Explain the role of context in vocabulary development

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Most new vocabulary is learned through repeated exposure in meaningful context. However, context alone may not help in every case, and struggling readers especially may over-rely on context. Teachers can help students to use context clues, especially when new terms are clearly defined in the text. Teachers can also prepare sentences that provide rich context clues for unfamiliar words and use these sentences to introduce or reinforce vocabulary. Finally, context should always be consulted and discussed when students are engaged in activities like vocabulary self collection.