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Words Matter: The Importance of Vocabulary in English Language Teaching and Learning

Dubai Men's College
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Monday, March 27, 2006

Overview
Program Information (PDF)
Registration Fees
Speakers

The 2006 TESOL Symposium on Vocabulary is sponsored by

TESOL acknowledges and appreciates the assistance of TESOL Arabia, College of the North Atlantic Qatar,
and Christine Coombe.

OVERVIEW

In the English language teaching field, the acquisition of vocabulary has long been felt to be a crucial component of learning a second language. Leading experts in the field of vocabulary will focus on what practitioners need to know to make informed choices about vocabulary teaching and learning. The overall goal of the symposium is to make research and theory accessible, and then draw on it to suggest effective classroom applications.

In the morning, each speaker will present highlights of his work and perspectives on vocabulary in teaching and learning. Each speaker will then lead an afternoon breakout session. During the closing session, another leading expert will summarize the topic, and the speakers will interact with the participants in a question and answer wrap-up. TESOL will publish and mail the speakers’ papers and final proceedings to participants after the symposium.

SCHEDULE

9:00 am-10:00 am	Check-in and Coffee
10:00 am-10:15 am	Welcome and Opening Remarks (DMC Auditorium) Jun Liu, President Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
10:15 am-12:00 pm	Introductory Presentations (DMC Auditorium)
	- On Basing Arabian Gulf ESL/ESP on Arabian Gulf Research (Tom Cobb)
	- What Is an Advanced Level Vocabulary? (Michael McCarthy)
	- What Is Advanced Level Vocabulary? The Case of Chunks and Clusters (Ron Carter)
12:00 pm-1:30 pm	Lunch (Dubai Men's College Cafeteria)
1:30 pm-3:15 pm	Concurrent Discussions
	- On Basing Arabian Gulf ESL/ESP on Arabian Gulf Research (Tom Cobb)
	- What Is an Advanced Level Vocabulary? (Michael McCarthy)
	- What Is Advanced Level Vocabulary? The Case of Chunks and Clusters (Ron Carter)
3:30 pm-4:15 pm	Closing Session/Questions & Answers (DMC Auditorium) David Palfreyman, Zayed University
4:15 pm-4:30 pm	Closing Remarks (DMC Auditorium) Mark Algren, American University of Sharjah

LOCATION

Academic City
Dubai-Al Ain Road - Exit 16
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Location Map (PDF document)
http://www.hct.ac.ae/globalpages/media/dubai.pdf

Coming from Dubai
To get to Dubai Men’s College, travel in the direction of Al Ain. Once you are on Dubai-Al Ain Highway (Route 66), drive for about 20 kilometers and take the Academic City exit. Follow the road around and you will see signs to the main gate of Dubai Men’s College. Once you enter the main gates, you will receive instructions on where to park.

Coming from Sharjah
To get to Dubai Men’s College, take the Emirates Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi. Take the Academic City exit. Follow the road around and you will see signs to the main gate of Dubai Men’s College. Once you enter the main gates, you will receive instructions on where to park.

Coming from Al Ain
To get to Dubai Men’s College, take the Dubai-Al Ain Highway (Route 66). Take the Academic City exit. Follow the road around and you will see signs to the main gate of Dubai Men’s College. Once you enter the main gates, you will receive instructions on where to park.

Lodging

Below is a list of hotels that offer special rates for the 2006 TESOL Arabia conference and TESOL Symposium. Please contact the hotels directly to make reservations, and mention TESOL Arabia to receive the conference rates.

Al Bustan Rotana Hotel
Garhoud, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 282-0000
Fax: +971 4 282-8100

Towers Rotana
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 343-8000
Fax: +971 4 3435111

Jumeira Rotana
Satwa, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 3455888
Fax: +971 4 3458777

Rihab Rotana Suites
Near Garhoud, Dubai
Tel: +971 4 2940300
Fax: +971 4 2940400

REGISTRATION FEES
(includes program fees, materials, lunch voucher, and refreshment breaks)

Pre-registration Fee (received by February 22)	On-site Registration Fee (after February 22)
US$35	US$45

SPEAKERS

On Basing Arabian Gulf ESL/ESP on Arabian Gulf Research
Tom Cobb

It is often said that the Arabian Gulf is the largest ESL/ESP project in existence but with almost no research coming out of it or on which to base it. This observation while humorous ignores a coherent if fragmented program of area-based research extending over 30 years that includes empirical data and provides a clear basis for instructional development, particularly in vocabulary. In my talk I will pull this research together and argue for its continuing relevance.

Tom Cobb taught English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Hong Kong. These experiences convinced him of the value of vocabulary in ESP and of the computer in vocabulary instruction. He next undertook a PhD in educational technology focusing on computerassisted vocabulary growth, and then became a professor of applied linguistics with a website dedicated to sharing his work with practitioners.

What Is an Advanced Level Vocabulary?
Michael McCarthy

How big does a receptive vocabulary need to be at different levels? How does the advanced level differ qualitatively from other levels? At the advanced level little may be gained by simply learning more and more words, and depth of learning becomes more important than breadth. Using corpus data, we investigate what ‘depth of knowledge’ involves.

Michael McCarthy is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Nottingham; Adjunct Professor of Applied Linguistics, Penn State University, USA; and Adjunct Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Limerick, Ireland. He is co-director (with Ron Carter) of the 5-million word CANCODE spoken English corpus project, and author of many books.

What Is Advanced Level Vocabulary? The Case of Chunks and Clusters
Ron Carter

Recent corpus-based research has underlined that vocabulary should not be seen simply as individual words and even not simply as significant collocations and has underlined that knowing vocabulary at an advanced level entails knowing patterns of words. What are these patterns? How big or small are they? To what extent do they contribute to fluency in a second or foreign language? Are these ‘chunks’ and ‘clusters’ different in written and spoken English? What are the implications forlanguage teaching and learning?

Ron Carter is Professor of Modern English Language at the University of Nottingham. He has written and edited more than 50 books in the fields of literary-linguistics, language and education, applied linguistics, and the teaching of English. He has taught and lectured in over 30 countries worldwide and published over 100 academic papers. In the UK he has worked closely with QCA and the DfES on English in the National Curriculum and the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum and is currently part-seconded to the DfES as linguistic advisor on basic skills, literacy and ESOL. Recent and forthcoming books include: Exploring Grammar in Context (CUP, 2000) (with Michael McCarthy and Rebecca Hughes); The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CUP, 2001) (edited with David Nunan); second editions of Working with Texts and (with John McRae) The Routledge History of Literature in English (Routledge, 2001) and The Routledge Guide to Modern Writing (2003). Language and Creativity: The Art of Common Talk (Routledge) was published in 2004, and forthcoming in 2006 is Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide to Spoken and Written English and Usage (with Michael McCarthy). Professor Carter is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a fellow of the British Academy for Social Sciences, and current chair of the British Association for Applied Linguistics.

CLOSING SESSION

David Palfreyman has been a TESOL teacher and teacher educator, in Europe and the Middle East for 20 years. He currently works at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates, teaches English language and teacher education programs, and contributes to the University’s Centre for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. His research interests include the role of socio-cultural context in language education, vocabulary curriculum development, and the use of information and communication technology.