SIGNIFICANCE OF EMPLOYING CONTEXTUAL CLUES, DICTIONARY STRATEGY AND COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) IN VOCABULARY TEACHING.
Abstract
Context cue teaching enhances learners’ of English ability to give words meaning from context, enhance their comprehension, understanding and aid their skill to enhance reading independently. Scolars like Nash and Snowling (2006); Yuen (2009); Cetinavci (2013); Dwaik et al. (2013); and Samiyan and Khorasani (2014) has indicated that this strategy has not been explicitly taught in the context of schools. In Nigeria, language learners are assumed to learn the strategy of vocabulary building on their own. Therefore, this study determines the extent to which context cue teaching enhances learners’ skill to deduce word meanings from context and to examine learners’ views towards this strategy. In this study, twenty-six (26) English language major undergraduates in Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, were taught to guess meanings of unknown words using the contextual guessing strategy in three-hour sessions. Achievement tests and learners’ reflection done in class were made use of as sources of quantitative and qualitative data. Data from the pre-tests and post-tests showed a significant progress in learners’ skill to guess meanings of unknown words using the contextual guessing strategy. Results of twenty-six reflections also demonstrated positive views towards using this strategy. It could be entailed that language teachers should teach and encourage learners to guess meanings of unknown words based on the contextual cues, and incorporate context cue teaching into reading lesson plans to assist strengthen learners’ skill to deduce word meaning from context.
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