Teaching vocabulary through the Lexical Approach: strategies for first- and second-year undergraduate students

Abstract

The development of lexical competence is widely recognized as one of the fundamental components of language acquisition. Consequently, expanding students’ vocabulary remains a primary objective in foreign language pedagogy. Mastering linguistic units involves not only memorization of grammatical structures but also a deep understanding of their semantic and functional properties, as well as their practical use in communication. Given the contemporary status of English as global lingua franca, enriching the learners’ lexical repertoire has assumed paramount importance in modern language pedagogy. According to Nesselhauf [5, 233], developing proficiency in collocations is crucial for students aiming at advanced language mastery, as these structures simultaneously improve both grammatical precision and conversational fluency. Within this framework, classroom tasks should no longer be confined to passive, isolated word memorization, but rather act as dynamic tools that help undergraduate students notice and internalize formulaic structures. This article examines the methods of vocabulary acquisition in English language classes at the lower levels of higher education (first- and second-year undergraduate students), as well as contemporary pedagogical approaches and effective teaching methods. Within the scope of this study, particular emphasis is placed on the pivotal role, of the Lexical Approach in vocabulary mastery.