vocabulary activity 2 2 problems and solutions in research

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Research in teaching Vocabulary

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9th Christians in English Language Teaching (CELT 2012 Hong Kong) Conference, CELT 2012 Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Michael Lessard-Clouston

Drawing on theory and research, this presentation introduces major issues in vocabulary in second/foreign language learning and teaching. It first outlines important assumptions, observations, and approaches, and then draws implications for language teaching. It also discusses helpful and relevant resources, including books, software, and websites.

aregay gebremicael

Second-language vocabulary acquisition is a field of investigation that has seen an explosion of experimental research in the past 25 years. There are many dimensions to this topic, requiring synthesis of the major findings in this field of study so that teachers can understand their pedagogical implications. This paper attempts to present these major findings under each of the main areas of research on the topic. Following this, the implications of these findings for teaching vocabulary to second language learners are discussed.

International Journal of Applied Linguistics

Mats Mobärg

Pedro Luis Luchini

For a long time now, the teaching and learning of L2 vocabulary has been underrated in second language acquisition (SLA). However, in the last three decades, there has been a reemergence of interest in this field and different proposals and perspectives have arisen that strengthen and encourage due attention. The purpose of this paper was to inquire into the effectiveness of the implementation of an array of vocabulary tasks to facilitate vocabulary acquisition. Three teachers of English at a private secondary school in Mar del Plata, Argentina, participated in this action research. Data were gathered by means of field notes, teaching activities, self-assessment reports and evaluation meetings. The results obtained shed some light on L2 vocabulary teaching and some new viewpoints are discussed that could help other language teachers develop conceptual knowledge to tackle lexical instruction. The decision to embark on this action research study led these three teachers to reflect upon their own teaching practice with regard to L2 vocabulary instruction and thus take cognizance of the importance of the inclusion of L2 vocabulary teaching on a regular basis in their classes. Finally, some suggestions for further research in this area were given.

Timur Salbayev

International Journal of Language and Linguistics

Khadijeh Jafari

International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature

Jubair Uddin

Aleidine Moeller

Ceyhun Özkal

Mark Feng Teng

This article presents an overview of current research on second language vocabulary learning and proposes eight strategies for teaching and learning vocabulary. First, to facilitate effective vocabulary teaching, choosing high-frequency words is essential. Teachers of vocabulary also need to add explicit, intentional teaching to incidental learning. In addition, vocabulary learning strategies including morphological awareness and lexical inference provides a platform by which learners can improve both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. This article also suggests that productive vocabulary knowledge needs more attention than receptive vocabulary knowledge, and that available textbooks seldom address vocabulary sufficiently. In summary, it is very important for all learners and teachers to acknowledge that learning vocabulary is incremental in nature, and we should develop a principled, long-term program for teaching and learning vocabulary.

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Free English Lessons

Everyday problems – visual vocabulary video.

Download PDF

In this lesson, you can learn to talk about everyday problems. You’ll hear a story of a bad day, and see different phrases you can use to describe everyday problems.

Quiz: everyday problems.

Now try to remember the words and phrases that describe the everyday problems in the lesson.

For questions 1 to 10, you will see a phrase to describe each problem and you need to write one missing word. The problems are in the same order as the lesson, and you will see a picture to help you. You can also click ‘Hint’ to see what sort of word to write and how many letters.

Questions 11 to 16 are a bit harder. They are phrases from the lesson, but in a different order and with no hints or pictures to help.

Questions 17 to 20 are even harder. You will need to write a word not used in the lesson, but related to the situations. There are some hints to help. Good luck!

Quiz Summary

0 of 20 Questions completed

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You must first complete the following:

0 of 20 Questions answered correctly

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Earned Point(s): 0 of 0 , ( 0 ) 0 Essay(s) Pending (Possible Point(s): 0 )

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Well done! You’ve finished!

Well done! You’ve remembered a lot of the vocabulary correctly.

That’s an excellent score! Congratulations!

A perfect score! Congratulations! You even knew the words that weren’t mentioned in the lesson!

1 . Question

I horribly during the night.

Past simple verb, 5 letters

2 . Question

I slept my alarm.

Preposition, 7 letters

3 . Question

I was sitting traffic for an hour.

Preposition, 2 letters

4 . Question

My car down and I had to wait for over an hour at the side of the road.

5 . Question

At work, I got in a huge with one of my colleagues.

Noun, 8 letters

6 . Question

I was working late, and I coffee all over some important papers.

Past simple verb; there are two possible spellings—a regular spelling with 7 letters or an irregular spelling with 5 letters. (You only need to write one!)

7 . Question

I couldn’t concentrate and I got .

Adjective, 10 letters, starting with ‘f’. (Various words could be used here, but can you remember the word from the lesson? It means that you are a little bit angry or stressed with a situation or with yourself.)

8 . Question

Adjective/past participle of verb, 6 letters

9 . Question

When I opened the fridge, I saw that my flatmate had eaten my .

Plural noun, 9 letters, meaning food that you didn’t finish on a previous occasion.

10 . Question

I my phone in the toilet.

Past simple of verb, 7 letters

11 . Question

Write one word to complete the name of the vehicle that rescues your car.

I had to wait for an hour at the side of the road until the truck arrived.

12 . Question

Write one word for a time by which something has to be done.

We have a big coming up, so we’re all under a lot of pressure.

13 . Question

Write one verb for when your alarm clock doesn’t wake you up.

Often, I wake up before my alarm goes off, but this morning I .

14 . Question

Write one word for when a train leaves before you have time to get on it.

I was so late leaving work that I the last train.

15 . Question

Write one word in each gap to complete the expression for when you can’t get to sleep.

I was and all night.

16 . Question

Write one verb to complete the expression which means ‘this is the final—and worst—thing’.

Finally, to it all, my computer crashed and I lost all my work!

17 . Question

The last four questions relate to the situations you saw in the lesson, but the missing words are new. Do you know them? Click ‘Hint’ for a clue.

Write one word for food that is delivered to your house, or that you buy at a fast food restaurant and eat at home.

There was nothing to eat for dinner, and it was too late to buy anything or phone for a .

There are two possible answers, because British and American English use different words. The British answer has 8 letters, the American has 7 – the first 4 letters are the same in both cases. (You only need to write one!)

18 . Question

Write one word to complete the name of the period of time when the roads are busiest, because everyone is going to work.

During the hour, the traffic was awful.

This word has 4 letters and means ‘hurry’ or ‘move quickly’ (even though the opposite happens because everyone is travelling at the same time!)

19 . Question

Write one word for extra hours that you don’t usually work or get paid for.

I had to stay really late to finish everything, even though I don’t get paid .

This word has 8 letters and is made up of two parts, each with 4 letters; ‘extra’ is the meaning of the first part and ‘hours’ is the meaning of the second part.

20 . Question

Write one word for the job title of a person who opens a lock when you don’t have a key.

I couldn’t find my keys, so I had to call a .

The job title has 9 letters. The first 4 letters are the part of the door where you insert a key; the last 5 letters are one of the most common English surnames!

In fact, the surname was originally a word for someone who makes something with their hands.

Still not sure? Think of the lead actor from Men in Black and Fresh Prince of Bel Air …

I slept horribly. I was tossing and turning all night. I had insomnia. I finally got to sleep around five in the morning. But then… I overslept. I missed my alarm. I slept through my alarm. On the way to work, the traffic was awful. I was sitting in traffic for an hour. My car broke down. I had to wait for an hour for the tow truck , and I was late for work. At work, I got in a huge argument with one of my colleagues. We have a big deadline coming up, so we’re all under a lot of pressure. I was working late, and I spilled coffee all over some important papers. I had to stay really late to finish everything. I couldn’t concentrate and I got frustrated. On the way home, I missed the last train. I couldn’t find my keys. I was locked out. I finally got home, and saw that my flatmate had eaten my leftovers. There was nothing to eat for dinner, and it was too late to buy anything. Finally, to cap it all, I dropped my phone in the toilet.

Did you like this lesson on everyday problems in English? See more Oxford Online English vocabulary lessons here: Free Vocabulary Lessons .

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• Sep 17, 2023

IELTS Writing Task 2: How To Answer Problem/ Cause & Solution Questions To Reach Band 9

Updated: Apr 7

Problem/ Cause & Solution Writing Task 2

When answering an IELTS Writing Task 2 problem/ cause and solution question you need to think of one or more problems (often two is good), and then give one or two solutions. You can group the problems in one paragraph and the solutions in one paragraph, or you can combine them, with a problem and solution together in each paragraph. It works really well if you have a main general idea for each paragraph which you can divide into two sub-ideas. In my plans below I’ll describe the problems in one paragraph and the solutions in another.

To begin with, think about your main ideas for the essay. The main idea is the general idea, and the sub-ideas go into more detail. In this kind of essay, your main idea 1 is about the problem, while main idea 2 is about the solution.

Basic Problem/Cause & Solution Task Plan:

Main idea 1: problem/ cause:.

Sub-idea A: Problem/ Cause 1

Sub-idea B : Problem/ Cause 2

Main Idea 2: Solution:

Sub-idea A: Solution 1

Sub-idea B : Solution 2

Next, I’ll show you a detailed plan on how to structure the problem/ solution essay with links to articles which have more information.

Detailed Task Plan:

Introduction:.

Paraphrase question

Summarise main ideas 1 & 2

For more information on writing introductions click here

Body Paragraph 1 (Problem):

Topic Sentence: Summarise main idea 1. You may want to use “owing to ”/ “as a result of”/ “due to ” to give the reason for the problem. (see Giving Reasons/ Causes vocabulary below).

Introduce Sub-idea A: Describe the problem in one or two sentences.

Expand Sub-idea A: Write one or two sentences that explain/ support sub-idea A - say why or how it happens and/ or give an example. (see Giving Examples vocabulary below)

Result Statement: Explain the results of the problem. (see Results vocabulary below)

Introduce Sub-idea B: Use “Furthermore”, “In addition”, or “Moreover” and then describe the problem.

Expand Sub-idea B (as above)

Result Statement (as above)

For more information on writing essay body paragraphs click here

Body Paragraph 2 (Solution):

Topic Sentence: Summarise main idea 2 clearly. Use phrases such as “One solution is”/ “In order to address this problem”, etc. (see Proposing Solutions vocabulary below)

Introduce Sub-idea A: Describe the solution in one or two sentences.

Expand Sub-idea A: Write one or two sentences that explain/ support sub-idea A - say why or how it solves the problem and/ or give an example.

Result Statement: Explain the expected results of the solution. You can use the 2nd conditional here e.g. “This would lead to” . For more information on 2nd conditionals click here

Introduce Sub-idea B: Use “Furthermore”, “In addition”, or “Moreover”, and then describe the solution.

Conclusion:

Summarise main ideas 1 & 2: Begin with “In conclusion”/ “To conclude”/ “To summarise”/ “In summary”. Avoid repeating vocabulary. Use synonyms and parallel expressions.

Useful Vocabulary:

Below you’ll find the useful vocabulary that will help you when you write your problem/ cause and solution IELTS essay.

Giving Reasons/ Causes:

As a result of

…is a major cause of

....is a source of

...can contribute greatly to

…is the underlying cause of

The main cause of ………… is

….is due to

...are (important/ major) factors in

Giving Examples:

To give an example,

Suppose, for instance, that

As an example,

Good examples include

For instance,

For example,

This would lead to/ This leads to

This would mean that/ This means that

As a result

Consequently

As a consequence

By doing this

This will provide

In this way

A consequence of this is

This will create a situation where

This makes it

Proposing Solutions:

One solution to this problem is

In order to address this problem

In order to do this

It would be a good idea if

…should be encouraged to

Steps should be taken to

...should take measures to

The problem can be fixed by

So what does this essay look like in full? Keep reading below:

Problem/ Cause and Solution Task Example:

It is generally agreed that family relationships are not as close as they were in the past.

Explain why you think this has happened and suggest how family relationships could be made closer.

Essay Plan:

Main Idea 1: Changes in society make it harder to maintain close relationships

Sub-idea A: People are more likely to move to another area or city

Sub-idea B: People have very busy lives so have less time for family

Main Idea 2: People should make more effort to foster family relationships

Sub-idea A: People should meet up with family members more often

Sub-idea B: We can take advantage of modern communication technology

Now we have the main and sub-ideas for the essay, we are ready to write it.

Paraphrase question:

It is commonly thought that families are not as close-knit as they were previously.

Summarise main ideas 1 & 2: In my opinion this could be the result of changes in society that have made it harder for people to spend quality time with family members. In order to address this problem, it’s important that people make more effort to stay in touch with family, and they can leverage modern communication devices and applications to do this.

Topic Sentence:

As a result of various changes in society it is much harder for people to maintain close ties with their families than previously.

Introduce Sub-idea A:

For one, in the past, people tended to live very near relatives during their whole lives, whereas in today’s world this is not the case.

Expand Sub-idea A:

These days, people are more mobile and regularly move to different cities or even countries in order to find a better job, take advantage of better education or for some other opportunity.

Result Statement:

This makes it more difficult to socialise with relatives and therefore more difficult to maintain close relationships.

Introduce Sub-idea B:

Furthermore, people’s lives are busier today than they were in the past.

Expand Sub-idea B:

We have a plethora of work and personal responsibilities, not to mention all of the recreational and personal development opportunities now available.

This means that it is even harder to find time for family. People are often only able to focus on providing for their nuclear family, at the expense of bonds with siblings, cousins and other family members.

One solution to the problems causing weakening family relationships is for people to prioritise their family members and make more effort to foster family relationships.

People should get together with relatives more frequently and spend more quality time together.

For example, they could organise a weekly meal together, or a regular family day out.

As a consequence of these activities, family members would become closer.

Moreover, even if a person lives far away from their relatives, in the modern world we have a myriad of technologies which enable us to stay in touch with them.

Be it on Skype, Messenger, or any similar application, people can message and speak to their siblings, parents or others quickly and cheaply.

By doing this, people who live far apart from their family members would still be able to remain close with them.

In conclusion, changes in society have made it harder for people to maintain strong family bonds. However, if we make a little more effort, and take advantage of the communication technologies now available, there’s no reason why we can’t maintain close relationships with our families.

Finally, if we put it all together, we get a model essay for a problem/ cause and solution IELTS writing task 2.

Model Answer:

It is commonly thought that families are not as close-knit as they were previously. In my opinion this could be the result of changes in society that have made it harder for people to spend quality time with family members. In order to address this problem, it’s important that people make more effort to stay in touch with family, and they can leverage modern communication devices and applications to do this.

As a result of various changes in society it is much harder for people to maintain close ties with their families than previously. For one, in the past, people tended to live very near relatives during their whole lives, whereas in today’s world this is not the case. These days, people are more mobile and regularly move to different cities or even countries in order to find a better job, take advantage of better education or for some other opportunity. This makes it more difficult to socialise with relatives and therefore more difficult to maintain close relationships. Furthermore, people’s lives are busier today than they were in the past. We have a plethora of work and personal responsibilities, not to mention all of the recreational and personal development opportunities now available. This means that it is even harder to find time for family. People are often only able to focus on providing for their nuclear family, at the expense of bonds with siblings, cousins and other family members.

One solution to the problems causing weakening family relationships is for people to prioritise their family members and make more effort to foster family relationships. People should get together with relatives more frequently and spend more quality time together. For example, they could organise a weekly meal together, or a regular family day out. As a consequence of these activities, family members would become closer. Moreover, even if a person lives far away from their relatives, in the modern world we have a myriad of technologies which enable us to stay in touch with them. Be it on Skype, Messenger, or any similar application, people can message and speak to their siblings, parents or others quickly and cheaply. By doing this, people who live far apart from their family members would still be able to remain close with them.

Thanks for reading and I hope you found that helpful!

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