Exploring vocabulary teaching competencies Grade 10 English First Additional Language teachers of Thohoyandou Cluster in Vhembe East District
type: CreativeWork
description: Teachers of English First Additional Language are critically important in the learners’ vocabulary learning trajectories. Learners need a significant vocabulary repertoire for their academic commitments, comprehension of content and articulate expression of their responses, especially in tests and examinations. Despite these imperatives, Grade 12 learners’ vocabulary level remains unsatisfactory, and this paucity explains their low performance in the English FAL. This study explored the vocabulary teaching strategies, resources, and vocabulary teaching activities used by teachers in the Thohoyandou cluster of Vhembe East District. A parallel-convergent research methodology using pragmatism paradigm and mixed-methods approach was conducted to explore vocabulary teaching competencies of forty-six Grade 10 English FAL teachers in the Thohoyandou cluster of Vhembe East District, Limpopo Province. As part of the quantitative research methodology, all 46 teachers responded to a questionnaire while 10 of these teachers constituted a purposive sample observed teaching vocabulary in class. Data were captured using an observation checklist. The same 10 teachers who were observed were further engaged in structured interviews which were recorded as part of the qualitative data. The research findings established that the majority of the participants were aware of the CAPS’ expectations regarding the teaching of vocabulary. Participants were competent in using English as a medium of instruction throughout their lessons. Even though almost all the participants knew the effective vocabulary teaching strategies, had the resources and designed valid activities, only a few of these could translate their knowledge into practice. Most teachers preferred teaching vocabulary using synonyms and antonyms; they relied heavily on reading texts as teaching resources, and they engaged learners selectively in very short responses to predictable questions. Teachers did not exhibit dynamic teachin…
abstract: Teachers of English First Additional Language are critically important in the learners’ vocabulary learning trajectories. Learners need a significant vocabulary repertoire for their academic commitments, comprehension of content and articulate expression of their responses, especially in tests and examinations. Despite these imperatives, Grade 12 learners’ vocabulary level remains unsatisfactory, and this paucity explains their low performance in the English FAL. This study explored the vocabulary teaching strategies, resources, and vocabulary teaching activities used by teachers in the Thohoyandou cluster of Vhembe East District. A parallel-convergent research methodology using pragmatism paradigm and mixed-methods approach was conducted to explore vocabulary teaching competencies of forty-six Grade 10 English FAL teachers in the Thohoyandou cluster of Vhembe East District, Limpopo Province. As part of the quantitative research methodology, all 46 teachers responded to a questionnaire while 10 of these teachers constituted a purposive sample observed teaching vocabulary in class. Data were captured using an observation checklist. The same 10 teachers who were observed were further engaged in structured interviews which were recorded as part of the qualitative data. The research findings established that the majority of the participants were aware of the CAPS’ expectations regarding the teaching of vocabulary. Participants were competent in using English as a medium of instruction throughout their lessons. Even though almost all the participants knew the effective vocabulary teaching strategies, had the resources and designed valid activities, only a few of these could translate their knowledge into practice. Most teachers preferred teaching vocabulary using synonyms and antonyms; they relied heavily on reading texts as teaching resources, and they engaged learners selectively in very short responses to predictable questions. Teachers did not exhibit dynamic teachin…
author: Nndwamato, Ndivhudzannyi Michael
language: en
keywords: Vocabulary learning, Comprehension, Expression, Low performance, Strategies, Resources, Activities
date published: 2021-03-02
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:57:35Z
provider: University of Venda
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Venda

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11602/1766