ABSTRACT
Knowing a second language is considered a basic skill nowadays and schools are expected to offer students the best and most effective learning opportunities. In that context, kindergarten is a key stage for the development of vocabulary and teachers need to cater for children’s needs of engaging and meaningful materials. This chapter discusses the effectiveness of two methodologies for English vocabulary acquisition in a Spanish kindergarten class: one based on contextualized situations through storytelling with picture books, and the other based on a more decontextualized approach using games such as bingo or memory. Results from T-test analysis showed that the use of picture books increased passive and active vocabulary and was significantly more effective than the decontextualized method.
