Teaching Children English with Reliance on the Lexically Driven Syllabus

Contents
Introduction
Part One. Theoretical Underpinnings of the Lexically Driven
Syllabus Design
1. Child development
1.1. Biological foundations of brain growth
1.1.1. Brain anatomy from the phylogenetic point of view
1.1.2. The human brain from the ontogenetic point of view
1.2. Towards the elucidation of global development concept
1.2.1. Learning process as viewed by associationists and gestaltists
1.2.2. Constructivist espousal of global learning
1.3. Cognitive aspect of the human mind
1.3.1. Claparède’s approach to aptitude and awareness
1.3.2. Piaget’s model of cognitive development
1.3.3. Ausubel’s Meaningful Learning and Retention Theory
1.3.4. Memory as a cognitively organised repository of human knowledge
1.4. Affective aspect of the human mind
1.4.1. Interpersonal factors in Vygotsky’s theory
1.4.2. Bruner’s intersubjective approach to education
1.4.3. Erikson’s psychosocial theory of human development
1.4.4. The role of emotional intelligence in the learning process
1.5. Psychomotor aspect of the human mind
1.6. Creativity and its impact on global learner development
2. Vocabulary as the crucial component of child L2 acquisition
2.1. L2 acquisition in relation to global learner development
2.1.1. Critical period hypothesis
2.1.2. Acquisition-learning spectrum
2.1.3. Zone of child proximal L2 competence
2.1.4. The role of interlanguage
2.1.5. Interactionist stance on language learning
2.1.5.2. Bialystok’s model
2.1.5.2. Sampson’s model
2.1.6. Child as a fi eld dependent, competitive learner
2.2. Vocabulary and meaning
2.2.1. The etymology and defi nition
2.2.2. The taxonomy
2.2.3. Corpus-based study of vocabulary
2.2.4. The nature of meaning
2.2.4.1. Vygotsky’s conception of individualised and generalised meanings
2.2.4.2. Bruner’s interpretive approach to meaning
2.2.4.3. Exploratory dimension of meaning in vocabulary acquisition
2.3. Formulas and their place in vocabulary development
3. Vocabulary in foreign language teaching
3.1. Vocabulary and its place in the history of L2 pedagogy
3.2. Recent tendencies in vocabulary instruction
3.2.1. The Natural Approach
3.2.2. The Collins COBUILD English Course
3.2.3. The Communicative Approach
3.2.4. The Lexical Approach
3.2.5. The European Co-operation Programs
3.3. Multi-sensory approach to vocabulary instruction
3.3.1. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
3.3.2. Total Physical Response (TPR)
3.3.3. The fl annelgraph technique
4. The lexically driven syllabus design
4.1. Rationale for the syllabus design
4.2. Learning/teaching goals
4.2.1. Lexically organised content of the syllabus design
4.2.2. Skills
4.3. Brain-compatible vocabulary instruction
4.3.1. Lesson structure
4.3.2. Activity ladder
4.3.3. Textbook support of the syllabus design
4.3.4. Lesson scenario exemplar

Part Two. Research
5. Formal experiment
5.1. Organisational principles
5.1.1. Experiment area
5.1.2. Aim
5.1.3. Focus questions and hypotheses
5.1.4. Experiment constructs
5.1.5. Subjects
5.1.6. Types of data
5.1.7. Variables
5.2. Knowledge claims
5.2.1. Vocabulary differentiation
5.2.2. Vocabulary comprehension
5.2.3. Vocabulary divergent use
5.3. Evaluative remarks
6. Differential case study
6.1. Organisational principles
6.1.1. Case study area
6.1.2. Aim
6.1.3. Focus question
6.1.4. Case study constructs
6.1.5. Subjects
6.1.6. Types of data
6.2. Knowledge claims
6.2.1. Experimental group 1
6.2.2. Experimental group 2
6.3. Evaluative remarks
6.4. Advantages and limitations of the lexically driven syllabus design
Conclusions
Summary
Bibliography
Appendices
Appendix 1. Vocabulary test
Appendix 2. VAK quiz
Appendix 3. TPR + the fl annelgraph technique
Appendix 4. Guided fantasies
Appendix 5. Relaxation activities
Appendix 6. “Pat & Rhett” – textbook support of the syllabus design