Vocabulary development is perhaps the most underestimated language skill. Students usually prepare for English examinations by focusing exclusively on listening, reading, writing and speaking; and for this reason, class lessons are designed to emphasize grammar rules. However, vocabulary is possibly even more important when it comes to the practical use of English.
This article was the final submission for the “Views from the Outside” series. In this submission, I look at the flaws in my teaching methods and how I could offer a remedy.
In this article, I alert readers that my “Views from the Outside” series was coming to its logical end. My tourism students were graduating, and no new students would be permitted to enroll. In fact, the International Studies center was about to be permanently shut down. I started my series in hopes of saving the program and making a lasting imprint on the local tourism industry. In the end, only three out of 23 students found jobs in the tourism industry. Student felt the tour guide salary was too low and worried about various kickback they would be required to pay. They didn’t want the responsibility that came with the job and disliked working in the heat. Most of this class eventually became teachers or found jobs at local factories. (more…)