Improving Vocabulary through Word Formation at Secondary Level: A Survey

Year 2020, Volume: 18 , 143 - 151, 31.12.2020

Muhammad Safdar Bhattı Rafia Mukhtar

Abstract

English is being used all over the world as an international language. It has become a Lingua Franca and a language of greater opportunities. It also enjoys a supreme status in society. Its sound knowledge is a successful passport for any job. For learning any language, both the oral and written skills are of equal importance. In fact, learning a second language is never easy. Learners have to wrestle with new vocabulary, rules of grammar, pronunciation and more. In learning a second language, vocabulary is the most paramount part. It is the soul and essence of a language. It is also first and leading stair in a language acquisition. Its knowledge plays an important role in almost all areas of language. So, the whole process of learning a language depends on learning its vocabulary. The current study evaluated the ways to improve vocabulary through word formation at secondary level. It was a survey type of research based on quantitative research approach. Two hundred students and fifty teachers from Bahawalpur region participated in this study. The data was assembled through a close-ended questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS. The findings of the study revealed a significant improvement in vocabulary. It is recommended that quizzes, exercises and tests for affixes should be used to enhance the vocabulary among students. The recommendations and findings of this study should be taken into careful consideration and steps should be taken to implement those in our classrooms. If implemented intentionally, it is expected that the state of the teaching and learning of vocabulary skills at secondary level will be improved remarkably.

Keywords

Word formation, Vocabulary, Survey

References

• Armbruster, B.B., F. Lehr, J. Osborn, C.R. (2001). Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read: Kindergarten through grade 3. National Inst. for Literacy, Washington, DC., U.S.A.
• Bhatti, M. S. (2016). Teaching Reading Skills Through Comprehension at BS Level. The global journal of English studies. Vol II. Issue II. ISSN 2395 4795. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313221051_Teaching_Reading_Skills_Through_Comprehension_at_BS_Level
• Ellis, N.C. (1995). Vocabulary acquisition: Psychological perspectives and pedagogical implications. The Language Teacher, 19(2), 12-16.
• Hiebert & Kamil (2005). Visuals for the language classroom. London & New York: Longman. Hulatijn (2005). The practice of English language teaching. London & New York: Longman.
• Kaivanpanah & Zandi, (2009). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Kannan (2009). Pictures for language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Lado, R. (2005). Language teaching. New York: McGraw-Hill book Inc, pp. 174-175 Mathews (1989). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
• Michael, B. (2005). Call me irresponsible. On Call Me Irresponsible [CD]. Los Angeles, CA: Reprise/wea Records.
• Moeen, A. (1992). English language teaching in Pakistan. Islamabad: National Book Foundation, p. 221
• Pitman, W. (2003). Building Vocabulary through Prefixes, Roots and Suffixes. The Internet TESL Journal, IX (7). http://iteslj.org/
• Quin, D.D. (1996). ESL vocabulary acquisition: contextualization and decontextualization. The Canadian Modern Language Review 53(1), 120-142.
• Richards, J., & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics. Malaysia: Pearson Education.
• Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Schneider, V. I., Healy, A. F., Bourne, L. E., Jr. (2002). What is learned under difficult conditions is hard to forget: Contextual interference effects in foreign vocabulary acquisition, retention, and transfer. Journal of Memory and Language, 46, 419–440.
• Shams, B. (2003). The language skills. Course Code 553 TEFL Publishing AIOU Islamabad Pakistan pp.54-60.
• Shen, W.W. (2003). Current trends of vocabulary teaching and learning strategies for EFL settings. Feng Chia Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 7, 187-224.
• Sinclair, B. (1986). Materials Design for the Promotion of Learner Autonomy: How explicit is explicit? In J. Renauf, The Lexical Approach in ELT (pp. 149-165). New York: Routledge.
• Stoller, F.L. & Grabe, W. (1993). Vocabulary retention technique through an organized learning scheme. Indian Linguistics, 69(1-4), 289-296.
• Ur, P. (2003). A Course in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Warsi, J. (2004). Conditions under which English is taught in Pakistan: An applied linguistic perspective. Sarid Journal, 1(1), 1-9.Retrieved from http:// www.sarid.net/sarid-journal.
• Wilkins, D.A. (1972). Linguistic on language teaching. London: Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd. p. 14, 67.
• Wilkins, D.A. (1974). Linguistics in language teaching. London: Edward Arnold publishers, Ltd. p. 111.