Barry Bakin, an ESL teacher in Los Angeles,  has a good idea on how to teach new vocabulary — especially a vocabulary “list” — that he’s given me permission to reprint here:

“Try turning the lists into a scavenger hunt game. Throw the task back to the students. Assign 3 or 4 words to each student and tell them to research the terms (using the dictionary, Internet, and/or by interviewing working artists) and come back to the class with a role-play, conversation, or video of the term in use in the field. Doing the research process and then having to develop an authentic demonstration of the term will not only help them learn vocabulary, they’ll gain insight into a process….”

Another simple, and good, idea.