Graphic organizers as a cognitive strategy to develop vocabulary

Nowadays, vocabulary is very essential for the successful comprehension of language, more than grammar, it is the key to learners understanding what they hear and read in school; and to communicating successfully with other people. In addition, the more words a student knows the more precisely the student can express the exact meaning he/she wants to. On the other hand, Graphic Organizers support students to think about the relationships between words and their meanings. Teachers can use Graphic Organizers for a clear vocabulary instruction. These tools may also be used as classroom assessment for learning because they give teachers a quick look at students' vocabulary knowledge. However, certain students have many problems in mastering English. This makes them feel unmotivated to study. Among the problems that limit the learning of vocabulary that students are not able to comprehend the meaning of the words, as a result they have difficulty to communicate in English as a foreign language.