Assessing The Practices And Challenges Of Vocabulary Teaching Strategies Used By Efl Teachers: The Case Of Grade 8 Students At Gosu Kora Primary School In Ambo District.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to assess practices and challenges of vocabulary teaching and learning strategies used by EFL teachers and students: The case of grade 8 students of Gosu Kora Primary School in Ambo town. The study particularly, find out the practice of vocabulary teaching and learning strategies, examine to what extent teachers practically use vocabulary teaching strategies in EFL classes and students use vocabulary learning strategies in class and identify the major factors that might affect the implementation of vocabulary teaching and learning strategies in EFL classes. To this end, the study employed which involves both quantitative and qualitative methods. The researcher selected 10 English Language teachers from his school in order to collect information through interview, questionnaire and classroom observation. In addition, data were collected from 80 randomly chosen students through questionnaire. Thus, the collected data employed in analysing the quantitative and qualitative data analysed qualitatively. The results of the study showed that teachers were not capable enough on the practicing vocabulary teaching strategies in EFL classes and students had not willing to learn vocabulary in class. In addition, there was lack of practical skills on implementing different types of vocabulary teaching strategies in EFL classes according to their suitability. Furthermore, the study show that they rarely practiced these strategies during vocabulary instruction. Generally, the practices of vocabulary teaching and learning strategies were not given sufficient attention at Gosu Kora primary School. Thus, the study indicated that English teachers did not practice and use to minimize challenges they face in EFL classes and students did not practice well this strategies. Finally, based on the findings, the researcher recommended that creating meaningful vocabulary teaching opportunities through different vocabulary teaching strategies should be practiced widely in Gosu Kora primary school.