A quantitative study on vocabulary in English textbooks used in upper secondary schools in Sweden

Abstract: Vocabulary plays a fundamental role in language learning acquisition. With a sufficientvocabulary, learners are able to express themselves in various ways, communicate and share their thoughts and opinions with others. In contrast, an inadequate vocabulary gives rise to misunderstanding and poor communication. For many years, one of the most common tools used to enhance and develop learners’ vocabulary in language classrooms have been textbooks. However, to what extent textbooks actually help facilitate and promote vocabulary acquisition has been questioned and debated. Therefore, the present study investigates how English textbooks promote vocabulary acquisition for learners at upper secondary schools in Sweden, and this was done by analysing two English textbooks, namely Blueprint and Solid Gold, used for English 5 in Swedish schools. Firstly, the study examined whether vocabulary in the texts is repeated in the tasks, and if it is, to what extent the vocabulary is repeated. Secondly, the study examined to what extent vocabulary in the textbooks corresponds to CEFR levels targeted in English 5. Lastly, the study examined what types of tasks there are in the textbooks, and whether the textbooks have a focus on explicit or incidental learning. The results showed that there is a lack of repetition in the textbooks. On the other hand, both textbooks corresponded well to CEFR levels targeted in English 5. With respect to different types of tasks, the closed exercise type is the most frequent exercise type in both textbooks. Moreover, there was also a large proportion of communicative tasks in the textbooks. The results also showed that both textbooks seem to have a focus on incidental learning.