26.2695, Review: Applied Ling; Lang Acq: Gardner (2013)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-26-2695. Mon Jun 01 2015. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 26.2695, Review: Applied Ling; Lang Acq: Gardner (2013)

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Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2015 13:07:46
From: Filio Chasioti [chasioti_f at yahoo.gr]
Subject: Exploring Vocabulary

 
Discuss this message:
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=34588167


Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/24/24-4362.html

AUTHOR: Dee  Gardner
TITLE: Exploring Vocabulary
SUBTITLE: Language in Action
SERIES TITLE: Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics
PUBLISHER: Routledge (Taylor and Francis)
YEAR: 2013

REVIEWER: Filio Chasioti, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Review's Editor: Helen Aristar-Dry

SUMMARY

The book “Exploring vocabulary: Language in action” by Dee Gardner is
addressed to starting postgraduate students and English language
professionals. It consists of 7 chapters, a set of Appendices (A-G), and a
Glossary. Each chapter is structured following a problem-solving approach,
starting with a “survey of everyday professional problems,” succeeded by a
“discussion of intervention”, and concluding with a reflection upon the
previous intervention (p. xi). At the end of each chapter, the reader finds
the Vocabulary Project section, which is an optional component that consists
of a set of assignments designed by the author, and aimed at fulfilling a
“real-world need”; it is intended to cause the reader to approach certain
vocabulary issues in a direct, hands-on way. The Vocabulary Project starts in
the Introduction section and finishes in Chapter 6 (“Building Vocabulary
Knowledge”). The reader is asked to contemplate and address several vocabulary
issues that pertain to certain contexts (for example, gather electronic texts
and then analyze them with an intent to use them in a (hypothetical or actual)
setting. Ultimately, as Dee writes, it will “culminate in a portfolio of
actual vocabulary resources” (p. 7). Apart from the Vocabulary Project, each
chapter also includes a number of Tasks in the form of questions and short
activities; these require the reader to actively participate in the ongoing
discussion of an issue, either by reflecting on a problem, by engaging with
the terminology through short activities, or by using the Appendices online as
well as their own resources. Comprehensive answers and author suggestions for
each of the Tasks are provided  in the Task Commentaries section (pp.
149-160).

In the Introduction the author explains the rationale of the book, describing
its structure and presenting his basic philosophy about vocabulary and the way
it could be approached in the language classroom. He proposes the Three
Realities of Vocabulary: the Psychological, the Linguistic, and the
Pedagogical (pp. 4-5) and stresses the need for an equal emphasis by
pedagogists on all three aspects. Finally, the motivation for the Vocabulary
Project is introduced by asking the reader to identify an instructional
setting and the texts for their own Project.

Chapter 2 (“The Vocabulary of Vocabulary”) addresses the problem posed by the
– at times manifold – terminology implemented in vocabulary studies and offers
a comprehensive set of theoretical clarifications that refer to different
levels of description, e.g., form (“spelling and pronunciation”), “meaning,
and relationships between words and their neighbors” (p. 9). The author’s
approach progresses from broader (e.g. the lexicon) to narrower terms (e.g.
multi-word items), pinpointing the challenging aspects of each term. In the
Vocabulary Project section, the reader is asked to select “a text or texts
that ELLs (English Language Learners) will read” in the setting previously
chosen by the reader/researcher and then scan those texts so that they can be
easily used later on (p. 34).

Chapter 3 (“Core Vocabulary”) is divided into three parts. The first part
addresses and is structured according to five challenges faced in “determining
what belongs to the core” English vocabulary; the second part presents the
author’s novel approach that “considers a stable and an unstable core” (p.
48), which vary not only in their “relative frequency”, but also in their
“stability over time” (ibid.). His stable core includes function words and
“many common content words” that are selected according to their stability, as
well as certain “specific or specialized groups” of important words that
impact communication. In the unstable core he positions those content words
that are “normally less frequent than content words in the stable core” (p.
52). 

In the third part he introduces and describes his “Common Core List of English
vocabulary (CCL)”, as a “bridge from the GSL (General Service List) and AWL
(Academic World List) approach to a more contemporary view of English core
vocabulary” (p. 53). As described by the author, it is a “combination of the
top shared words of COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) and the BNC
(British National Corpus). The CCL is subdivided into a set of sublists “with
numbers representing 1,000-word tiers in the two corpora” (ibid.). Each word
in a sublist is additionally marked with its frequency in the GSL (whether it
belongs to the 1,000 or the 2,000 tier), in the AWL, or in the Dolch-Fry list;
if it does not appear in these lists, it is marked as  a new entry. The CCL
separates function from content words. In the Appendix section, the reader can
find four sublists: Core A of function and Core A of content words, and Core B
and C sublists, both of which contain content words. The words are presented
alphabetically and all sublists are organized in declining order of frequency,
progressing from the stable to the less stable core. The chapter continues
with a comparison of the CCL with the GSL, AWL, and Dolch-Fry lists, whereupon
the author makes a set of observations regarding the frequency of words
contained in the lists, their stability and representativeness over time. His
observations allow for certain novel extrapolations affecting ELT and SLA
practices (e.g. the overall frequency of the majority of AWL words across both
the COCA and the BNC). The author also mentions several new (i.e.
contemporary) words that have surfaced following his analysis. The chapter
concludes with a set of suggestions regarding vocabulary instruction. The
Vocabulary Project section urges the reader to select, “download and learn to
use three freeware programs from the internet”: the Range program with GSL/AWL
lists, Range with BNC lists, and the KfNgram program (p. 62). 

Chapter 4 (“Register-specific vocabulary”) focuses on the role of register in
the process of selecting the vocabulary appropriate to specific learner needs.
He presents a comprehensive account of major different types of register of
written English, categorized according to the type of writing (i.e. Narrative
and Expository). Within these broad categories, he positions the different
types of text (or writing) that can be encountered (e.g. fiction, magazine
articles, etc.). Also, each text type is followed by the type of information
or the (sub)genres it contains (e.g. Roman fiction, World/Local issues, and so
on).

The author then  implements his claims on register practically, using a case
study “involving books from four different reading registers in academic
English: fiction, American history, mathematics, and life science” (p. 71) and
using the Range program with his CCL “as the high frequency base lists in the
program” (p. 72). The results reveal that register determines the part of the
vocabulary that can be found within a register (i.e. Life Sciences), as well
as across text types (i.e. Expository texts); the results also reveal the ways
this vocabulary is used and the meanings it acquires (e.g. Fiction versus
Mathematics). The Vocabulary Project section invites the reader to “run the
electronic texts [they] have chosen ... using the output to create a
vocabulary inventory for curricular decision making and vocabulary
instruction” (p. 83). The author suggests different inventory forms of the
output data (i.e. frequency or range data, alphabetical lists, or his own
CCL).

The aim of the 5th chapter (“The tasks of vocabulary learning”) is to prepare
the language professional to take their learners from “what they need to know
to where they need to go” (p. 84). The author starts off by examining the
various relationships between labels and concepts and then discusses the
difficulties faced by learners in attempting to make the right connections
between (known/unknown) written and their equivalent spoken forms. He also
addresses the importance of literacy development from an academic perspective
and stresses its significance with regard to academic success, subsequent
economic opportunity, and potential societal well-being (p. 90). The author is
also concerned with the debate aboutincidental vs. planned vocabulary
acquisition, and suggests a combined approach of conscious attention and
“formal vocabulary instruction (strategy training, awareness raising, etc.) on
the one hand and “reading as the major source for vocabulary input in academic
and other advanced language contexts” on the other (p. 93). The author also
provides us with five context suggestions for “potential word learning” (pp.
96-97). The Vocabulary Project section concludes this chapter by encouraging
the reader to “familiarize [themselves] with online resources that can be used
... to teach and learn the key words ... discovered through the inventory
process” and browse the internet for relevant programs; the author makes his
own suggestions (e.g. Quizlet, Word and Phrase, Compleat, Lexical Tutor,
AntLab Tools) (p. 107).

Chapter 6 (“Building vocabulary knowledge”) provides a step-by-step path
through the decisions that precede the design of a curriculum centered around
vocabulary. This path starts, according to the author, from “what learners
know”, leads to “where they need to go” (p. 108), and is determined by what
teachers need to do and what “their learners can and should do for themselves”
(p. 146). The chapter is structured according to two sections: the first
section outlines the decisions that need to be made so as to determine the
specific vocabulary and organize its presentation to ELLs, whereas the
following section discusses how to actually teach the selected vocabulary and
what strategies can be made familiar to learners. As for curriculum decisions,
the author: discusses how to actually identify the vocabulary items that are
important and need to be taught; the ways to group and present this vocabulary
according to learner needs; the integration of all skills; how teachers can
select reading material for mixed-level classes. He also provides a set of
criteria according to which reading materials may be leveled. 

The second section “highlights six key areas of direct vocabulary instruction
(DVI), what they entail as well as ideas on how these may be implemented,
recognizing, nonetheless, that direct approaches are “essential but
insufficient ... to building vocabulary knowledge” (p. 118). Gardner refers to
the conceptualization of the words, as well as to form and meaning practice
through flashcards and concordancing programs. The ways in which teachers as
well as learners may implement and benefit from certain learning and meaning
discovery strategies are subsequently analyzed, as are a set of questions
contributing to strategy training. Those strategies entail context-based
strategies, dictionary definition training, morphological awareness-raising,
and  and  benefits. In the Vocabulary Project section the reader is encouraged
to “create some learning materials that meet immediate learner needs ...” (p.
147).

The book also includes an annotated bibliography for further reading. The list
consists of important, oft-cited publications in the fields of
psycholinguistics, lexical studies and teaching, as well as two books on
vocabulary and computer technology. Each reference is followed by a brief
description of the qualities and main contributions of each book.

EVALUATION

This book is recommended for postgraduate students who are interested in
vocabulary/lexical studies and pedagogical matters, such as curriculum and
material design. Those who research the field of corpus linguistics might
discover stimulating ideas for potential studies on lexical frequencies,
comparative examinations within and across corpora and frequency lists, as
well as ways to actually implement these in real-life settings. The language
professional may benefit as much from the theoretical clarifications on
certain challenging issues as from ideas for material design generated through
the tasks and the Vocabulary Project section. Some previous knowledge is,
however, necessary, particularly on topics such as the corpora discussed
(size, language variety) the frequency lists implemented (date of publication,
data upon which it is based, information it includes), and some terminology
(e.g. lexical density). One needs to be at least moderately familiar with (or,
at least, able to use) online programs and resources (such as scanners) in
order to be able to fully benefit from all the suggestions in this book.

Nation (2006), Nation and Warring (2004), and Schmitt (2008), among others,
have also treated the demanding task of matching vocabulary frequency counts
with learner needs, as well as the implications of those findings for language
teaching. Being concerned with issues related to vocabulary teaching (i.e.
what vocabulary to teach, how many words, how to select them, and how to
present them), this book belongs to the  strand of research that seeks to
examine how this task may best be accomplished. To this end, Gardner
contributes his CCL as well as multiple suggestions for practical applications
(e.g. through his Vocabulary Project) and references to previous research.

Gardner clearly articulates his goals. In the Introduction section, he notes
that his is an “interactive book, designed to build knowledge through examples
and experiences” and also “through references to important current research on
the topics addressed” (p. 1); he remains consistent throughout. From matching
exercises on vocabulary terminology (in Chapter 2), to an active exploration
of collocates in the COCA, the reader encounters several tasks that urge them
to reflect on problems and be actively involved in answering questions. Also,
the Vocabulary Project component offers ample opportunity for direct
involvement, as it effectively brings together the theoretical information
ineach chapter and the reader’s/language professional’s experiences in the
classroom. 

The author “synthesize[s] and paraphrase[s]” theory in order for it to be
easily implemented by pedagogists (p. 2). An example can be found in Chapter
6, where the reader encounters a synthesis of postulations on Direct
Vocabulary Instruction (DVI) from different sources, integrated into one
succinct section that is easy to peruse and also convenient to selectively
implement. Gardner does not overload the reader “with heavy statistics or
unnecessary jargon” (p. 2). None of his chapters is “riddled with” tables,
cumbersome analyses, or redundant terminology: he includes what is needed for
his argumentation (in the form of concise tables and appendices) providing,
however, references to different sources.  His goal to make the language
professional aware of their learners’ needs is accomplished through clearly
introducing a real-life/practical problem at the beginning of each chapter
(e.g. ‘How do we determine what words our learners need to know?’).

The Common Core List (CCL) is a valuable contribution as the reader has the
chance to observe how frequencies in existing lists (GSL, AWL, Dolch-Fry) have
changed (or, respectively, remained stable) through the years. In including
the most shared words of the COCA and BNC, this list constitutes a
contemporary re-examination of English vocabulary with regard to frequency and
vocabulary “coreness”. However, the researcher and/or pedagogist could
potentially benefit from information on idiomatic and set expressions (and how
these behave with regard to frequency) in the CCL, as well as gain valuable
insights from the inclusion of “the underlying meaning of ... word[s],
variations of meaning and collocation and the relative frequency of these
meanings and uses”, register restrictions, and so on (Nation and Warring,
2004, pp. 18-19). Information such as this could enhance certain aspects of
the otherwise fastidious and in-depth analyses that led to the CCL,
particularly since the CCL uses pedagogically-inspired/oriented frequency
lists, and pedagogical implications are a central axis in this book.

By implementing frequency lists that include a range of registers (academic,
children’s books, etc.) and span a considerable length of time (e.g. the Dolch
list was compiled in 1936), the author brings into focus the need for updating
frequency data while, simultaneously, highlighting  the stability of certain
words through time. From a pedagogical perspective, the potential
implementations of frequency list data such as that of the CCL are limitless,
and the ample online resources included in various parts of this book greatly
contribute to this end (e.g. Quizlet, Compleat Lexical Tutor). From a
theoretical perspective, the CCL becomes a paradigm for frequency lists that
go beyond the counts of one (or two) corpora and show the multiple insights
that may be gained through knowledgeable combinations. Also, the stable Core
proposed partially redirects our attention from strict frequency count
analyses to a broader discussion of how to establish/discern what is core and
what is not, and what implications this has for English language teaching.

REFERENCES

Nation, I.S.P. 2006. How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and
listening? Canadian Modern Language Review 63(1). 59-82.

Nation, Paul and Waring, Robert. 2004. Vocabulary size, text coverage and word
lists. In Norbert Schmitt and Michael McCarthy (eds.), “Vocabulary:
Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy”. 6-19. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. 

Schmitt, Norbert. 2008. “Vocabulary in language teaching”. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Filio Chasioti holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the School
of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and an M.Phil. in
Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Her research
interests include corpus and computational linguistics, vocabulary acquisition
and teaching, and interdisciplinary approaches to second/foreign language
instruction.





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