Vocabulary Your Students will Vocabulary Your Students will Remember!Remember!

Robin HarveyRobin HarveyNew York UniversityNew York University

Goal:Goal:

Students focus on projects and Students focus on projects and content, on interaction with content, on interaction with other students and the teacher, other students and the teacher, and not on learning vocabulary. and not on learning vocabulary. As in daily conversation, the As in daily conversation, the meaningmeaning of what is said is what of what is said is what is important.is important.

What is Vocabulary?What is Vocabulary?

Roget’s thesaurus: Vocabulary is the Roget’s thesaurus: Vocabulary is the “language of a person or people”“language of a person or people”

Vocabulary must be personal, Vocabulary must be personal, important to studentimportant to student

Vocabulary is not just discrete itemsVocabulary is not just discrete items

TPR & ChantsTPR & ChantsStress Rhythm of languageStress Rhythm of language

• (Carolyn Graham, Jazz Chants)(Carolyn Graham, Jazz Chants)• Emphasize tonesEmphasize tones• Gestures reveal meaningGestures reveal meaning• Action engages bodiesAction engages bodies• Memorization (internalization) of Memorization (internalization) of

basic vocabulary/patternsbasic vocabulary/patterns

A sample project: A sample project: Going to a Chinese restaurantGoing to a Chinese restaurant

去中国餐厅去中国餐厅 Vocabulary objectives:Vocabulary objectives:

• Add and subtractAdd and subtract• Vocabulary of correctionVocabulary of correction• ““How much?”How much?”• Making changeMaking change• Making simple requests, “do you Making simple requests, “do you

have” and “I want”have” and “I want”• Expressing thanksExpressing thanks

The Task -- Part 1The Task -- Part 1How much money? How much money?

Students are given a big pile Students are given a big pile ofof (play) money and (play) money and are asked to respond to the question: are asked to respond to the question:

““你有多少钱你有多少钱 ?”?” (“How much money do you have?”)(“How much money do you have?”)

Students count their money and report back to Students count their money and report back to the group.the group.

The teacher introduces “How much?” “Too The teacher introduces “How much?” “Too expensive!”, mini-dialogue and then offers expensive!”, mini-dialogue and then offers students to buy foods.students to buy foods.

Feifei’s MenuFeifei’s Menu

飞

飞

的

菜

单

Martine’s MenuMartine’s Menu

拧

丽

的

菜

单

Writing PoemsWriting Poems 写诗歌写诗歌 Vocabulary richVocabulary rich Pattern-basedPattern-based Creative, engaging, and Creative, engaging, and

personal (meaningful)personal (meaningful) Four (or five) skills Four (or five) skills

engagedengaged Every level, Every ageEvery level, Every age

Writing Poetry Writing Poetry 写诗歌写诗歌 Read Poem Read Poem 读诗读诗 Introduce Vocabulary Introduce Vocabulary 词汇介绍词汇介绍

• Games & Activities to reinforce/practiceGames & Activities to reinforce/practice Introduce New Structures Introduce New Structures 语法介绍语法介绍 Discuss meaning Discuss meaning 讨论意思和意义讨论意思和意义 Illustrate poem Illustrate poem （画画）（画画）

• shows understanding (shows understanding ( 表示学生能够理解）表示学生能够理解）

春妈妈春妈妈 春，是花的妈妈春，是花的妈妈 红的花，蓝的花红的花，蓝的花 张开小小的嘴巴张开小小的嘴巴 春妈妈春妈妈 用雨点喂她。用雨点喂她。

Writing PoetryWriting Poetry

Write poems based on the Write poems based on the originaloriginal

Group or individual taskGroup or individual task Assessment, shows understandingAssessment, shows understanding Practices using new vocabularyPractices using new vocabulary Communicative taskCommunicative task

Final Project

夏爸爸夏爸爸夏，是棒球的爸爸夏，是棒球的爸爸Yankees Yankees 很棒，红娃子很臭。很棒，红娃子很臭。夏爸爸夏爸爸我最喜欢棒球！我最喜欢棒球！

冬奶奶冬奶奶 冬，是雪人的奶奶冬，是雪人的奶奶 大的雪人，小的雪人大的雪人，小的雪人 张开小小的嘴巴张开小小的嘴巴 冬奶奶冬奶奶 用热巧克力喂她。用热巧克力喂她。

Telling Stories andTelling Stories andWriting PlaysWriting Plays

Students write a playStudents write a play

Students illustrate and write Students illustrate and write individual “entry” for storyindividual “entry” for story

Teacher consolidates and Teacher consolidates and PrintsPrints

Final product becomes Final product becomes reference reference

Beijing OlympicsBeijing Olympics 北京奥运会北京奥运会 Current Events, Culture, Meaningful Current Events, Culture, Meaningful

LanguageLanguage Establish Rubric for All ProjectsEstablish Rubric for All Projects Answer “Five Important Questions”Answer “Five Important Questions” Students work individually (essays) and in Students work individually (essays) and in

groups (powerpoint projects and groups (powerpoint projects and presentations)presentations)

Each student or group creates a dictionary Each student or group creates a dictionary of terms and expressions used in their of terms and expressions used in their project, share with their classmates to project, share with their classmates to create a reference book.create a reference book.

Olympic Athletes Olympic Athletes 奥运选手奥运选手

Olympic Athlete IntroOlympic Athlete Intro

Guidelines for Report on Olympics

Your final report must include the following:

Report in form of Powerpoint Presentation to class ：Use five questions ( 五个重要问题 ) as guidelines, answer at

least 3-420-30 sentences minimum ( 至少二十到三十个句子 )Include pictures/images

Glossary Vocabulary List ( 单字 )

Characters ( 汉字 ) &Pinyin ( 拼音 )Definition ( 定义 ) in English

New sentence patterns （语法结构）Bibliography (websites used, references)

Oral Presentation & Written Presentation will be weighted equally for your grade. (Rubric based on these expectations.)

Olympic Torch RouteOlympic Torch Route

Olympic TorchOlympic Torch

Olympic AthletesOlympic Athletes

福娃福娃

中国爱福娃。中国爱福娃。 中国的福娃热。中国的福娃热。

这是福娃笔

这是福娃花园这是福娃花园

What the names mean What the names mean （（ part 1part 1 ））

贝贝贝贝 和和 晶晶代表晶晶代表 BeijingBeijing 。。

欢欢欢欢 和和 迎迎迎迎 代表代表 WelcomesWelcomes 。。

妮妮妮妮 代表代表 YouYou 。。

What the names What the names meanmean （（ part2part2 ））

贝贝代表鱼。贝贝代表鱼。 晶晶代表熊猫。晶晶代表熊猫。 欢欢代表火的奥林匹欢欢代表火的奥林匹

克比赛。克比赛。 迎迎代表西藏的羚羊。迎迎代表西藏的羚羊。 妮妮代表燕。妮妮代表燕。

Vocabulary ListVocabulary List 符号符号 -fúhào-fúhào 情－情－ qingqing 热热 - rè- rè 飞机飞机 --fēijīfēijī 钥链钥链 --yàoliànyàoliàn 花园花园 --huāyuánhuāyuán 鞋鞋 - xié- xié 代表－代表－ daibiao daibiao 鱼鱼 -yú-yú 熊猫熊猫 - xióngmāo- xióngmāo 羚羊的西藏羚羊的西藏 xīzàngde yànxīzàngde yàn

My students’ reaction My students’ reaction to these projectsto these projects

Very enthusiastic, motivatedVery enthusiastic, motivated Learned and used “Real life” language and Learned and used “Real life” language and

communication skillscommunication skills Took responsibility for their own Took responsibility for their own

vocabulary and learningvocabulary and learning Can be tailored to students of many age Can be tailored to students of many age

groups and levels:groups and levels:

To be Remembered, To be Remembered, Vocabulary must be:Vocabulary must be:

MeaningfulMeaningful

PersonalPersonal

UsefulUseful

Project for Developing Chinese Project for Developing Chinese Language Teachers (DCLT)Language Teachers (DCLT)

Project DCLT

New York University

Frank Lixing Tang, Director

Frank.tang@nyu.edu

Robin Harvey, Coordinator

Robin.harvey@nyu.edu

(212)992-9367