ELL ELL Vocabulary Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'word wall' and how does it benefit ELL learners?
- A decoration with student artwork
- A displayed collection of key vocabulary words that serves as a reference tool (Correct answer)
- A list of words students are not allowed to use
- A punishment strategy
Correct answer: A displayed collection of key vocabulary words that serves as a reference tool
A word wall displays high-frequency or content-specific vocabulary prominently in the classroom, giving ELLs a constant visual reference to support reading, writing, and discussion.
Question 2: Which morphological strategy helps ELL students expand vocabulary by teaching the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes?
- Memorizing word lists
- Affix instruction (teaching prefixes/suffixes) (Correct answer)
- Silent sustained reading
- Choral repetition
Correct answer: Affix instruction (teaching prefixes/suffixes)
Teaching prefixes, suffixes, and root words allows ELLs to decode and infer the meanings of unfamiliar words by analyzing their component parts.
Question 3: What is a 'vocabulary notebook' or 'personal dictionary' used by ELL students?
- A book where students copy grammar rules
- A student-maintained record of new words with definitions, examples, and illustrations (Correct answer)
- A teacher's assessment tool
- A list of forbidden words
Correct answer: A student-maintained record of new words with definitions, examples, and illustrations
A vocabulary notebook allows ELL students to record new words with personalized definitions, sentences, and drawings, promoting ownership and deeper processing of new vocabulary.
Question 4: Which approach to vocabulary instruction aligns best with the principle of 'comprehensible input' for ELLs?
- Presenting vocabulary in isolation without context
- Using visuals, realia, and demonstrations to make word meaning clear (Correct answer)
- Requiring students to look up all words in a dictionary
- Teaching only Tier 3 domain-specific words
Correct answer: Using visuals, realia, and demonstrations to make word meaning clear
Using visuals, gestures, realia, and demonstrations makes vocabulary input comprehensible for ELLs by providing non-linguistic support that clarifies meaning in context.
Question 5: What is the importance of teaching collocations (common word partnerships) to ELL students?
- Collocations are only relevant to poetry
- They help ELLs use words naturally and fluently in authentic contexts (Correct answer)
- They are only useful for advanced ELLs
- Collocations should be avoided in academic writing
Correct answer: They help ELLs use words naturally and fluently in authentic contexts
Teaching collocations (e.g., 'make a decision,' 'heavy rain') helps ELLs use vocabulary in natural, idiomatic combinations, making their language more fluent and contextually appropriate.
Question 6: Which technique involves students discussing the meaning of a word in pairs or small groups before the teacher provides a formal definition?
- Direct instruction
- Vocabulary self-collection strategy
- Think-pair-share vocabulary protocol (Correct answer)
- Round-robin reading
Correct answer: Think-pair-share vocabulary protocol
Think-pair-share vocabulary protocols activate prior knowledge by having students discuss word meanings with peers first, building on existing knowledge before formal instruction.
ELL ELL Vocabulary Development 2
What is a 'word wall' and how does it benefit ELL learners?