How to teach Lexis and Dictionary Usage according to the Curriculum

Henner Kaatz

• Publisher: GRIN Verlag
• Year: 2008
• eBook ISBN: 9783640202218
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Didactics - Common Didactics, Educational Objectives, Methods, grade: 1, 0, Technical University of Braunschweig, course: "Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Grammar and Lexis in Context", language: English, abstract: In the seminar "Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Grammar and Lexis inContext" (WS 07/08) "English-minor" students are obligated to write a term paperabout an issue which fits into the course subject matter. In this case, the topic "How toteach Lexis and Dictionary Usage according to the Curriculum" was chosen.The topic can be seen as one of the most important issues because the "future-teachers"need to be aware of what is expected and demanded from them due to the curriculum.This topic and respectively this term paper is a summary of what is meant by Lexicalteaching and learning. Also, the "Niedersächsiches Kerncurriulum Englisch" is exposedinside of this paper in order to reveal the teaching/learning expectations related to Lexis.An obviously important question is "How is Lexis learned and being taught in schooland how can dictionaries help to acquire a language?" Furthermore, in this case, thecurriculum has to be considered as well. This term paper describes some of theopportunities German teachers have, according to the curriculum, to enhance Lexisacquisition especially with the addition of using a particular dictionary. It mainly dealswith the ideas of the Lexical Approach (Michael Lewis). The Lexical part of languageacquisition is seen as the most important one within this approach. The term papercreates a relationship between how Lexis is involved in "ideal" language acquisition andthe national standards of the particular German school curriculum (in this case"Hauptschule" is reflected on). As a result, it shows whether there is a conflict betweenlanguage acquisition referring to the Lexical Approach and curriculum guidelines orunison between those two aspects. In order to do so, both parts of the discussion areparticularly identified.To describe and define the most important expressions, the paper starts with thedefinitions of Lexis, vocabulary, grammar, Lexical Approach and Lexis teaching inschool. Then, different types of dictionaries and dictionary usage in school areportrayed. After that, the "Niedersächsiches Kerncurriculum" is depicted beforeteaching Lexis and dictionary usage according to it is explained. Moreover, it is shownhow dictionaries can possibly help to enhance language/Lexis acquisition and someexamples are supplied.[...]

Table of contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Definitions
• 3. How to teach Lexis and Dictionary Usage according to the Curriculum
• 4. Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendix