“There Is No Quick Fix” to Building Vocabulary. Teacher Cognition of EFL Vocabulary Development and Instruction in Swedish Upper Secondary Schools

Abstract: Vocabulary is a central component to learning any language, but learning a foreign language requires particular attention to vocabulary development. As teacher cognition influences teachers’ instructional choices, their understanding of vocabulary development merits attention. Still, few studies into teacher cognition and vocabulary instruction have been made and even fewer into educational settings with high intermediate learners. The present study examined teacher cognition of vocabulary development, knowledge, and instruction of seven EFL teachers in Swedish upper secondary school through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The findings show that teachers are well aware of the complexity of vocabulary knowledge and its effects on vocabulary development. Teachers note that incidental learning enables students to build a sizeable vocabulary, but that it is not enough for formal registers. Consequently, they employ a multitude of instructional methods for vocabulary building. However, acknowledging that “there is no quick-fix” to building vocabulary, the teachers focus on teaching vocabulary learning strategies to encourage students to continue learning words outside of class. This study suggests a need for textbook writers and teacher educators to actively consider facilitating the teaching of vocabulary learning strategies