The Picture Word Inductive Model and English Vocabulary Acquisition : A Study in a Swedish Primary School

Abstract: This essay aims to assess the efficacy of the Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) in the acquisition of new English vocabulary for Swedish grade-4 pupils of a primary school in southernSweden. In this study, two aspects of vocabulary acquisition were concerned, namely, the recognition of vocabulary forms (spelling and pronunciation) and general understanding of word meaning in the short term. The pupils were divided into two groups and the methods were tests; questionnaires and the data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. After teaching lessons with the PWIM for one group and with using the word-list for the other close-level group, the results show that the group taught by the PWIM  gained relatively higher test scores and performed more actively and found the lesson more enjoyable in the classroom. Teaching by the PWIM is found to be effective in learning the new English vocabulary ofSLA(Second Language Acquisition). Although this efficacy is not prominent, a larger sample size and longer length of the cycles for the teaching of the PWIM would increase precision and will probably provide a different result for the efficacy of the PWIM in further studies.