THE USE OF A LEXICAL SYLLABUS IN EFL TEACHING TO IMPROVE SECOND LANGUAGE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION

1. INTRODUCTION

More and more researchers have realized the importance of vocabulary acquisition in

second language teaching. Without words a learner can not communicate or read

(McCarthy, 1990). Full comprehension of a text can not take place without

understanding its vocabulary and therefore vocabulary knowledge is one of the best

predictors of reading comprehension (Laufer, 1997; Nation, 1993; Qian, 2002). Some

researchers claim that a vocabulary threshold of 2,000 words is vital in order for

learners to get by (e.g. Meara, 1995 as cited in O'dell, 1997) while others suggest a

minimum of 3,000 word families (5,000 lexical items) for ample comprehension (e.g.

Laufer,1989). If learners are to reach any vocabulary threshold they must be exposed

to the right opportunities and methods.

Second language vocabulary researchers have argued about what would be considered

as the best opportunities for learning vocabulary and how it should be taught. There

are two main approaches to teaching vocabulary: incidental learning often known as

implicit learning, i.e. learning vocabulary as a by-product of any other language

activity and intentional learning often referred to as explicit learning, i.e. deliberate

teaching of vocabulary (Rieder, 2002). A further argument in vocabulary teaching is

whether or not vocabulary should be taught in or out of context. Some have found

that teaching vocabulary in context brings about significant vocabulary gains (e.g.

Day, Omura and Hiramatsu, 1991; Nagy, 1987), while others have found that

decontextualized, explicit learning brings about greater vocabulary gains in a shorter

amount of time, as well as longer word retention (e.g. Qian, 1996; Tozcu and Coady,

2004). There still is not enough conclusive evidence to determine which method is

better. Therefore, this research intends to further explore the explicit-

decontextualized method of teaching vocabulary by examining to what extent a

lexical syllabus influences vocabulary gains in EFL.

A lexical syllabus is one way of combining explicit learning in a decontexualized

form, as well as making lexis a central part of EFL teaching. Furthermore, it provides

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the massive amount of lexis needed in order to reach intended vocabulary thresholds.

A lexical syllabus specifies words, meanings and phrases and becomes a guide for

teachers who are free to choose the order of the items to be learned at each level.

Since vocabulary acquisition is so important for reading comprehension and

communication, research should be done to see if there is a need to incorporate a

lexical syllabus into EFL teaching to enhance vocabulary acquisition. The purpose of

the current research therefore, is to check whether there will be significant gains in

vocabulary acquisition after implementing a lexical syllabus which is a clearly

defined list of lexical items designed for intentional vocabulary learning.

.

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2. A LITERARY REVIEW

The Importance of Vocabulary Acquisition in L2

There are several reasons why vocabulary is regarded as an important component in

EFL teaching. Firstly, without a rich vocabulary no real meaningful communication

can take place (McCarthy, 1990). For example, a grammar mistake within a sentence

is likely to be understood whereas lexical errors can cause total misunderstanding

(Lewis, 1997). Communicative competence relies heavily on vocabulary. Even the

people believe that in order to acquire a language words need to be known and that a

good "stock" of vocabulary is the key to using the language effectively (Dubin and

Olstain, 1986). More attention needs to be paid to lexis in syllabus design as well as

implementing a lexical approach which will improve comprehension and

communication skills (Lewis,1997; Widdowson, 1989).

Secondly, vocabulary knowledge is one of the best predictors of reading

comprehension (Laufer, 1997; Nation, 1993; Qian, 2002). The learner's vocabulary

knowledge is the "single best predictor" of how well a learner can understand text

(Anderson and Freebody, 1981 as cited in Tozcu and Coady, 2004). Even if a learner

has grasped the concept of reading comprehension strategies, full comprehension of a

text can not take place without understanding its vocabulary (Laufer, 1997). The

more vocabulary a learner acquires the easier it will become to guess certain words in

context later (Chall, 1987). First and foremost learners need a core vocabulary to

begin with in order to acquire vocabulary incidentally later (Coady, 1997).

Finally, research has highlighted vocabulary as an indication of how well a learner

can comprehend text as well as communicate (Lewis, 1997; McCarthy, 1990;

Widdowson,1989). It is for these reasons that a lexical syllabus has been

incorporated into EFL teaching for the purpose of this study.

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2.2 Vocabulary Size in L2

When considering what lexis and how much lexis to include in a syllabus an insight

into vocabulary size is necessary. In order to have a minimal understanding of a text

a vocabulary size of 3,000 word families (5,000 lexical items) is needed as the

"turning point" of vocabulary size for reading comprehension (Laufer,1997). In a

study carried out by Laufer (1991) subjects were divided into vocabulary levels of

2,000, 3,000, and 5,000 word families. The higher the learners vocabulary level, the

higher they scored on their reading comprehension tests. The research showed that a

level of 3,000 word families was sufficient to pass a reading comprehension test.

Laufer's studies have consistently shown the 3,000 word family level to be a

minimum for the reading of unsimplified texts for 95 per cent text coverage (Nation,

2001). 95 per cent coverage means that one in every twenty words is unknown.

However, 98 -99 per cent coverage is most desirable which means one in every fifty

to one hundred words is unknown. In order to reach 95 per cent coverage of an

academic text a vocabulary size of around 4,000 word families would be needed made

up of 2,000 high frequency General Service words, 570 general academic words and

1,000 low frequency words (Ibid). Furthermore, "the learner needs to know the 3,000

or so high frequency words of the language which are an immediate high priority and

there is little sense in focusing on other vocabulary until these are well learned,"

(Nation and Waring, 1997 p.11). Once these words have been mastered the teacher

can help learners develop strategies to comprehend and learn low frequency words.

2.3 Different Approaches to Teaching Vocabulary

There are two main approaches to teaching vocabulary: incidental learning often

known as implicit learning and intentional learning often referred to as explicit

learning (Rieder, 2002). Incidental vocabulary acquisition can be defined as a "by

product" of any language learning activity that was not intended for vocabulary

learning, whereas intentional vocabulary learning is defined as "any activity geared at

committing lexical information to memory" (Hulstijn, 2001 p. 271). Incidental

vocabulary learning could therefore be attained by extensive reading, whereas

intentional vocabulary learning could be attained by implementing a lexical syllabus

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which is based on word lists for rote learning or teaching vocabulary through context.

There are those that favor teaching vocabulary in meaningful contexts and claim that

vocabulary is best remembered and assimilated that way ( e.g. Krashen. 1989;

McCarthy,1990). Krashen in particular, believes that vocabulary is best attained

through a large amount of extensive reading. On the other hand, there are those who

claim that incidental vocabulary is not enough for vast vocabulary expansion, and

therefore favor explicit vocabulary teaching. A learner has to be exposed to a

tremendous amount of reading for incidental learning to occur, and relying only on

reading would mean that it would take too long for learners to acquire the lexis

needed to reach higher vocabulary thresholds ( Horst et al., 1998; Laufer,2003).

This could be done by implementing an extensive reading program to encourage

learners to read as much as possible. However, for this to prove effective, students

have to read at least two books a week – a somewhat unrealistic goal given the

amount of classroom time available. Although incidental learning is favored by many

researchers (Huckin and Coady, 1999) because learners are both reading and learning

words at the same time, researchers have not agreed upon how much vocabulary a

learner needs to know before incidental learning can take place.

A second argument in vocabulary teaching is whether or not vocabulary should be

taught in or out of context. Qian (1996) conducted research to test which approach to

vocabulary teaching is more effective in terms of retention of target words. His

results, as well as other research on the same subject, imply that learning words out of

context results in better retention than learning words in context. However, Qian

concludes that both approaches should be integrated in the classroom. Tozcu and

Coady (2004) also conducted research with two groups of students, the treatment

group studied frequent vocabulary explicitly through CALL ( Computer Assisted

Language Learning), whereas the control group studied the same vocabulary

implicitly by reading texts and doing reading comprehension exercises. Both groups

showed gains in vocabulary acquisition. However, the treatment group showed

significantly greater gains. There is no doubt that both methodologies need to

complement each other for best results.

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2.4 Lexical Knowledge

A lexical syllabus must take into account the importance of lexical knowledge which

is not only about understanding the meaning of a word, but includes spelling

pronunciation, the grammar of the word, its root form, derivatives, and morphemes

(Schmitt and Schmitt, 1995). Therefore, when teaching a new lexical item from the

syllabus there are several aspects that need to be emphasized (Laufer, 1997):

1. Form involves knowing both spoken and written form well. This includes

pronunciation and spelling.

2. Syntactic pattern of a word means knowledge of the properties of each part

of speech: verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

3. Meaning is the most important part of word knowledge, and can be divided

into three types: a) referential meaning which is the relationship between the

word and its referent, including different meanings of the word such as

homonymy and polysemy, as well as metaphorical meanings. b) Affective

meaning known as connotations of the word and c) pragmatic meaning which

refers to using the word in the appropriate situation and context. This includes

register and word frequency.

4. Collocation is the way words are typically glued together in language.

5. Register is knowing when the word should be used.

6. Connotation is the ideas and feelings that the word invokes in addition to its

original meaning.

Lexical knowledge is not only about knowing the simple form and meaning of the

word, but also demands the learner to recognize, understand and produce a word

together with scores of other words in different contexts and situations that are

acceptable in the language.

Lexical knowledge can also be defined by what is understood and what is produced

( Laufer, 1998; Nation, 2001). Active knowledge is more difficult to learn and as a

result develops more slowly than passive knowledge. (Nation, 2001). One of the

contributions to the difference is the Second Language school syllabus that does not

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see vocabulary as a first and foremost priority in Israel (Laufer, 1998). The

distinction between types of vocabulary knowledge together with its various word

aspects may shed some light on the difficulties of learning vocabulary in the L2 and

also strengthens the claims made by lexical approach (see p.8) advocates who argue

that more attention needs to be given to vocabulary acquisition and its different

components.

2.5 Types of Lexis

In order to understand the fundamentals of a lexical syllabus it is important to identify

the different terminology given to different types of lexis. Vocabulary was the

traditional word for lists of single words. Lexis, on the other hand, includes not only

single words, but also word combinations that we store as single units in our mental

lexicons (Lewis, 1997). Different commentators have used different terms to describe

similar ideas: 'prefabricated phrases', 'lexical phrases', 'formulaic language', ' frozen

and semi frozen phrases', 'lexical chunks' and 'collocations' (Lewis, 1993; Nattinger

and DeCarrico, 1992; Willis, 1990). In this paper the term lexical chunks will be used

as an umbrella term for all of the above which can be defined as any pair or group of

words commonly found together. For example, by the way, up to now. Collocations

are also lexical chunks, but are more a combination of lexical content words

frequently found together. For example, strong accent. Sentence frames are patterns

of parts of sentences that can be completed with a variety of different items: What a

wonderful/dreary/boring day. We can identify chunks, collocations, and sentence

frames intuitively or today we can use corpora for a more exact reference. Lewis

(1997) differentiates between different types of lexis:

Words (popular, power, teenager)

Polywords (by the way, around the corner, over and over)

Collocations or word partnerships (embarrassing momen/situation/joke)

Institutionalized utterances (I'll get it, just a minute, we'll see, would you

like a cup of tea or coffee, to be honest, let me introduce myself)

Sentence frames and heads (That is not as……as x, The fact/suggestion,

problem/danger was x) Text frames (Firstly, secondly, finally)

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Lewis (ibid) maintains that it is natural to see things whole instead of breaking things

down. Therefore, teaching in chunks or whole units saves time. The lexical syllabus

should aim not only at teaching a large amount of words per year, but also at teaching

lexical chunks, polywords and collocations of the word.

2.6 The Principles of a Lexical Approach and Syllabus

The basic underlying principle of a lexical approach is that an important part of

language acquisition is learning lexis as chunks or as unanalyzed wholes so that these

chunks become the raw data for learners to perceive new patterns of language

traditionally thought of as grammar. The following principles for a lexical approach

have been suggested by Lewis (1993):

1. Lexis is the basis of language.

2. Lexis is misunderstood in language teaching because of the assumption that

grammar is the basis of language and mastery of the grammatical system is a

prerequisite for effective communication.

3. The key principle is that "language consists of grammaticalized lexis, not

lexicalized grammar."

4. The main organizing principle of any meaning-centered syllabus should be

lexis.

The lexical approach provides a basis for a lexical syllabus which puts vocabulary

acquisition in the center. The first to attempt designing a lexical syllabus was Willis

(1990). He based his lexical syllabus on a corpus compiled by the COBUILD project

led by Sinclair, which eventually saw the design of the Collins COBUILD English

language dictionary and the Collins COBUILD English Course. Willis' syllabus is

divided into three levels of proficiency. At each stage 700 new lexical items are

introduced or recycled. Any of the criteria for a lexical syllabus are based on

frequency lists which usually divide into the first 1000 words, the first 2000 words

and the first 3000 words. There is also the UWL (University Word List) and the

Academic Word List compiled by Avril Coxhead (2000). Teachers should be teaching

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the most common words and patterns used in the language, which can be achieved by

researching them before teaching (Willis, 1990).

The way to research and design a lexical syllabus is by corpora which can be defined

as "large collections or databases of language, incorporating stretches of discourse

ranging from a few words to an entire book" (Stubbs, 2000 p.245). Instead of relying

on intuition, teachers and material writers can look at how language is naturally used

in order to make generalizations about its form. Common misconceptions about

words have been made by many teachers and textbooks, and by using corpora such

misconceptions can be avoided by exposing teachers to many examples of how to use

a particular word from the syllabus (Willis, 1990). For example, the word way was

the third most common noun after time and people in the first 700 most frequent

words of the COBUILD Bank of English Corpus. Therefore, Willis included this

word in his lexical syllabus and designed much practice and task based activities for

teachers surrounding the word way.

A lexical approach claims lexis to be the basis of language teaching, as opposed to

grammar, and should therefore be given much more attention by second language

teachers. Consequently, frequency lists, which list the most frequent used lexis in a

language, have become the underlying principle for designing a lexical syllabus.

Additional criteria for designing a lexical syllabus will be discussed later on in the

paper.

In conclusion, vocabulary has been recognized as an important component for

syllabus design because of its contribution to reading comprehension and meaningful

communication. The goal of a lexical syllabus, therefore, is to give vocabulary a

central place in EFL teaching by taking into account vocabulary size, principles of the

lexical approach, the use of corpora and frequency lists as a base, lexical knowledge

and type, and methodologies. In addition, a lexical syllabus aims at providing as much

lexis as possible explicitly to the learner in the shortest amount of time as opposed to

relying only on incidental learning. This study will examine the effects that a lexical

syllabus, which is a clearly defined list of lexical items meant for intentional

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vocabulary learning, has on EFL learners vocabulary acquisition, and check to see if

any significant gains are made.

3. THE STUDY

Research Questions

a) Will there be significant gains in vocabulary acquisition after implementing

the lexical syllabus in 10th and 11th grade?

b) Will there be a correlation between vocabulary gains and students attitudes

and motivation towards studying English?

Research Hypotheses

a) There will be significant gains in vocabulary acquisition after implementing

the lexical syllabus in 10th and 11th grade.

b) There will be a positive correlation between vocabulary gains and student's

attitudes and motivation towards studying English.

A lexical syllabus based on the ideas advocated mainly by Sinclair & Renouf (1988),

Willis, (1990), Nattinger & DeCarrico (1992) and Lewis (1993, 1997) is currently

being implemented as a supplement to the English language syllabus among high

school students of a particular school. The syllabus is made up of the following

criteria:

1. Frequency lists from the first 2000-5000 word families, as well as words from

the Academic Word List.

2. Words that can be distributed over a wide range of texts and register and are

most useful for general purposes (Laufer, 1990)

3. Words that are most likely to appear in already written texts, course books and

literary texts used at school which often include off-list words (above first

5000 word families) needed for higher education.

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4. Social/political words of the specific country. For example, in Israel there are

many words such as: Israel Defense Forces, coalition, occupied territories, etc.

which belong to the Israeli social/political scene which are not likely to be

used in any other country. These "off-list" words have to be taken into

consideration for communicative purposes.

5. Many of the specified words are given with their appropriate collocations and

lexical chunks.

The syllabus is compiled of 1,800 lexical items and divided into three stages: 600

lexical items for the 10th grade based on the first 3000 word families; 600 lexical

items for the 11th grade based on 2000-5000 word families; and 600 lexical items for

the 12th grade based on 2000 – 5000 word families, off-list words and words from the

Academic Word List. Many of the words are recycled at all three stages. Although the

lexical items chosen for each grade are based on frequency lists, many of the items

are off-list words that were found to be appropriate for academic purposes. 600

words per year is based on Laufer's claim (1989,1992, 1997) that by the end of high

school students should reach the 3000-5000 word family vocabulary level. Since the

current lexical syllabus aims for a 6000 word vocabulary level, and learners start

learning English in second grade by the time they reach 12th grade they will have

learned 6000 word families. 600 words a year can be divided into 20 words a week

which allows for the teaching of 5-6 new words per lesson.

The teachers have been instructed to aim at teaching 20 words a week in any order

they see fit. The idea is to cover the syllabus over the school year. The 20 chosen

words are often chosen according to texts or ideas that are going to be taught a few

lessons later. Therefore, the teachers have been instructed to teach the words prior to

seeing any texts which may include them. The words are given in the form of lists

with their L2 meanings or sometimes the students are asked to look them up in the

dictionary for homework. The teachers have been instructed to teach all components

of lexical knowledge: form, syntactic pattern, meaning, collocation, register and

connotation (see p.6). Once they have had their first encounter with the 20 words, the

teachers give vocabulary practice activities such as asking the students to put them

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into meaningful sentences, cloze exercises, crossword puzzles or translation exercises.

Occasionally the word lists are divided up in class and the students teach each other

the words in the form of a jigsaw. The teachers have been told to quiz the students

often so as to cause the students to review and revise the words as often as possible.

Once the lexis has been reviewed the students will encounter it again in the texts that

they will learn a few lessons later.

3.3 The Participants

The sample will include approximately 230 students of two different age groups 10th

and 11th grade students, all of whom are at intermediate-proficiency level, studying in

5 point bagrut FL classes. 160 of those students are from a school that is currently

implementing a lexical syllabus, i.e. the treatment group, and 70 students are from a

school with a similar socio-economic background, situated in the same city, not

implementing a lexical syllabus, i.e. the control group.

3.4 Research Instruments

Two main research instruments will be used. The first is a self report questionnaire

that will give background variables of each learner and test attitudes towards English

language and culture, instrumental motivation, learning and self efficacy (see

Appendix 1)

The second instrument is a vocabulary test based on Paul Nations Vocabulary Levels

Test (see Appendix 2) made up by Schmitt, Schmitt and Clapham (2000). The test

examines both active and passive vocabulary. The first part tests passive vocabulary

and the second is a productive levels test whereby the students are asked to fill in

words and write compositions.

In addition to the two main instruments the teachers (5 from the treatment group and

2 from the control group) will be interviewed. The purpose of these interviews is

mainly to verify what the teachers do in the classroom with vocabulary, i.e. the

treatment group uses the lexical syllabus whereas the control group do not..

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3.5 Procedure

The subjects have been given a vocabulary pre-test and after an interval of 6 months

will be given a vocabulary post- test. The self-report questionnaire is given out prior

to each test, and only after the subjects complete the questionnaire are they able to

begin the test. The subjects are given a limit of 60 minutes to complete the test in

class including the compositions which are written as part of the test. The teachers

will be interviewed after the post tests have been collected.

3.6 Data Analysis

In order to answer the first research question, t-tests for dependent samples will be

used checking the differences between the pre and post test as well as between the

two sets of questionnaires (pre vs. post). The correlation between the pre and post

tests / questionnaires will also be examined using Pearson correlations.

In order to answer the second research question, Pearson correlations as well as Chi-

square correlations will be used to examine the correlations between the tests

(vocabulary gains) and the questionnaire (attitude and motivations).

In addition to the above analysis descriptive statistics will be presented for all the

variables (in the test and the questionnaire).

The compositions will be analyzed according to the Lexical Frequency Profiler in

order to obtain the vocabulary level used in both pre-tests and post-tests. The results

taken from the LFP will be transferred to the SPSS program and descriptive statistics

will be conducted . In addition correlations between the compositions and the rest of

the tests will be analyzed as well as the correlations with the attitudes and

motivations. Data from the interviews is not intended to be analyzed using content

analysis but rather is used to shed light on the findings.

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3.7 Suggested Time Table

Pre tests and self report questionnaires have already been given out to both control

and treatment groups at the beginning of October, 2006. The post tests and a second

self report questionnaire will be given by the end of April, 2007.

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4. REFERENCES

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Chall, J. (1987). Two vocabularies for reading: Recognition and meaning. In M. McKeown & M. Curtis (Eds.), The nature of vocabulary acquisition (pp.7-17). Hillsdale, NJ:Erlbaum.

Coxhead, A. (2000) The Academic Word List. Victoria University, Wellington Australia.

Dekeyser, R. M.. (1998). Beyond focus on form: Cognitive perspectives on learning and practicing second language grammar. In Doughty, C.& Williams, J. (Eds.), Focus on Form in Classroom Second Language Acquisition (pp.42-63). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Dubin, F. and Olshtain, E. (1986). Course Design. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Harwood, N. (2002). Taking a lexical approach to teaching: principles and problems. Retrieved from http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~nharowwd/lexapproach.htm 12 July 2006.

Horst, M., Cobb, T., & Meara, P. (1998). Beyond a clockwork orange: Acquiring second language vocabulary through reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 11(2), 207-223.

Huckin, T., & Coady, J. (1999). Incidental vocabulary acquisition in a second language: A review. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 21, 181-193

Hulstijn, J.H. (2001). Intentional and incidental second language vocabulary learning: a reappraisal of elaboration, rehearsal and automaticity. In Robinson, Peter (ed.). Cognition and second language instruction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 258-287

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Hunston, S. (2002). Corpora in Applied Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Laufer. B., & Nation. P (1995) Vocabulary size and use: Lexical richness in L2 written production. Applied Linguistics, 16(3), 307-322

Lewis, M. (1993). The Lexical Approach. Hove and London, England:Language Teaching Publications.

Lewis, M. (1997). Implementing the lexical approach: Putting theory into practice. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications.

McCarthy, M. (1990). Vocabulary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Nattinger, J, and DeCarrico, J.(1992). Lexical phrases and language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Widdowson, H, G. (2003). Defining issues in English language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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5. APPENDICES

Appendix 1

The Questionnaire

תלמיד/ה יקר/ה, השאלון שלפניך עוסק ברכישת אוצר מילים באנגלית. נודה לך אם תענה/י בכנות על השאלון.

מחקר בלבד ולא יעשה בהם כל שימוש על ידי בית הספר והמורה תשובותיך נועדו לצורכי

לכל שאלה מספר תשובות אפשריות – עליך לסמן את התשובה המתאימה לך.

תודה על שיתוף

הפעולה,

שרון פיירברגר

:____________________שם. 1

:____________________שם בית הספר. 2

:_________________________ כיתה. 3

. אחר:______________ 2. ישראל 1: הארץ בה נולדת. 4

אם לא נולדת בישראל, שנת עלייה:______________

(הקף/י בעיגול כל מה שמתאים) השפה/ות המודברות היום בבית. 5

. אחר:__________________5. אנגלית 4. רוסית 3. ערבית 2. עברית 1

:באיזו שפה את/ה מדבר/ת עם ההורים. 6

. אחר:__________________5. אנגלית 4. רוסית 3. ערבית 2. עברית 1

.לא2.כן 1 בחו"ל? גרתהאם אי פעם. 7

:____________________________________, באיזה ארץ/ותאם כן

:_______________________________________באילו גיל/גילאים

כמה זמן )מספר חודשים/ שנים(:_____________________________

. לא2. כן 1 האם את/ה לוקח/ת שיערים פרטיים באנגלית אחרי הצהרים?.8

_________אם תשובתך כן, לכמה שנים?

אחד מההיגדים הבאים:מידת הסכמתך עם כל נא, דרג/י את

מסכים במידה רבהמאוד

מסכי ם

במידה רבה

מסכי ם

במיד ה

בינונית

לאמסכי

ם

כלל לא

מסכים

19

54321אני אוהב את השפה האנגלית.154321אני אוהב את התרבות שקשורה לשפה האנגלית.254321להורי חשוב מאוד שאלמד אנגלית.354321הורי מאוד מתעניינים בלימודי האנגלית שלי.454321השפה האנגלית היא שימושית מאוד.554321אי אפשר להתקדם בחיים בלי אנגלית.6 אם הייתה לי אפשרות, הייתי מוותר על לימודי.7

54321אנגלית

54321אני מגיע לא מוכן לשיעור אנגלית.8 אני מעדיף שהחומר באנגלית יהווה אתגר.9

54321.למוד דברים חדשיםלעבורי, כדי שאוכל

54321אני אוהב את הצליל של השפה האנגלית.10 אני רוצה להכיר טוב יותר את תרבות של דוברי.11

54321אנגלית

אנגלית היא המפתח להצלחה בעתיד.1254321)בלימודים,בעבודה(

54321אני מקפיד להגיע לכל השיעורים.1354321אני רוצה להמשיך ללמוד אנגלית גם בעתיד.1454321חשוב לי להצליח באנגלית.1554321חשוב לי לדעת אנגלית טוב.1654321אני מרגיש שאני יכול להצליח בלימודי אנגלית.17 אמשיך ללמוד אנגלית גם אם זה יהיה מקצוע.18

54321בחירה

גם אם נושאי הלימוד משעממים ולא מעניינים.1954321אני מצליח ללמוד אותם עד הסוף

54321אני מציב לעצמי מטרות גבוהות באנגלית.20

הציון הנמוך ביותר( בהיגדים הבאים:1 הציון הגבוה ביותר 5)1-5תן/י לעצמך ציון מ

54321היכולת שלי בהבנת הנקרא באנגלית.2154321היכולת שלי בדיבור באנגלית.2254321היכולת שלי בדקדוק אנגלית.2354321היכולת שלי בכתיבה אנגלית.2454321היכולת שלי בהבנת הנשמע באנגלית.25

54321גודל אוצר המילים שלי באנגלית.26 54321אני קורא/ת הרבה באנגלית.27

?בכיתהאוצר מילים זמן ללימוד לאנגליתההמורת/מקדישה תייחסמ. באיזו מידה 28. כלל לא5.במידה מעטה 4.במידה בינונית 3.במידה רבה 2. במידה רבה מאוד 1

?ללימוד מילים מיוחד את/ה מקדיש/ה זמן. באיזו מידה 29. כלל לא5.במידה מעטה 4.במידה בינונית 3.במידה רבה 2. במידה רבה מאוד 1

ושוב תודה!

20

Appendix 2

The Pre-Vocabulary Levels Test

Vocabulary Test

Name:______________ Class:______________ID:________________School_____________

This is a vocabulary test. You must choose the right word to go with each meaning. Write the number of that word next to its meaning. You only have to match 3 words out the 6. Good Luck!

Part I

1 copy2 event3 motor4 pity5 profit6 tip

_______ end of highest point_______ this moves a car_______ thing made to be like another

1 accident2 debt3 fortune4 pride5 roar6 thread

_______loud deep sound______ something you must pay_______having a high opinion of yourself.

1 birth2 dust3 operation4 row5 sport6 victory

_______game _______winning _______being born

1 clerk2 frame3 noise4 respect5 theatre6 wine

_______ a drink_______ office worker_______ unwanted sound

21

1 dozen2 empire3 gift4 opportunity5 relief6 tax

_______chance _______ twelve_______ money paid to the government

1 admire 2 complain3 fix4 hire5 introduce6 stretch

_______make wider or longer _______ bring in for the first time_______have a high opinion of someone

1 arrange2 develop3 lean4 owe5 prefer6 seize

_______grow _______put in order _______like more than something else

1 blame2 elect3 jump4 manufacture5 melt6 threaten

_______make _______choose by voting _______ become like water

1 brave2 electric3 firm4 hungry5 local6 usual

_______commonly done _______ wanting food_______ having no fear

1 bitter2 independent3 lovely4 merry5 popular6 slight

_______beautiful _______ small_______ liked by many people

Part 21 bull2 champion3 dignity _______formal and serious manner

22

4 hell5 museum6 solution

_______winner of a sporting event _______building where valuable objects are shown

1 blanket2 contest3 generation4 merit5 plot6 vacation

_______holiday _______good quality _______wool covering used on beds

1 apartment2 candle3 draft4 horror5 prospect6 timber

_______a place to live _______chance of something happening _______ first rough form of something written

1 administration 2 angel3 frost4 herd5 fort6 pond

_______group of animals _______spirit who serves God _______ managing business and affairs

1 atmosphere 2 counsel3 factor4 hen5 lawn6 muscle

_______advice _______a place covered with grass _______ female chicken

1 abandon2 dwell3 oblige4 pursue5 quote6 resolve

_______ live in a place_______ follow in order to catch_______ leave something permanently

1 assemble2 attach3 peer4 quit5 scream6 toss

_______look closely _______stop doing something _______cry out loudly in fear

1 drift2 endure3 grasp _______suffer patiently

23

4 knit5 register6 tumble

_______join wool threads together _______hold firmly with your hands

1 brilliant 2 distinct3 magic4 naked5 slender6 stable

_______thin _______steady _______ without clothes

1 aware2 blank3 desperate4 normal5 striking6 supreme

_______usual _______ best or most important_______knowing what is happening

Part 31 analysis2 curb3 gravel4 mortgage5 scar6 zeal

_______eagerness _______ loan to buy a house_______ small stones mixed with sand

1 concrete2 era3 fiber4 loop5 plank6 summit

_______circular shape _______top of a mountain _______ a long period of time

1 circus2 jungle3 nomination4 sermon5 stool6 trumpet

_______ musical instrument_______ seat without a back or arms_______ speech given by a priest in a church

1 artillery2 creed3 hydrogen4 maple5 pork 6 streak

_______ a kind of tree_______ system of belief_______large gun on wheels

1 chart2 forge

24

3 mansion4 outfit5 sample6 volunteer

_______ map_______ large beautiful house_______ place where metals are made and shaped

1 contemplate2 extract3 gamble4 launch5 provoke6 revive

_______think about deeply _______ bring back to health_______ make someone angry

1 demonstrate2 embarrass3 heave4 obscure5 relax6 shatter

_______have a rest_______break suddenly into small pieces_______make someone feel shy or nervous

1 correspond2 embroider3 lurk4 penetrate5 prescribe6 resent

_______exchange letters _______hide and wait for someone _______ feel angry about something

1 decent2 frail3 harsh4 incredible5 municipal6 specific

_______ weak_______ concerning a city_______ difficult to believe

1 adequate2 internal3 mature4 profound5 solitary6 tragic

_______ enough_______ fully grown_______ alone away from other things

Part 41 area2 contract3 definition4 evidence5 method6 role

_______written agreement _______ way of doing something_______ reason for believing something is or is not true

1 construction

25

2 feature3 impact4 institute5 region6 security

_______safety _______noticeable part of something _______organization which has a special purpose

1 debate2 exposure3 integration4 option5 scheme6 stability

_______plan _______choice _______joining something into a whole

1 access2 gender3 implementation4 license5 orientation6 psychology

_______male or female _______study of the mind _______entrance or way in

1 accumulation2 edition3 guarantee4 media5 motivation6 phenomenon

______collecting things over time ______promise to repair a broken product______feeling a strong reason or need to do something

1 adult2 exploitation3 infrastructure4 schedule5 termination6 vehicle

__end __machine used to move people or goods__list of things to do at certain times

1 alter2 coincide3 deny4 devote5 release6 specify

_______ change_______ say something is not true_______ describe clearly and exactly

1 convert2 design3 exclude4 facilitate5 indicate6 survive

_______keep out _______stay alive _______change from one thing to another

26

1 bond2 channel3 estimate4 identify5 mediate6 minimize

__make smaller __guess the number or size of something __recognizing and naming a person or thing

1 explicit2 final3 negative4 professional5 rigid6 sole

_______last _______stiff _______meaning 'no' or 'not'

Part 5 Complete the underlined words. The first one has been done for you.

He was riding a bicycle.

1 I'm glad we had this opp__________ to talk.2 There are a doz_______ eggs in the basket.3 Every working person must pay income t_______.4 The pirates buried the trea______ on a desert island.5 Her beauty and cha______ had a powerful effect on men.6 La____ of rain led to a shortage of water in the city.7 He takes cr_____ and sugar in his coffee.8 The rich man died and left all his we_______ to his son.9 Pup_____ must hand in their papers by the end of the week.10 This sweater is too tight. It needs to be stret______.11 Ann intro_____ her boyfriend to her mother.12 Teenagers often adm_____ and worship pop singers.13 If you blow up that balloon any more it will bur____.14 In order to be accepted into the university, he had to impr________ his

grades.15 The telegram was deli__________two hours after it had been sent.16 The differences were so sl______that they went unnoticed.17 The dress you're wearing is lov________.18 He wasn't very popu_______ when he was a teenager, but he has many

friends now.

Part 61 He has a successful car______ as a lawyer.2 The thieves threw ac________ in his face and made him blind.3 To improve the country's economy, the government decided on economic

ref_____.

27

4 She wore a beautiful green go_______ to the ball.5 The government tried to protect the country's industry by reducing the

imp_____ of cheap goods.6 The children's pranks were funny at first, but finally got on the parents'

ner_____.7 The lawyer gave some wise coun______ to his client.8 Many people in England mow the law______ of their houses on Sunday

morning.9 The farmer sells the eggs that his he_____ lay.10 Sudden noises at night sca_______ me a lot.11 France was proc________ a republic in the 18th century.12 Many people are inj_____ in road accidents every year.13 Suddenly he was thru_______ into the dark room.14 He perc______ alight at the end of the tunnel.15 Children are not independent. They are att_________ to their parents16 She showed off her sle_______ figure in a long narrow dress.17 She has been changing partners often because she cannot have a sta_____

relationship with one person.18 You must wear a bathing suit on a public beach. You're not allowed to

walk na_____.Part 7

1 Soldiers usually swear an oa_____ of loyalty to their country.2 The voter placed the ball______ in the box.3 They keep their valuables in a vau________ at the bank.4 A bird perched at the window led_____.5 The kitten is playing with a ball of ya_______.6 The thieves have forced an ent________ to the building.7 The small hill was really a burial mou________.8 We decided to celebrate New Year's E______ together.9 The soldier was asked to choose between infantry and cav______.10 This is a complex problem which is difficult to compr________.11 The angry crowd sho_______ the prisoner as he was leaving the court.12 Don't pay attention to this rude remark. Just ign_______ it.13 The management held a secret meeting. The issues discussed were not

disc_______ to the workers.14 We could hear the sergeant bel________ commands to the troops.15 The boss got angry with the secretary and it took a lot of tact to soo___

him.16 We do not have adeq______ information to make a decision.17 She is not a child, but a mat_____ woman. She can make her own

decisions.18 The prisoner was put in soli_______ confinement.

Part 81 There has been a recent tr________ among prosperous families towards a

smaller number of children.2 The ar________ of his office is 25 square meters.3 Phil________ examines the meaning of life.4 According to the communist doc______, workers should rule the world.5 Spending many years together deepened their inti________.

28

6 He usually read the sport sec_____ of the newspaper first.7 Because of the doctors' strike the cli________ is closed today.8 There are several misprints on each page of this te_____.9 The suspect had both opportunity and mot____ to commit the murder.10 They insp______ all products before sending them out to stores.11 A considerable amount of evidence was accum_________ during the

investigation.12 The victim's shirt was satu_________ with blood.13 He is irresponsible. You cannot re_____ on him for help.14 It is impossible to eva_________ these results without knowing about the

research methods that were used.15 He finally att__________ a position of power in the company.16 The story tells us about a crime and subs______ punishment.17 In a hom____ class all students are of a similar proficiency.18 The urge to survive is inh_________ in all creatures.

Writing Task

Write a composition (200 words) on the following: Which of your possessions means the most to you and why?

Please note: This test is testing your use of vocabulary so please make an effort to use your best vocabulary in order to express yourselves.

Write your composition on the lines below.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

29

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

30