5. Vocabulary Learning
According to Decarrico 2001: 286; there are two ways in learning vocabulary i.e. explicit and implicit learning. In explicit vocabulary learning students
engage in activities that focus attention on vocabulary. Hence, foreign or second language learners are exposed to systematic vocabulary learning process. Nation
1990 adds that in systemic process or direct process, the learners do exercises and activities that focus their attention on vocabulary. The exercises include word-
building exercises, guessing words from context when it is done in class exercise, learning words in lists, and vocabulary games.
In accordance with systemic process, Read 2000: 40 states some findings: 1.
Words belonging to different word classes vary according to how difficult they are learnt. Rodgers 1969 finds that nouns are easiest to
learn, following by adjectives; on the other hand, verbs and adverbs are the most difficult. Ellis and Beaton 1993b confirm that nouns are
easier than verbs, because learners can for mental images ot them more readily.
2. Mnemonic techniques are very effective methods for gaining Initial
knowledge of words meaning in a second language Cohen, 1987.It involves teaching learners to form vivid mental images which link the
meanings of an L2 word and in an L1 word that has similar sound. This technique works best for receptive learning of concrete words.
3. In order to retrieve L2 from memory – rather than just recognizing
them when presented – learners need to say the word to them as they learn it Ellis and Beaton, 1993a.
4. Words which are heard to pronounce are learned more slowly than
ones are that to do not have significant pronunciation difficulty Rodgers, 1969
5. Learners at a low level of language learning store vocabulary
according to the sound of words, whereas at more advanced level words are stored according to meaning Henning, 1973
6. Lists of words which are strongly associated with each other – like
opposites rich, poor or word sets shirt, jacket, sweater – are significantly more difficult to learn than list of un related words,
because of the cross – association that among the related words Higa, 1963
7. More generally, learners commonly confuse L2 words which look and
sound alike Laufer, 1997b Regarding to Read’s findings, explicit learning prospects situation where vocabulary
is learned separately. On the other side, implicit vocabulary learning means learning that occurs
when the mind is focused elsewhere, such as on understanding a text or using language for communicative purposes Deccarrio, 2001: 289. In this respect,
Decarrio uses the term incidental learning instead of implicit. He adds that just as having multiple exposures to a word is important in explicit learning, so it is
important for incidental learning. Furthermore, Gass 1999: 322 proposes three conditions where words are more likely to be learned incidentally; a there are
recognized cognates between the native and the target languages, b there is significant L2 exposure cf. Nagy, Herman, and Anderson, 1985, or c other L2
related words are known.
6. Lexical Mapping
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