Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Principles in Classroom Practices

Abstract

Vocabulary teaching and learning principles assist in providing effective teaching and learning methods, in accordance with the learners' proficiency level. However, studies that looked into the relevancy of those principles are rather limited. Thus, this study focuses on finding the common practices of vocabulary teaching and learning principles in the classroom. Interviews involving three experts were done to determine their vocabulary teaching and learning principles application in their teaching. Based on the data analysed using Atlas t.i, out of ten Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Principles, only eight were practiced by the participants. The findings revealed that these experts, even though practice the principles, the approaches were varied. Finally, the data points to the need for future studies on the importance of having good vocabulary instructions in teaching and learning vocabulary. Introduction Language has given human being the ability to communicate with each other, forming a complex system of communication, and within each language vocabulary stands as the basis for the language. Schmitt (2008) states that vocabulary should be considered as more than a set of single-word units, and Ngan-ha (2007) defines vocabulary as the smallest unit in the language. Thus in mastering a language, it is crucial for the learner to acquire the vocabulary. It is known that vocabulary is significant in learning of language particularly of a second language or foreign language learning, for vocabulary holds an important role in learning English because it is the basic of the language skill (Kurniawan, 2009). Wilkins (1972) briefly notes: 'without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed' (p111-112). Acquiring vocabulary and gaining sufficient vocabulary size have often become a stumbling block to some students due to several discerning factors including learning disability, lack of exposure to English, lack of self-confidence, and lack of knowledge about the right vocabulary strategies (Yunus et.al, 2016) In acquiring vocabulary, many strategies and principles have been introduced (Barcroft,, even though there are many principles, studies that looked into its applicability are rather limited. Thus this paper aims to determine the most applicable vocabulary teaching and learning principles, and what experts say about those principles in term of their applicability in classroom practices.