Bridging ESP teachers and content area teachers in technical vocabulary instruction. Determining the roles of English for specific purposes teachers (ESPTs) in technical vocabulary teaching. To provide the role of partners (students, course designers, departments and institute administration) in technical vocabulary instruction.
Vocabulary definition
Types of vocabulary
The second type of vocabulary is academic vocabulary, which is common to a wide range of academic fields (Nation, 2001). Technical vocabulary has been surprisingly neglected in vocabulary studies compared to the previous two types. The fourth type of vocabulary is the low-frequency vocabulary, which covers all the remaining words of English.
Importance of vocabulary
As mentioned at the beginning of this book, this work deals mainly with English technical vocabulary. These topics will provide a solid foundation before we move to discuss ETV items instruction and pedagogy in the following chapters. The often mentioned 'neglect of technical vocabulary' involves both the vocabulary with purely technical meaning, for example.
Defining technical vocabulary
However, in some textual studies where the occurrence of the technical word is primary, it was found preferable to define ETV according to its frequency and range (Becka, 1972, as cited in Sutarsyah et al., 1994). One of the main differences between this definition and the classical one is that words in the latter can be identified by a computer, while the former requires a panel of experts. Although this book advocates the blended definition, which is a holistic approach that includes the other two definitions, I have to emphasize that what matters more in this work is the way teachers teach ETV subjects , rather than how they define it.
Identifying technical vocabulary
Chung and Nation (2004) continue to emphasize that ETV items can be identified as:. II) occurring in a specialist domain; and (III) part of a system of subject knowledge. In his automated term collection study, Yang (1986) claims that ETV items can be both single-word, such as software, terminal, etc. ETV items in any ESP context reach the classroom from different sources (eg subject area syllabus, specialized dictionaries etc.) and it can sometimes be difficult to determine exactly how they have been identified.
Degree of technicality
First category: The form of the word is entirely technical and rarely, if ever, appears outside a particular field of study, and ETV here has only a technical meaning. Examples are ETV, such as anode, galvanometer in electronics. ii) Second category: the ETV form is used both within and outside a particular field of knowledge with a different meaning. Words in the third and fourth categories are less technical because neither the form nor the meaning of these words are unique to a particular field of knowledge (Nation, 2003).
The role of ESP teachers in teaching technical
Regarding the role of ESPT in teaching ETV subjects, Fraser (2005) argues that an ESPT should not only know the different categories of lexicon, such as technical and non-technical, but also the types of ETV. This requirement is, in my opinion, entirely legitimate, as it expects an ESPT to deal with linguistic knowledge in a specialized context. In addition to this, Nation (1990) and Chung and Nation (2003) emphasize that despite the limitations ESPTs face in teaching ETV, they should be prepared to help students gain the more general skills to recognize ETV objects, interpret definitions, relate meaning. for core meanings and learning ETV parts of speech.
Challenges ESP teachers face in teaching technical
ESPTs spoke of the early years in their careers as the most difficult period they faced when teaching ETV items. The lack of opportunity for using their preferred vocabulary teaching strategies (henceforth, VTS) and lack of Vocabulary Lever Vehicles (henceforth, VDV)[2] to explain the meaning of ETV items. They added that they usually teach ETV items without knowing whether or not they come up in the subject classes.
Collaboration between ESPTs and CATs
Cooperation implies mutual interest on the part of both parties for the sake of the students. Apart from the challenges that ESPTs and CATs may face in teaching ETV subjects, we must emphasize that each party must deal with the ETV subjects from a specific angle. Inman (1987) claims that there appear to be three strategies that bridge ESPTs' ignorance of the subject.
The role of the language and subject syllabus
However, two issues seem to be important in the design of the language and subject curriculum, namely how ETV subjects were selected on the one hand, and what order should be followed in the introduction on the other hand. Surprisingly, many studies concluded that ESPTs and CATs are not informed about how the ETV items were selected or advised about the order of their delivery. This chapter completes the second part of the story by focusing on how teachers should teach ETV subjects.
Technical Vocabulary Learning Strategies vs
The previous chapter discussed the task of teaching ETV items and whether this is the job of ESPTs, CATs or both and addressed the role of other parties in any ESP context in relation to the teaching of ETV items. The same can be used by the teacher to solve problems in language teaching (in this book, vocabulary form and teaching meaning) and language use (in this book, vocabulary use); therefore I refer to them as such. This book will also use the words "strategy". 2003), VTS lists tend to emerge from the heads of experienced teachers rather than actual studies of what teachers do in the classroom.
Technical Vocabulary Teaching Strategies vs
lists of VTS tend to come out of the heads of experienced teachers rather than from actual studies of what teachers do in the classroom. The importance of VTS has been emphasized by several authors (Rivers, 1983; Weinstein and Mayer, 1986; Gardener and MacIntyre, 1992), who encouraged researchers to introduce different VTS taxonomies.
What to teach in a technical word?
In Table 2, Nation and Gu (2007) give a practical example of what is involved in the recognition of the ETV element transformer, which occurs within a unit in electricity generation. Meaning Form and meaning The separate parts of speech (trans and form and –er) are related to the meaning of the word. Associations There are different types of transformers – step-up and step-down – and they are part of a generating system.
While form, meaning, and usage are three important aspects involved in knowing and teaching a word, the form-meaning relationship has generated most of the discussion in the field. They also opened the door to the question of whether form should be taught before meaning or vice versa (Gairns and Redman, 1986). Finally, they led one to wonder which aspect is more challenging for the teacher to present, form or give meaning to (Özturk, 2006).
For example, in his study of L2 Spanish learners, Bracroft (2003) suggests that form and meaning be taught separately, as our mental capacities are limited and cannot deal with both aspects simultaneously. In contrast, Hedgcock and Ferris (2009) argue that knowing the meaning of a word is essential, developing a connection. In short, we can say that the existence of meaning without form makes it impossible to recognize and create a lexical unit.
Similarly, the presence of the word form without meaning will render the expression of no communicative use.
Types of technical vocabulary teaching strategies
Use translation into L1 of examples of word use, or of the context in which the word occurs. Folse (2004) claims that translation gives students immediate information about the essential meaning of the word in L, however argues that the use of translation encourages. Nation (1982) argues that many students will learn vocabulary faster if they are given the meaning of the word in L1 through translation.
The real problem is when students use the equivalent translation of the ETV items in their L1; Not Knowing. Example strategy is one of the traditional strategies that support other non-visual techniques such as definitions, synonyms and antonyms. Gairns and Redman (1986) believe that teaching vocabulary using these strategies would facilitate the meaning of the words.
Gairns and Redman (1986) showed that bringing real objects into the classroom improves the teaching and learning of word meanings. The abstractness of ETV was clear to the researcher due to the large number of ETV subjects presented and reviewed in electrical, electronic, mechanical and economic textbooks at YIC. Other important issues in the part-of-speech strategy include deciding which parts of speech to teach; multiple prefixes (ie
For example, you practice different things, such as spelling, and it is one of the few games that can be played without knowing the meaning of the ETV subject. Therefore, ESPTs and/or CATs can train students to spot and utilize these in-text definitions to find the meaning of the unfamiliar ETV items. The issue of the number of sessions required before the word is learned is also important.
![Table 3 contains a list of VTS that I found in my study of YIC, Saudi Arabia [3] .](https://thumb-ap.123doks.com/thumbv2/azpdfco/10367912.0/66.892.123.804.398.935/table-contains-list-vts-study-yic-saudi-arabia.webp)
Alternative and joint strategies
Flash cards can be used in teaching ETV subjects as effectively as in general English courses. It means presenting the meaning, form and use of new ETV subjects and practicing the ones already learned. As discussed in section (3.2), ESPTs are not required to participate in actual in-depth teaching of VET subjects.
Like ESPTs, CATs are argued to teach general language aspects of the ETV subjects which do not interfere with their jobs as subject specialists. For example, CATs could use repetition strategy to. get the student to master the pronunciation of the ETV subjects. Instead, it is the relevance of these words to the actual needs of the students and the suitability of these ETV articles to the context in which they are introduced.
I can confidently argue that holding formal meetings on teaching ETV items between ESPTs and CATs among the . I have always been against the use of international courses designed apart from the context in which ETV items are taught. One of the misconceptions in teaching ETV items is that recording a large number of words is the best way to learn optimal vocabulary.
The next section will provide some suggestions and ideas for future consideration in the area of ETV articles. Definitions Providing and explaining the meaning and/or use of VET items when the teacher presents them. Introducing new or already learned ETV items through the use of one of various technological devices or tools.
