonyms, examples, and visual representations of the word.

Vocabulary collages: Students make collages that represent the meanings of vocabulary words using images, magazine clippings, or drawings.

Word Walls: Create a word wall in your classroom where students can see and interact with the targeted words. This visualization helps them make connections between words and their meanings. Encourage students to add new words they come across and to use the word wall as a reference during practice and discussion.

Vocabulary jigsaw: Put students into small groups, then assign each a set of words that they have learned and practiced before. The group is expected to prepare a task to help the rest of the class remember these words.

Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt: Provide a list of vocabulary words that students have learned and practiced in class. Ask students to find real-world examples of those words in newspapers, magazines, or books. This activity connects vocabulary to authentic usage and supports vocabulary retention.

Vocabulary box: Collect several useful vocabulary items (e.g., 10) per day on cards in a vocabulary box. Put the vocabulary box in a place where it can be accessed by all students. Finish off every lesson with a revision of the vocabulary cards from that particular lesson and start every lesson with some kind of vocabulary card revision activity. Students can work with the cards, play in groups guessing the meanings of words, constructing sentences, creating stories, etc.

Vocabulary reflection Gallery: In a classroom gallery, showcase students’ written reflections or original works that are related to vocabulary words so that their classmates can see and discuss them.

Vocabulary reflection journals: Ask students to keep journals in which they reflect on the new words they have learned and how they have been used in their daily lives or particular assignments.

Vocabulary competitions: Organize regular vocabulary competitions or challenges where students can win prizes or recognition for showcasing their knowledge of words.

 

In this blog post, we’ve explored some vocabulary activities, from word-building exercises that lay the foundation for engaging vocabulary activities that enhance retention. By embracing these interactive vocabulary activities, we foster a deeper understanding of words, ensuring that the words they learn become an integral part of their linguistic toolkit.

References

Carter R (2001). Vocabulary. In R Carter & D Nunan (Eds) The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (pp42–47). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Sonbul. S & Schmitt. N.(2010) Direct teaching of vocabulary after reading: Is it worth the effort? ELT Journal, 64(3), 253–260.