An Investigation into EFL Teachers’ Vocabulary Teaching Strategies: Two secondary and one preparatory schools in focus.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine EFL teachers‟ vocabulary teaching strategies employed by all the seven teachers of two secondary and one preparatory schools in Basketo special woreda, SNNPRS. Therefore, the researcher used the availability sampling technique; the descriptive survey research design to conduct the study. The availability sampling technique was used because of small number of populations in the schools. And, the researcher employed the three tools whose questions were adapted from the other source mentioned in the appendix (3). To illustrate this, the questionnaire was one of the tools which was prepared and, administered to all the seven teachers of the above mentioned schools. As a result, the data obtained through this technique was tallied, and tabulated in the form of frequency and percentage to analyze it quantitatively. This means that they were used to quantify the data obtained through questionnaire numerically. On the other hand, the data gathered through both observations and interviews were analyzed by using the qualitative method of data analysis all the way through words. The analysis and discussions of the study were also accomplished based on the data collected using the three tools. Furthermore, the findings of the study show that teachers were inclined to present vocabulary through using direct strategies of teaching than indirect strategies of teaching. Thus, based on the findings of the study, the most frequently practiced direct strategies of teaching English language vocabulary are guessing meanings of words from context, studying parts of speech, asking students to study word lists, asking students to use new words in making sentences, teaching students to study semantic relations, and teaching them to write down new words in their exercise books. However, it can be said that nearly all common vocabularies which can have concrete meanings have to be taught using direct strategies of teaching vocabulary while others those which might not have concrete meanings are supposed to be taught through indirect strategies of teaching vocabulary. For instance, these include extensive reading, watching and listening to audio visual materials, interacting with others and etc. And it also seems that there were factors challenging teachers‟ practice of vocabulary teaching strategies that need to be solved through concerned bodies correspondingly as troubles hindering the mastery of vocabulary to make effective EFL communication.