English Language Teachers' Knowledge and Practices in Teaching Vocabulary using Audio-Visual Approach in Rural Primary School

Bryan, Lim and Joseph, Ramanair and Soo, Ruey Shing (2023) English Language Teachers' Knowledge and Practices in Teaching Vocabulary using Audio-Visual Approach in Rural Primary School. Masters thesis, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

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Abstract

Vocabulary is the key to effective communication. Past research found that teaching vocabulary has often been neglected by teachers as they focus on other language skills such as listening, speaking, grammar, reading, and writing. This research was conducted to investigate the English language teachers’ practices and knowledge with the use of the audio-visual (AV) approach to teach vocabulary in the rural east Malaysian primary school. This research focuses on the teachers’ planning, approaches, perceptions, and challenges when using the AV approach to teach vocabulary. Seven primary-level English language teachers from two schools in a rural area of Bau, Sarawak, participated in this research. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and document analysis, and were thematically analysed. The findings indicated that teachers viewed the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) aligned resources as their main guideline for lesson planning and approaching vocabulary teaching. Teachers were reported to use different AV approaches to teach vocabulary depending on the difficulty levels of the words. Findings show that teachers responded positively, and they were comfortable using the AV approach to teach vocabulary. However, teachers also experience infrastructure and policy challenges. The findings were then discussed in accordance with the two key themes: teachers' knowledge and practice. The challenges teachers faced seem to be linked to the gap between the teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in the subject matter and their PCK concerning the CEFR. The findings offer crucial implications for vocabulary teaching using the AV approach.

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