An Investigation of Vocabulary Teaching Strategies in Grade Eleven: The Case of Gerba Secondary School in West Guji Zone

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate vocabulary teaching strategies used in grade eleven. This study aimed to find out the techniques employed to present vocabulary activities provided for practice and whether or not the words taught previously were recycled in subsequent lessons during vocabulary instruction. To achieve this, the study employed descriptive research design that entails both quantitative and qualitative methods. The sample consisted of 2 grade eleven English Language teachers and 121 students drawn from 503 grade eleven students of Gerba secondary school. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the target school while simple random and availability sampling techniques were employed to select the sample students and teachers respectively.Content analysis, interview, classroom observation and questionnaire were used to gather the required data.  Data collected from interviewing English Language teachers and classroom observations were analyzed qualitatively, whereas data from content analysis and questionnaire were analyzed quantitatively. The results of the study revealed that teachers used techniques like definition, translation that result in surface learning. Teachers didn’t use techniques like semantic mapping and vocabulary notebook that are used to form relational associations and promote autonomous word learning were not taken into consideration. Activities that promote deeper student involvement like creative use were not given attention. Recycling of new words in subsequent lessons was very insufficient, which resulted  in students unable to learn stock of vocabularies.Therefore, English Language teachers should discharge their prime responsibilities by giving robust vocabulary instruction i.e by bringing diverse techniques and activities that promote language use and process words in depth into sharp focus for vocabulary retention and by recycling new words sufficiently for better acquisition.Thus, based on the findings of the study, recommendations were forwarded to alleviate  the aforementioned problems in the schools under study.