LEGENDARY Teacher's Guide - Book - Page 10
Like Hatch and Brown, Nation (1990) recommends teaching and learning vocabulary strategies for young
pupils that involve demonstrating lexical items through pictures and verbal explanations. Specifically, he
praises word cards as an “excellent way of quickly increasing vocabulary.” (Laufer, Meara, and Nation 2005).
Early learners respond well to the picture learning method, in which new words are presented with a
corresponding image (Tonzar, Lotto & Job 2009). Legendary includes numerous flashcards to illustrate the
meanings of new words. Each is presented with a verbal and written cue.
Vocabulary needs to be encountered and re-entered abundantly through various sources and modes. Each
additional encounter with a word creates new understandings, enhancing knowledge to encourage higher
levels of understanding and encouraging retention (Schmitt 2017; Schmitt, Cobb, Horst, & Schmitt 2017;
Waring and Takaki 2003; Laufer, Meara, and Nation 2005). Through each activity in Legendary, words from
the Foundation Band I Core I word list are strategically recycled in different modes: flashcards, songs and
chants, communicative games, listening activities, reading texts, and stories.
Additionally, young learners benefit from the introduction of cognate words, or words that have a similar
meaning and form in L1 (Tonzar, Lotto & Job 2009). Presenting these familiar words in Legendary helps
pupils feel more comfortable and confident in the language, as they can more quickly acquire the L2 words.
The lexical items, including L1 cognates taught in Legendary, are carefully chosen to involve familiar topics
for young learners, and frequently used English words. Teachers should take care to point out cognates to
pupils where relevant.
Vocabulary learning and the acquisition of lexical chunks is a continual process. The dynamic process
presentation of vocabulary, combined with re-entry and the mental activation of the pupils through
experiential activities, results in long term language development. This prepares pupils for beginning
reading, which then creates a stronger visual association with the vocabulary based on the form and shape
of the written word.
The vocabulary presented in Legendary is displayed in the glossary in the back of the pupils’ Course Book.
Teachers are advised to formally introduce the glossary, and to guide pupils on its proper use.
a. How to Introduce Vocabulary
Vocabulary should be introduced through pictures, flashcards, gestures, actual objects, and/or
through the context of reading texts. Pupils should repeat chorally after a new lexical item is
introduced while looking at the flashcard picture or representation in order to establish visual
association with the phonetic form. When appropriate, include any gestures that may help illustrate
the word. Say the word clearly and allow pupils to repeat it several times (loudly, softly, with
gestures).
b. How to Review Vocabulary
The activities in Legendary are of a “spiraled curriculum” nature, meaning the vocabulary and
language skills are re-entered to deepen the pupil’s knowledge of the language from part to part and
from unit to unit. Vocabulary is reviewed and re-entered abundantly through different sources and
activities in the Course Book and in the Stories & More book: flashcards, movement, songs and
chants, communicative games, stories and storybook illustrations.
The teacher should take every opportunity to maximize review of vocabulary in the myriad of
material provided. Specific suggestions for doing so are included in the detailed instructions of the
Teacher’s Guide. Within the program, every part of every unit includes opportunities for review.
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