3.3. Vocabulary

Language students need to learn the lexis of the language. They need to learn what words mean and how they are used. While this obviously involves giving them the names for things and people (e.g., table, chair, paper, boy, box, silver, father, man, etc.), it also involves showing them how words are stretched and twisted (e.g., to table a motion; to chair a meeting; a `paper-boy, a `paper-`boy; a `silver box, a `silver `box. Mothers father children. First man the planes). Clearly some words are more likely to be taught at lower levels than others. Some users of words may be more sophisticated than others – and, therefore, more appropriate for advanced students.

We should ensure that our students are aware of the vocabulary they need for their level and that they can use the words they want to use – and/or the words we have selected for them to use.

3.3.1. Vocabulary in context

There is a way of looking at vocabulary learning, which suggests that students should go home every evening and learn a list of fifty words by heart. A vivid example that such a practice would not give beneficial results is Francois Guin, the famous French linguist and methodologist. He used to learn lists of words from the French-German dictionary for many months so that to be able to travel round Germany and speak German. Although he learned the words of the German language in this way the results were absolutely disastrous: neither he could understand the Germans nor they were able to understand what he said. This kind of learning words avoids one of the central features of vocabulary use, namely, that words occur in context. If we are really to teach students what words mean and how they are used, we need to show them being used, together with other words, in context. Words do not just exist on their own: they live with other words and depend on each other. E.g., ‘Are you through?’ might mean ‘Have you been connected?’ or ‘Have you finished (the conversation)?’ We need our students to be aware of this. That is why, once, again, reading and listening will play such a part in the acquisition of vocabulary.

When students learn words in context they are far more likely to remember them than if they learn them as single items. And even if this were not true they would at least get a much better picture of what the words mean.

3.4. Discourse

When we discussed discourse we saw how what we say depends on a number of variables such as setting, purpose, participants, topic and channel. It also involves our ability to structure discourse, that is, to organise what we say into a coherent whole.

Clearly students need to be aware of the different ways language is used in different situations. They need to know the difference between formal and informal language use. They need to know when they can get away with ‘Sorry’ and when it would be better to say ‘I really must apologise’, for example. Such knowledge involves learning language functions.

3.4.1. Language functions

One of the variables that govern appropriacy is purpose. We decide what we want to say on the basis of what purpose we wish to achieve: whether we want to agree or to invite or to congratulate somebody. All these purposes have been called language functions, since to say ‘Congratulations’ to someone actually performs the function of congratulating as soon as the words is out of our mouth. ‘I promise’ performs the function of promising. With such words the relationship between word and function is easy. It is more complex when a superior says pointedly to someone else in the room ‘It’s very hot in here’ in such a way that he is clearly requesting the other person to open the window.

The realisation of many functions can often fall between these two extremes, since ‘Would you like to come to the cinema?’ is a transparent way of inviting, and ‘Could you open the window?’ is clearly performing a request function.

We will want to teach our students how to perform language functions. We may well decide which functions are more important for which levels. A problem arises, though, with the actual language used for these functions. We have already seen the request function performed in two ways (‘It’s very hot in here’ and ‘Could you open the window?’), but we could also say ‘Please open the window’; ‘How about opening the window?’ ‘I was wondering if you could open the window’; ‘Open the window, will you?’; ‘Open that window for me, OK?’; ‘Would it be possible for you to open that window?’ and so on.

In deciding what language to teach when working with functions we need to bear in mind the level of difficulty, the level of transparency (if the meaning is clear) and the level of formality. In general, it seems safe to say that easy, transparent and neutral realisations of language functions are better for students at lower levels. At the same time difficulty, lack of transparency and extremes of formality are more suitable for more advanced students. In other words, we would teach ‘Could you open the window?’ before ‘Would it be possible for you to open the window?’