How do you drill vocab?

[Kate in Arabia]

I'm just trolling for some new ideas. How do you go about helping your kids learn new vocab, specifically if you are teaching a foreign language as a second language (and not as much via immersion)? Flashcards? Matching worksheets? Other ideas?

[regentrude]

When I learned foreign languages, we always had a vocabulary notebook, small format, with two columns for matching foreign and native word. We studied from those, quizzed each other from those, you can cover each of the columns in turn. Worked fine for us - so i am doing teh same thing with my kids.

I find flashcards very cumbersome as soon as the vocabulary words exceed a few dozen.

[Tress]

:bigear:

 

Subscribing, because building vocabulary has been difficult here.

 

I have been using flashcards, because I think that the vocabulary notebook as Regentrude mentions is still a bit too difficult for a 6yo, but it is slow going. I could really use some fun and *effective* ideas.

[Ester Maria]

When I learned foreign languages, we always had a vocabulary notebook, small format, with two columns for matching foreign and native word. We studied from those, quizzed each other from those, you can cover each of the columns in turn. Worked fine for us - so i am doing teh same thing with my kids.

I find flashcards very cumbersome as soon as the vocabulary words exceed a few dozen.

Same here.

 

Except that our English vocabulary notebooks had three columns if I recall well, because of the messed up pronunciation, so we were writing the pronunciation in IPA sometimes in the middle column. :lol: We also quizzed each other that way when we were smaller, and then when we were older, texts and various contextual phrases were used to quiz students on vocabulary.

 

My main advice in this area is READ, and read a lot. Sometimes read checking every word you don't know, sometimes just read trying to figure out the words out of context. If you read a lot, you're bound to learn with time and get accustomed to the expression of the second language.

[Matryoshka]

I agree with read a lot, but that works better with some kids than others. One of my olders picks up vocab much more easily than the other. It's really starting to hamper the second one. And she refuses to look up words she doesn't know. (This is one of the main ways I've increased my vocab in foreign langauges, so it does work, if you actually do it). For German, I've resorted to sometimes sitting with her, having her read aloud and translate or at least paraphrase in English (which I don't necessarily like - I'd rather she just get it from context, but otherwise she'll say she understands when she doesn't) - and then I make her look up the words she doesn't know. I only do this for a couple of selections, not everything she reads in German.

 

For Spanish, which she knows less well and is a steeper climb, I've set up an Anki deck, with audio for pronunciation. This is nice because it remembers which words she knows and which ones she needs more practice on. And you can't lose the cards. :tongue_smilie:

[brasilmom]

we do bilingual teaching in the house. I speak Portuguese all day with my children so all the subjects are learned in both languages. I also include a reading time in Portuguese and soon will start dictation as well. I have not done or seen a notebook as mentioned, so I cannot say anything on that. I think reading is a valuable tool. You not only learn a new word, but learn how it is used. It is much easier, in my opinion to built vocabulary this way, as the meaning of the word becomes clear due to context. If no reading material is readily available, try the internet. There are many books to download for free and even "check out" from the library.

 

Hope this helps. Be well

 

Miriam

[Rosie_0801]

It's a hassle, but we're basically making a dvd dictionary for dd. Perhaps your kids are old enough to make it themselves?

 

Rosie

[In The Great White North]

I wrote the two columns, on regular loose leaf paper so I could fold it up in my pocket and always have it with me. I also learned the words by copying them.

 

Dc don't particularly like that, so they have tons of 3 x 5 cards, some held together with key rings, but really they learn them best when I quiz them on the words incessantly.

[Kate in Arabia]

Thanks for the ideas everyone..

 

My oldest is pretty good at simply reading and picking up vocab from there; but my middle is coming at it differently and with the curriculum he's using there are vocab lists in each lesson. I've tried different things to work on for that, but maybe I'm making it too hard (both for him and myself) and should stick with something like flashcards.

 

Thanks again

[ThelmaLou]

For Wheelock's Latin, I just discovered iPod flash cards. They're fabulous. You could also make your own flash cards (to be used on iPod) for any subject. Here's a tutorial on how to do your own (though I haven't made any myself!)

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/695357/how_to_make_flashcards_for_an_ipod.html?cat=15

 

Here's the Wheelock's flash cards:

http://www.ipodius.bolchazy.com/Software/VocabWheelock.html

 

I'm not high-tech at all, and I managed to get these installed just fine. I also really buck at new technology, but now that my son is on ch. 24 of Wheelocks, those 24 separate index card packets on rings are driving both of us crazy. This is a nice solution for our family.

[rieshy]

Love the ipod idea!

 

Thanks.