One way to teach practical vocabulary

This is an idea for teaching practical vocabulary in a TEFL class. It’s a method I’ve found to work with students at pre-intermediate and intermediate level.

Choose an electrical device or gadget

I’ve sometimes used an old radio with built-in tape recorder. Alternatively you could use any mechanical device, or any combination of gadgets. Something with buttons to press and knobs to turn is ideal. The more functions the better.

Elicit and establish vocabulary

• Show the device (in this case, let’s say tape recorder) to the students.
• Ask questions like, ‘What is this?’, ‘And this?’, ‘And this?’ to elicit nouns such as button, plug, cable, electrical socket, handle, etc.
• Write the elicited words on the board.
• Ask questions like, ‘What do you do with this?’, ‘And this?’ to elicit verbs such as push, open, turn on, put in, plug in, play, listen to, etc.
• Put these verbs on the board as you demonstrate them.
• With the verbs now on the board, use the functions of the tape recorder, including connecting the cable, plugging it in, turning the volume up. Exaggerate and repeat each action.
• Asking the students to watch, elicit from them a sentence-by-sentence description of what you are doing at that moment (make it clear you want the present continuous tense).

Repeat and transpose into the past tense

• Now demonstrate exactly the same procedure and ask the students to write the description in the past tense.
• Give them a minute or two to write, either in small groups or individually.
• Repeat the procedure and give them another few minutes to review their description.

Check students’ descriptions

• At this point you can ask individual students to read out their description of your actions.
• List the past tense actions on the board.
• Establish whether the verbs are regular or irregular.
• Drill pronunciation of the verbs.

This simple lesson gives your students the chance to learn verb such as push, press, turn up/down/on/off, put, plug in, unplug, etc.

As a follow up, or for homework, ask the students to prepare a step-by-step description of how they perform an everyday task, such as preparing to leave a house, or locking and unlocking a door. Stress that they should include every single action necessary for each operation.

This is a good way of giving students the chance to use practical vocabulary.