An Evaluation of Vocabulary Teaching

Vocabulary acquisition is one of the most challenging obstacles language learners must overcome. This is especially true for students wishing to study in overseas universities, where comprehension of academic texts is required. This dissertation evaluates the vocabulary teaching component of an intensive English teaching programme for students intending to enter universities in the U.S. It first describes the course and the issues which prompted the study. It then examines previous research in vocabulary learning and applies some of the key findings to the development of a research project. This project had three elements: vocabulary learning strategy surveys intended to reveal changes in study behaviour over a three-month period; tests to measure passive vocabulary growth over the same period; and examining free productive vocabularies to determine whether there is a shift towards less-frequent forms. Data analysis shows some evidence of changing attitudes to vocabulary learning strategies, although not entirely in accord with the aims of the programme. Passive vocabulary is shown to increase significantly, but while some developments in productive vocabulary are suggested, concerns remain about the chosen method of analysis. The author concludes that while the programme largely fulfils its goals, the research has highlighted some areas for improvement.