When I write a new word up on the board, I rarely only write the word itself. I try to consider what extra useful information I should include. This is related of course to my aims but also in a more general way to what my learners need to know and how they can understand this. I always try to write up a short example which helps my learners understand meaning and usage, and if I think it is relevant I add other related words, for example derivatives, words with similar meaning, or an idiom based on the word. I also add phonemic script if it is useful. I try not to add too much information every time, obviously, but find this approach not only helps learners record and learn new words, but also expand their awareness of language systems.

By Paul Kaye