Getting the Word Out: Large-Scale Implementations

of Vocabulary Research

Invited Colloquium

AAAL Conference - April 2007

Tom Cobb & Marlise Horst

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Getting the Word Out

T: Is went a present tense verb or a past tense verb?

S: Go

T: Go. Okay. Went is the past of go. So can you repeat the negative?

S: They did not go to the concert.

T: Good for you, they did not go to the concert

S: My throat isn’t sore.T: Yes, isn’t – is not. And?S: Is my throat uh, sore?T: Yes, when we say my throat is

sore – what gesture could we do, to show what that means? … Anybody know what that is? A sore throat? ... Yeah – this is your throat. It’s your neck, but inside it’s your throat. Eh, when you have a cold, when you don’t feel good, often you have a sore throat. Okay?

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Getting the Word Out

• In 15 - 16 hours (35,000 words) of ESL teacher talk (primary francophone learners in Quebec, intensive program)• 7600 words (21%) consisted of ‘focus on language’ • 182 words or structures were targeted• Of these, 139 (76%) focused on vocabulary

When comprehensible input isn't comprehensive input

Laura Collins, Joanna White, Walcir Cardoso, Marlise Horst, & Pavel Trofimovich

Monday, April 23

9:25 Emerald III

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Getting the Word Out

Themes Primacy of vocabulary knowledge Usefulness of corpus/frequency approach Potential for direct applications of research

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Getting the Word Out

Topics Materials /Curriculum design Technology assisted vocabulary learning Computer games Testing

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Getting the Word Out

• Respondent: Keith Folse• Presenters:

• Brent Culligan & Charles Browne• Tom Cobb

• Diane Schmitt & Norbert Schmitt• Steve Neufeld & Ali Billuroglu• Arthur McNeill

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Getting the Word Out

“Significant-scale, principled implementations of the extensive vocabulary research of recent years appear to be rather rare. However, there are a growing number of exceptions to this. The colloquium brings together major research-informed undertakings in the areas of assessment, textbook development, curriculum reform and new technologies.”

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Getting the Word Out

“Extensive vocabulary research of recent years….”

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Getting the Word Out

“Significant-scale, principled implementations of the extensive vocabulary research of recent years appear to be rather rare. However, there are a growing number of exceptions to this….”

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Getting the Word Out

“Significant-scale, principled implementations of the extensive vocabulary research of recent years appear to be rather rare. However, there are a growing number of exceptions to this. The colloquium brings together major research-informed undertakings in the areas of assessment, textbook development, curriculum reform and new technologies.”

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Getting the Word OutS: My throat isn’t sore.T: Yes, isn’t – is not. And?S: Is my throat uh, sore?T: Yes, when we say my throat

is sore – what gesture could we do, to show what that means? … Anybody know what that is? A sore throat? ... Yeah – this is your throat. It’s your neck, but inside it’s your throat. Eh, when you have a cold, when you don’t feel good, often you have a sore throat. Okay?

T: Is went a present tense verb or a past tense verb?

S: Go

T: Go. Okay. Went is the past of go. So can you repeat the negative?

S: They did not go to the concert.

T: Good for you, they did not go to the concert.