In my ESL lessons, I teach vocabulary in a roundly. What I mean is, my students get the chance to learn both the meaning of the new vocabulary and how to use it.

You might say to me, "Sure Les, teaching the meaning of vocabulary is easy." I'd have to say yes.

But teaching students so that they can also use the words is another kettle of fish. I like to use one of five techniques:

1. one to one correspondence if you teach a class of students who all speak the same language (fast)

2. teach the definitions of the vocabulary for deeper acquisition (students must think in target language(L2) and construct meaning)

3. teach the meaning using pictures

4. teach the meaning using the words in several contexts that leads to construction of the proper meaning (this is a great way!!)

Then it is up to the teacher and student to review the new vocabulary. Students can do this quickly and effectively on their own with flashcards. Cloze exercises also form a good review. And (more difficult for teacher) conversation, where students have the opportunity (constructed by teach in conversation) to use the new vocabulary. This last technique is difficult since conversation is such an open-ended creature.

How to use vocabulary sounds hard to teach in an ESL lesson, but in fact it is not. Simply use the new vocabulary in several sample sentences. I suggest about five for a good base. This will help them to create the meaning of the new word for themselves.

Then ask the students to tell a story about something where they might be able to use the word/s. If they do not use the words, re-tell the story with the target language used. Then have them try again.

I addition, construct stories for a fuller creation of context for the vocabulary. Stories which are recorded are great for the students. They can practice listen and repeat and simultaneous listen and repeat (also called shadowing). If they have several such stories they can get lots of practice, and learn other grammar peripherally.

I recommend making stories that are about 5 to 8 sentences in length and a recorded time from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. That makes it easier and more likely for students to do the shadowing exercises. They may even memorize the stories, and this is good.

You can then take the vocabulary and other expressions out of the story and have students make their own similar but different stories orally in class, or written for homework.

Try teaching the meaning of the phrasal verbs used in the story I have on this page: http://www.english-listening-world.com/esl-lessons.html (contains original of this article) in your classes.

Les Perras, owner of English Language Franchise in Ikoma, Japan, and author of the website English Listening World at http://www.english-listening-world.com/.