UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
Department of Language Education, Arts and Culture
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
ACI2602: Teaching Language Struc-
tures and Conventions in English
as a First Additional Language
Assignment 03 — Semester 2, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
ACI2602
Module Code:
Teaching Language Structures and Conven-
Module Name:
tions in English FAL – Intermediate Phase
03
Assignment Number:
752855
Unique Number:
03 August 2026
Due Date:
100
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for ACI2602 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | ACI2602 Teaching Language Structures – Assignment 3
Question 1: Vocabulary Learning – Concepts, Games, Context Clues, and Word
Building
Vocabulary learning stands at the centre of language acquisition in English First Additional
Language (EFAL) classrooms, and researchers distinguish between at least two fundamentally
different routes through which learners encounter and retain new words (Nation, 2001).
1.1 Explicit Versus Implicit Vocabulary Learning
Explicit vocabulary learning refers to the deliberate, conscious study of new words. The
teacher draws the learner’s attention directly to a target word, its meaning, spelling, pronunci-
ation, and use, through activities such as definition exercises, word lists, dictionary tasks, and
direct instruction of word parts (Yaghoubi and Seyyedi, 2017). The learner is fully aware that
vocabulary acquisition is the goal of the activity.
Implicit vocabulary learning, by contrast, occurs without conscious attention to individual
words. Learners absorb vocabulary incidentally through reading continuous texts, listening
to stories, or engaging in communicative tasks where meaning, not form, is the primary focus
(Marzban et al., 2015). Words are picked up as a by-product of language use rather than as
the direct object of instruction.
Table 1: Explicit vs. Implicit Vocabulary Learning
Aspect Explicit Learning Implicit Learning
Consciousness Intentional; learner is aware Incidental; learner is unaware
Primary method Direct instruction, word lists, Extensive reading, listening,
dictionaries communicative tasks
Teacher’s role Active instructor, presenter Facilitator, provider of rich input
Learner output Faster gains for specific target Gradual, broader retention over
words time
Best used when Introducing new, unfamiliar vo- Consolidating vocabulary
cabulary through meaningful exposure
Research consistently shows that explicit instruction produces significantly higher short-term
vocabulary gains, while implicit approaches develop deeper, more contextualised lexical knowl-
edge over time (Yaghoubi and Seyyedi, 2017). An effective EFAL classroom therefore com-
bines both.
Page 2 of 22
, UNISA | ACI2602 Teaching Language Structures – Assignment 3
Key Distinction
Explicit learning is goal-directed – the learner knows words are being studied. Im-
plicit learning is incidental – vocabulary grows as a side effect of meaningful language
engagement.
1.2 Two Vocabulary Games and Their Classroom Use
Game 1: Hangman
In Hangman, one learner or the teacher thinks of a target vocabulary word and draws blanks
on the board representing each letter. Other learners guess letters one at a time. A correct
letter fills a blank; an incorrect guess adds a body part to the gallows drawing. The game
ends when the word is solved or the figure is complete. The teacher can adapt this game by
using only words from the current theme (for example, words related to “Water and the En-
vironment”) and requiring the guesser to use the word in a sentence once it is revealed. This
reinforces both recognition and production (Hsu, 2025).
Game 2: Word Bingo
Each learner receives a bingo card containing nine or sixteen vocabulary words from the cur-
rent unit. The teacher reads out definitions, synonyms, or cloze sentences rather than the
words themselves. Learners match the definition to the word on their card and mark it. The
first learner to complete a row calls “Bingo” and must read all matched words in context sen-
tences to confirm the win. This game demands active semantic processing rather than mere
recognition (Minh and Nguyen, as cited in Insani et al., 2024).
1.3 Context Clues in Vocabulary Learning
A context clue is information found in the words, sentences, or paragraphs surrounding an
unfamiliar word that helps a reader infer its meaning without consulting a dictionary (Nation,
2001). Context clues may take the form of synonyms, antonyms, definitions embedded in the
text, examples, or the general logic of the surrounding passage.
Example: In the sentence “The baobab is a deciduous tree, meaning it sheds its leaves during
the dry winter months”, the phrase “meaning it sheds its leaves during the dry winter months”
Page 3 of 22
Department of Language Education, Arts and Culture
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
ACI2602: Teaching Language Struc-
tures and Conventions in English
as a First Additional Language
Assignment 03 — Semester 2, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
ACI2602
Module Code:
Teaching Language Structures and Conven-
Module Name:
tions in English FAL – Intermediate Phase
03
Assignment Number:
752855
Unique Number:
03 August 2026
Due Date:
100
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for ACI2602 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | ACI2602 Teaching Language Structures – Assignment 3
Question 1: Vocabulary Learning – Concepts, Games, Context Clues, and Word
Building
Vocabulary learning stands at the centre of language acquisition in English First Additional
Language (EFAL) classrooms, and researchers distinguish between at least two fundamentally
different routes through which learners encounter and retain new words (Nation, 2001).
1.1 Explicit Versus Implicit Vocabulary Learning
Explicit vocabulary learning refers to the deliberate, conscious study of new words. The
teacher draws the learner’s attention directly to a target word, its meaning, spelling, pronunci-
ation, and use, through activities such as definition exercises, word lists, dictionary tasks, and
direct instruction of word parts (Yaghoubi and Seyyedi, 2017). The learner is fully aware that
vocabulary acquisition is the goal of the activity.
Implicit vocabulary learning, by contrast, occurs without conscious attention to individual
words. Learners absorb vocabulary incidentally through reading continuous texts, listening
to stories, or engaging in communicative tasks where meaning, not form, is the primary focus
(Marzban et al., 2015). Words are picked up as a by-product of language use rather than as
the direct object of instruction.
Table 1: Explicit vs. Implicit Vocabulary Learning
Aspect Explicit Learning Implicit Learning
Consciousness Intentional; learner is aware Incidental; learner is unaware
Primary method Direct instruction, word lists, Extensive reading, listening,
dictionaries communicative tasks
Teacher’s role Active instructor, presenter Facilitator, provider of rich input
Learner output Faster gains for specific target Gradual, broader retention over
words time
Best used when Introducing new, unfamiliar vo- Consolidating vocabulary
cabulary through meaningful exposure
Research consistently shows that explicit instruction produces significantly higher short-term
vocabulary gains, while implicit approaches develop deeper, more contextualised lexical knowl-
edge over time (Yaghoubi and Seyyedi, 2017). An effective EFAL classroom therefore com-
bines both.
Page 2 of 22
, UNISA | ACI2602 Teaching Language Structures – Assignment 3
Key Distinction
Explicit learning is goal-directed – the learner knows words are being studied. Im-
plicit learning is incidental – vocabulary grows as a side effect of meaningful language
engagement.
1.2 Two Vocabulary Games and Their Classroom Use
Game 1: Hangman
In Hangman, one learner or the teacher thinks of a target vocabulary word and draws blanks
on the board representing each letter. Other learners guess letters one at a time. A correct
letter fills a blank; an incorrect guess adds a body part to the gallows drawing. The game
ends when the word is solved or the figure is complete. The teacher can adapt this game by
using only words from the current theme (for example, words related to “Water and the En-
vironment”) and requiring the guesser to use the word in a sentence once it is revealed. This
reinforces both recognition and production (Hsu, 2025).
Game 2: Word Bingo
Each learner receives a bingo card containing nine or sixteen vocabulary words from the cur-
rent unit. The teacher reads out definitions, synonyms, or cloze sentences rather than the
words themselves. Learners match the definition to the word on their card and mark it. The
first learner to complete a row calls “Bingo” and must read all matched words in context sen-
tences to confirm the win. This game demands active semantic processing rather than mere
recognition (Minh and Nguyen, as cited in Insani et al., 2024).
1.3 Context Clues in Vocabulary Learning
A context clue is information found in the words, sentences, or paragraphs surrounding an
unfamiliar word that helps a reader infer its meaning without consulting a dictionary (Nation,
2001). Context clues may take the form of synonyms, antonyms, definitions embedded in the
text, examples, or the general logic of the surrounding passage.
Example: In the sentence “The baobab is a deciduous tree, meaning it sheds its leaves during
the dry winter months”, the phrase “meaning it sheds its leaves during the dry winter months”
Page 3 of 22
