Cover not available
Article published In:
Language Teaching for Young Learners
Vol. 1:1 (2019) ► pp.4–33
Survey article

Teaching vocabulary to young second- or foreign-language learners

What can we learn from the research?

 | University of Pennsylvania
While vocabulary knowledge is considered a foundational element for young learners of a second or foreign language (L2/FL), pedagogically useful information on this topic is not easily accessible for practitioners. This is in part due to the fact that the relevant information is scattered across multiple fields, including first-language acquisition, child development, and education. The aim of this paper is to synthesize recent knowledge from the related fields and to provide theoretically sound and evidence-based information that is useful for teaching vocabulary to young learners of L2/FL. I identify four major recommendations for vocabulary instruction: (a) ensure frequent and repeated exposure to the target words (as well as nontarget words); (b) provide explicit word definitions and meanings in context; (c) create opportunities for discussions and interactions around the words in question; and (d) use multimodal approaches to teach vocabulary. I also suggest future research directions, with the goal of finding effective approaches that teachers can use to improve their vocabulary instruction while meeting the specific needs of their young L2/FL students.
Keywords: young learners, vocabulary learning, vocabulary teaching, implicit learning, explicit learning, input-based tasks, interactions, formulaic language
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.General mechanisms of learning vocabulary
    • 2.1Heterogeneity of the target group
    • 2.2The role of knowing an additional language
    • 2.3The role of age
  • 3.Studies on young L2/FL learners’ vocabulary instruction
    • 3.1Ensuring frequent and repeated exposure
    • 3.2Providing explicit word definitions and meanings in context
    • 3.3Creating opportunities for discussion and interaction
    • 3.4Using multimodal approaches
  • 4.Suggestions for future research
    • 4.1More detailed investigations concerning the interaction between intervention (both types and quality of interventions) and individual differences
    • 4.2More considerations of outcome measures: What is the target vocabulary knowledge and how do we measure it?
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Published online: 22 March 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.00003.but
References (98)
References
Abrahamsson, N., & Hyltenstam, K. (2009). Age of onset and nativelikeness in second language. Language Learning, 59(2), 249–306. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Asher, J. (2009). Learning another language through actions: The complete teacher’s guidebook (7th ed.). Los Gatos, CA: Sky Oaks Productions.Google Scholar
Atay, D., & Kurt, G. (2006). Elementary school EFL learners’ vocabulary learning: The effects of post-reading activities. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(2), 255–273. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bedore, L., Peña, E., & Boerger, K. (2010). Ways to words: Learning a second language vocabulary. In M. Schatz & L. Wilkinson (Eds.), The education of English language learners: Research to practice (pp. 87–107). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Bialystok, E., Luk, G., Peets, K. F., & Yang, S. (2010). Receptive vocabulary differences in monolingual and bilingual children. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 13(4), 525–531. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Biemiller, A., & Boote, C. (2006). An effective method for building meaning vocabulary in primary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 44–62. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Blewitt, P., Rump, K., Shealy, S. E., & Cook, S. A. (2009). Shared book reading: When and how questions affect young children’s word learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(2), 294–304. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bosch, L., & Ramon-Casas, M. (2014). First translation equivalent in bilingual toddlers’ expressive vocabulary: Does form similarity matter? International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38(4), 317–322. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Butler, Y. G. (2016). Age factors in language acquisition. In M. Minami (Ed.), Handbook of Japanese applied linguistics (pp. 67–96). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Butler, Y. G., & Zeng, W. (2014). Young foreign language learners’ interactions during task-based paired assessment. Language Assessment Quarterly, 11(1), 45–75. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Byers-Heinlein, K., & Fennell, C. T. (2013). Perceptual narrowing in the context of increased variation: Insights from bilingual infants. Developmental Psychobiology, 56(2), 274–291. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Byers-Heinlein, K., & Werker, J. F. (2013). Lexicon structure and the disambiguation of novel words: Evidence from bilingual infants. Cognition, 1281, 407–416. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Carlo, M. S., August, D., McLaughlin, B., Dressler, C., Lippman, D. N., Lively, T. J., & White, C. E. (2004). Closing the gap: Addressing the vocabulary needs of English-language learners in bilingual and mainstream classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 391, 188–215. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Carpenter, K., Fujii, N., & Kataoka, H. (1995). An oral interview procedure for assessing second language abilities in children. Language Testing, 12(2), 158–181. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chlapana, E., & Tafa, E. (2014). Effective practices to enhance immigrant kindergarteners’ second language vocabulary learning through storybook reading. Reading and Writing, 271, 1619–1640. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Clark, E. (1993). The lexicon in acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Collins, M. F. (2010). ELL preschoolers’ English vocabulary acquisition from storybook reading. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 251, 84–97. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Connor, L. M., Morrison, F. J., & Slominski, L. (2006). Preschool instruction and children’s emergent literacy growth. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(4), 665–689. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Coyle, Y., & Gracia, R. G. (2014). Using songs to enhance L2 vocabulary acquisition in preschool children. ELT Journal, 68(3), 276–285. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Davis, G. M. (2017). Songs in the young learner classroom: A critical review of evidence. ELT Journal, 71(4), 445–455.Google Scholar
Davis, G. M., & Fan, W. (2016). English vocabulary acquisition through songs in Chinese kindergarten students. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 59–71. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Davison, D., & Tell, D. (2005). Monolingual and bilingual children’s use of mutual exclusivity in the naming of whole objects. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 92(1), 25–45. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
De Houwer, A. (2009). Bilingual first language acquisition. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Diesendruck, G. (2005). The principles of conventionality and contrast in word learning: An empirical examination. Developmental Psychology, 41(3), 451–463. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Elley, W. B. (1989). Vocabulary acquisition from listening to stories. Reading Research Quarterly, 24(2), 174–187. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ellis, N. (1994). Introduction: Implicit and explicit language learning – An overview. In N. C. Ellis (Ed.), Implicit and explicit learning of languages (pp. 1–31). London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Ellis, R. (2008). The study of second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
(2009). Retrospect and prospect. In R. Ellis, S. Loewen, C. Elder, R. Erlam, J. Phip, & H. Reinders (Eds.), Implicit and explicit knowledge in second language learning, testing and teaching (pp. 335–353). Bristol: Multilingual Matters. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ellis, R., & Heimbach, R. (1997). Bugs and birds: children’s acquisition of second language vocabulary through interaction. System, 25(2), 247–259. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ellis, R., & Shintani, N. (2014). Exploring language pedagogy through second language acquisition research. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Fennell, C. T., & Byers-Heinlein, K. (2014). You sound like Mommy: Bilingual and monolingual infants learn words best from speakers typical of their language environments. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 38(4), 309–316. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fennell, C. T., Byers-Heinlein, K., Werker, J. F. (2007). Using speech sounds to guide word learning: The case of bilingual infants. Child Development, 78(5), 1510–1525. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fennell, C., & Lew-Williams, C. (2018). Early bilingual word learning. In G. Westermann & N. Mani (Eds.), Early word learning (pp. 110–122). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Gibson, D. A., Jarmulowicz, L., & Oller, D. K. (2018). Difficulties using standardized tests to identify the receptive expressive gap in bilingual children’s vocabularies. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 21(2), 328–339. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Goodrich, J. M., & Lonigan, C. J. (2018). Development of first- and second-language vocabulary knowledge among language-minority children: Evidence from single language and conceptual scores. Journal of Child Language. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Granena, G., & Long, M. (2012). Age of onset, length of residence language aptitude, and ultimate L1 attainment in three linguistic domains. Second Language Research, 29(3), 311–343. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hakuta, K. (1974). Prefabricated patterns and the emergence of structure in second language acquisition. Language Learning, 241, 287–297. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hoff, E., Core, C., Place, S., Rumiche, R., Señor, M., & Parra, M. (2012). Dual language exposure and early bilingual development. Journal of Child Language, 39(1), 1–27. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Houston-Price, C., Zoe, C., & Raviglione, E. (2010). Language experience shapes the development of the mutual exclusivity bias. Infancy, 151, 125–150. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Huang, J., & Hatch, E. (1978). A Chinese child’s acquisition of English. In E. M. Hatch (Ed.), Second language acquisition: A book of readings (pp. 118–131). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Google Scholar
Hulstijn, J. H. (2015). Explaining phenomena of first and second language acquisition with the constructs of implicit and explicit learning: The virtues and pitfalls of a two-system view. In P. Rebuschat (Ed.), Implicit and explicit learning of language (pp. 25–46). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Leacox, L., & Jackson, C. W. (2012). Spanish vocabulary-bridging technology-enhanced instruction for young English language learners’ word learning. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 14(2), 175–197. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lervåg, A., & Aukrust, V. G. (2010). Vocabulary knowledge is a critical determinant of the difference in reading comprehension growth between first and second language learners. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(5), 612–620. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Leśniewska, J., & Pichette, F. (2016). Songs vs. stories: Impact of input sources on ESL vocabulary acquisition by preliterate children. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 19(1), 18–34. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lichtman, K. (2013). Developmental comparisons of implicit and explicit language learning. Language Acquisition, 201, 93–108. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lin, L.-C. (2014). Learning word meanings from teachers’ repeated story read-aloud in EFL primary classrooms. English Language Teaching, 7(7), 68–81. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ludke, K. M. (2010). Songs and singing in foreign language learning (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from <[URL]>
Lugo-Neris, M., Jackson, C. W., & Goldstein, H. (2010). Facilitating vocabulary acquisition of young English language learners. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 411, 314–327. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Macedonia, M. (2014). Bringing back the body into the mind: Gestures enhance word learning in foreign language. Frontiers in Psychology, 51, 1–6. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
MacLeod, A. A. N., Castellanos-Ryan, N., Parent, S., Jacques, S., & Séguin, J. R. (2018). Modeling vocabulary development among multilingual children prior to and following the transition to school entry. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mancilla-Martinez, J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2011). The gap between Spanish speakers’ word reading and word knowledge: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 82(5), 1544–1560. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Marchman, V. A., Martínez, L. Z., Hurtado, N., Grüter, T., & Fernald, A. (2017). Caregiver talk to young Spanish–English bilinguals: Comparing direct observation and parent-report measures of dual-language exposure. Developmental Science, 201. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Markman, E. M., & Wachtel, G. F. (1988). Children’s use of mutual exclusivity to constrain the meaning of words. Cognitive Psychology, 201, 121–157. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Marulis, L. M., & Neuman, S. B. (2010). The effects of vocabulary intervention on young children’s word learning: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 80(3), 300–335. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mattock, K., Polka, L., Rvachew, S., & Krehm, M. (2010). The first steps in word learning are easier when the shoes fit: Comparing bilingual and monolingual infants. Developmental Science, 13(1), 229–243. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mavilidi, M., Okely, A. D., Chandler, P., Cliff, D. P. & Paas, F. (2015). Effects of integrated physical exercises and gestures on preschool children’s foreign language vocabulary learning. Educational Psychology Review, 27(3), 413–426. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Mol, S., Bus, A., de Jong, M. (2009). Interactive book reading in early education: A tool to stimulate print knowledge as well as oral language. Review of Educational Research, 791, 979–1007. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Muñoz, C., & Singleton, D. (2011). A critical review of age-related research on L2 ultimate attainment. Language Teaching, 441, 1–35. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Oliver, R., & Mackey, A. (2003). Interactional context and feedback in child ESL classrooms. Modern Language Journal, 87(4), 519–533. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Paas, F., & Sweller, J. (2012). An evolutionary upgrade of cognitive load theory: using the human motor system and collaboration to support the learning of complex cognitive tasks. Educational Psychology Review, 241, 27–45. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pearson, B. Z., Fernández, S. C., & Oller, D. K. (1993). Lexical development in bilingual infants and toddlers: comparison to monolingual norms. Language Learning, 43(1), 93–120. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Peck, S. (1978). Child-child discourse in second language acquisition. In E. M. Hatch (Ed.), Second language acquisition: A book of readings (pp. 383–400). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Google Scholar
Peña, E. D., Bedore, L. M., & Zlatic-Giunta, R. (2002). Category-generation performance of bilingual children: the influence of cognition, category, and language. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 451, 938–947. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pérez, A. M., Peña, E. D., & Bedore, L. M. (2010). Cognates facilitate word recognition in young Spanish-English bilinguals’ test performance. Early Child Services (San Diego), 4(1), 55–67.Google Scholar
Pesce, C., Crova, C., Cereatti, L., Casella, R., & Bellucci, M. (2009). Physical activity and mental performance in preadolescents. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 2(1), 16–22. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pham, G. (2016). Pathways for learning two languages: Lexical and grammatical associations within and across languages in sequential bilingual children. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 19(5), 928–938. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Porter, A. (2016). A helping hand with language learning French vocabulary with gesture. Language Learning Journal, 44(2), 236–256. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Roberts, T. A. (2008). Home storybook reading in primary or second language with preschool children: Evidence of equal effectiveness for second-language vocabulary acquisition. Reading Research Quarterly, 43(2), 103–130. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rohde, A., & Tiefenthal, C. (2000). Fast mapping in early L2 lexical acquisition. Studia Linguistica, 54(2), 167–174. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rowe, M. L., Silverman, R. D., & Mullan, B. E. (2013). The role of pictures and gestures as nonverbal aids in preschoolers’ word learning in a novel language. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 38(2), 109–117. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Schmidt, R. W. (1983). Interaction, acculturation, and the acquisition of communicative competence: A case study of an adult. In N. Wolfson & E. Judd (Eds.), Sociolinguistics and language acquisition (pp. 137–174). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Google Scholar
Schmidt, R. (1994). Deconstructing consciousness in search of useful definitions for applied linguistics. AILA Review, 111, 11–26.Google Scholar
Schmitt, N. (2014). Size and depth of vocabulary knowledge: What the research shows. Language Learning, 64(4), 913–951. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Sebastian-Galles, N. (2010). Bilingual language acquisition: Where does the difference lie? Human Development, 531, 245–255. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Shintani, N. (2011). A comparative study of the effects of input-based and production-based instruction on vocabulary acquisition by young EFL learners. Language Teaching Research, 151, 137–158. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2012). Input-based tasks and the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar: A process-production study. Language Teaching Research, 16(2), 253–279. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Shintani, N., & Ellis, R. (2014). Tracking ‘learning behaviours’ in the incidental acquisition of two dimensional adjectives by Japanese beginner learners of L2 English. Language Teaching Research, 18(4), 521–542. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Silverman, R. (2007a). A comparison of three methods of vocabulary instruction during read-alouds in kindergarten. The Elementary School Journal, 108(2), 97–113. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2007b). Vocabulary development of English-language and English-only learners in kindergarten. The Elementary School Journal, 107(4), 365–383. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Silverman, R., & Hines, S. (2009). The effects of multimedia-enhanced instruction on the vocabulary of English-language learners and non-English-language learners in pre-kindergarten through second grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(2), 305–314. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Stahl, S. A., & Fairbanks, M. M. (1986). The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-based meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 561, 72–110. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Steele, S. C., & Mills, M. T. (2011). Vocabulary intervention of school-age children with language impairment: A review of evidence and good practice. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 27(3), 354–370. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Takanishi, R., & Menestrel, S. L. (2017). Promoting educational success of children and youth learning English: Promising futures. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tellier, M. (2008). The effect of gestures on second language memorization by young children. Gesture, 8(2), 219–235. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tomporowski, P. D., Davis, C. L., Miller, P. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2008). Exercise and children’s intelligence, cognition, and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 201, 111–131. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tonzer, C., Lotto, L., & Job, R. (2009). L2 vocabulary acquisition in children: Effects of learning method and cognate status. Language Learning, 59(3), 623–646. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Toumpaniari, K., Loyens, S., Marilidi, M., & Paas, F. (2015). Preschool children’s foreign language vocabulary learning by embodying words through physical activity and gesturing. Educational Psychology Review, 271, 445–456. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Uccelli, P., & Páez, M. M. (2007). Narrative and vocabulary development of bilingual children from kindergarten to first grade: developmental changes and associations among English and Spanish skills. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 381, 225–36. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Uchikoshi, Y. (2006). English vocabulary development in bilingual kindergarteners: What are the best predictors? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 91, 33–49. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ulanoff, S., & Pucci, S. (1999). Learning words form books: The effects of read aloud on second language vocabulary acquisition. Bilingual Research Journal, 23(4), 409–422. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Verhallen, M. J. A. J., & Bus, A. G. (2010). Low-income immigrant pupils learning vocabulary through digital picture storybooks. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(1), 54–61. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Vermeer, A. (2001). Breadth and depth of vocabulary in relation to L1/L2 acquisition and frequency of input. Applied Linguistics, 221, 217–234.Google Scholar
Westermann, G., & Mani, N. (2018). (Eds.). Early word learning. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Wolters, B. (2006). Lexical network structures and L2 vocabulary acquisition: the role of L1 lexical/conceptual knowledge. Applied Linguistics, 27(4), 741–747. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wong-Fillmore, L. (1976). The second time around: Cognitive and social strategies in second language acquisition (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Stanford University, Stanford, CA.Google Scholar
Wood, D. (2015). Fundamentals of formulaic language: An introduction. London: Bloomsbury.Google Scholar
Yoshida, M. (1978). The acquisition of English vocabulary by a Japanese-speaking child. In E. M. Hatch (Ed.), Second language acquisition: A book of readings (pp. 91–100). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Google Scholar
Yow, W. Q., Li, X., Lam, S., Gliga, T., Chong, Y. S., Kwek, K., & Broekman, B. F. P. (2017). A bilingual advantage in 54-month-olds’ use of referential cues in fast mapping. Developmental Science. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by (7)

Cited by seven other publications

BODERÉ, Anneleen, Eline ZENNER, Marieke VANBUEL, Noel CLYCQ & Kris VAN DEN BRANDEN
2024. The effects of overhearing on vocabulary learning in ethnic majority and minority preschool children. Journal of Child Language 51:2 ► pp. 314 ff. DOI logo
Johnston, Tara B.
2024. Kindergarten Teachers’ Vocabulary Knowledge, Practices, and Influential Factors: A Multiple Case Study. Literacy Research and Instruction ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Milosavljevic, Maja & Barry Lee Reynolds
2024. The effectiveness of comprehension-based visual arts instruction and production-based flashcard instruction in young English language learners’ vocabulary acquisition and retention. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 14:2 ► pp. 311 ff. DOI logo
McDonald, Jennifer Ann & Barry Lee Reynolds
2023. Learning semantic and thematic vocabulary clusters through embedded instruction: effects on very young English learners’ vocabulary acquisition and retention. Applied Linguistics Review 14:5 ► pp. 1129 ff. DOI logo
Reynolds, Barry Lee, Sylvia Liu, Maja Milosavljevic, Chen Ding & Jennifer McDonald
2021. Exploring Pre-service Pre-primary EFL Teacher Beliefs about Teaching English to Very Young Learners: A Macau Case Study. Sage Open 11:4 DOI logo
Butler, Yuko Goto
2020. Cognition and Young Learners’ Language Development. In Handbook of Early Language Education [Springer International Handbooks of Education, ], ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Butler, Yuko Goto
2022. Cognition and Young Learners’ Language Development. In Handbook of Early Language Education [Springer International Handbooks of Education, ], ► pp. 29 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 25 october 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.