Vocabulary learning and learning materials
Despite the centrality of vocabulary in language learning, few studies have focused on the correlation between the structure of learning materials and vocabulary learning. Cathrine Norberg and Marie Nordlund have therefore in a number of studies analyzed different aspects of how vocabulary is presented in seven commonly used English textbooks for school years 3-4.
A tagged text database containing all the words appearing in the seven textbooks has been built up to facilitate analysis and comparison of the vocabulary presented. Since teaching materials are commonly used in language teaching, but are often chosen without any higher degree of reflection on their potential to facilitate word learning, this is a highly relevant project that contributes knowledge in a research area that has not yet been extensively explored. The results of the sub-studies highlight the importance of developing and selecting adequate learning materials for foreign language learning.
A related project is run by Denise Bergström. In her dissertation project, the focus has been on vocabulary learning and teaching materials in upper secondary school. The thesis consists of two parts, the first being interview studies with teachers and textbook authors. These have been carried out with the aim of mapping teachers' views on vocabulary and word learning, which have a major impact on classroom teaching, as well as mapping what governs the design of teaching materials with regard to vocabulary. In the latter part of the project, the learning material is the primary object of study and includes learning material analyses where the texts in learning materials and the word-focused exercises in exercise books have been examined. Denise compiled a corpus of five commonly used English Year 7-9 textbooks to analyze the texts in the books. This corpus analysis of the texts highlights the conditions for word learning when students read the texts by presenting insights into the lexical nature of the texts and the amount of repetition. The vocabulary-focused exercises in the textbooks were analyzed in terms of which words they cover and how effective the exercises are for word learning. Denise continues to study vocabulary in learning materials after her dissertation and is now conducting further analyses of the word content in the learning materials, for example with a focus on semantics and glossaries.
Contact
Marie Nordlund
- Visiting lecturer
- 0920-492546
- marie.nordlund@associated.ltu.se
- Marie Nordlund
Cathrine Norberg
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