Teaching Vocabulary and Reading

What is a word? How can we teach words? What should be the relation between language teaching and reading? Recent research has lent new insight into these questions. In TEJL-3, we will try to look with clear eyes at issues of vocabulary and reading. Topics include: learning a word, chunking, vocabulary strategies, learning through experiencing stories, repetition, principles of reading, and extensive reading. Class participants will be encouraged to consider how these issues relate to their classrooms, and to take ideas from this course to their schools.

1. Choose appropriate reading materials for their various groups of students.
2. Create principled intensive reading lessons for teaching reading skills through those readings.
3. Discuss current ideas.

Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language

Alexandra Shaitan

Alexandra Shaitan has a Master’s Degree with a focus on TESOL, from Temple University, Japan Campus, and a PhD (ABD) in Applied Linguistics and Communication from Birkbeck College, University of London. Alexandra has lived and worked in the UK and Japan for the past 20 years, teaching numerous academic courses to ESL learners at different educational institutions including pre-schools, high schools and universities. Her current research interests include bilingualism, language and identity, learner autonomy and task-based language teaching. She recently delivered a workshop on “Language and Identity” at the University of West London, the UK, as an invited speaker. Her calling and passion are sharing her teaching experiences with others.