Second language vocabulary acquisition: Rationale for pedagogy

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Among ordinary language learners, the acquisition of vocabulary has long been felt to be a crucial component of learning a foreign language. Second Language Vocabularly Acquisition has the goal of comparing the effectiveness of the direct learning of vocabulary (through memorization) and the indirect learning of vocabulary (through context); it encourages an appropriate balance between direct and indirect teaching of vocabulary in second language classrooms. The authors of these original articles present theoretical background, empirical research, and case studies focusing on a variety of modes of vocabulary acquisition. There is also an exploration of relevant pedagogical issues, including a description of practical strategies and techniques for teaching vocabulary.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• I Setting the Stage
• 1 Historical Trends in Second Language Vocabulary Instruction
• 2 The Lexical Plight in L2 Reading
• 3 The Role of Orthography in Word Perception and Acquisition
• II Case Studies
• 4 Vocabulary and Comprehension
• 5 Oral Production of Vocabulary
• 6 Reading and Vocabulary Development in a Second Language
• III Empirical Research
• 7 Tracking the Acquisition of L2 Vocabulary
• 8 Rare words, Complex Lexical Units, and the Advanced Learner
• 9 Vocabulary Enhancement Activities and Reading for Meaning in Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition
• IV Pedagogy
• 10 Mnemonic methods in foreign-language vocabulary learning
• 11 Teaching Vocabulary in L2 through Extensive Reading
• 12 Teaching Vocabulary
• 13 Pedagogical implications of the Lexical Approach
• V Summing Up
• 14 L2 Vocabulary Acquisition: A Rationale for Pedagogy by James Coady