Many people in non-native English speaking countries learn English as a second language at school. Moreover, most countries build it into the curriculum of national education ranging from elementary to university levels of education. As a compulsory subject in many countries, it is necessary that the students learn the language. They must be able to use the language, although just in the form of simple conversation in order to communicate simple ideas at least with their teacher or with colleagues, or in a broader use with native speakers of the language. To be able to understand English, non-native language learners must know the meaning of words and must study seriously and practice it in their daily life. Without mastering vocabulary, lack of skills will affect their ability to master the other skills in English. Although there are numerous techniques that can be applied by a teacher in teaching vocabulary for a non-native language, it is crucially important to consider the situation of the students, especially in disadvantaged communities and to figure out the ideas and techniques that might be effectively applied for the students in disadvantaged situations. This paper will focus on teaching students in disadvantaged conditions in an overview of the vocabulary teaching techniques of contextualizing vocabulary in situations meaningful to these students, developing personal teacher-student relationships to create the schema and desire to learn vocabulary, and using collaborative learning activities.