“Learning Vocabulary is Just Hard Work”. A study of Swedish EFL teachers' perception of vocabulary teaching, how they teach vocabulary and the role of extramural English

Abstract

The aim of this study is to gain insight into how Swedish EFL teachers work with vocabulary teaching, their beliefs about motivation and the impact of extramural English on students’ vocabulary. So far, such research has been restricted primarily to non-Swedish settings. To fulfill the aim, a questionnaire was created and the answers were thereafter analysed. The results of this study show that the teachers in this study generally believe they have sufficient knowledge about vocabulary teaching. However, there are some discrepancies between the teachers’ beliefs and what research shows about e.g. the degree of vocabulary coverage needed for unassisted comprehension of a text in that the teachers e.g. underestimate the vocabulary needed. Furthermore, the results of this study show that the two most common methods of teaching vocabulary used by teachers are implicit teaching and online tools. The teachers participating in the study believed it is beneficial to be motivated but stress that students can still increase their vocabulary, through e.g. extramural gaming. Finally, the study accounts for pedagogical implications, such as the importance of teachers staying updated on research regarding vocabulary teaching. It also offers suggestions for further research such as using a higher number of participants in the study.