A study of the teaching strategies utilized by English communication skills lectures at the University of Venda to teach discipline-specific vocabulary

Abstract

The importance of vocabulary to the learning and teaching environment is emphasized in the literature but exactly how this takes place is a subject of much debate. There are many teaching strategies to teach discipline-specific vocabulary, the question is which are the most suitable to be used in a given situation?

This study looks at whether or not English Communication Skills lecturers at the University of Venda are aware of the teaching strategies and whether or not the lecturers utilize appropriate teaching strategies to teach discipline-specific vocabulary. The study is premised on the basis that ECS lecturers are not up to date with vocabulary teaching strategies, hence do not necessarily evaluate if the strategies they use are beneficial to their students.

This study is an action research which is carried out in a qualitative paradigm. It gives me the opportunity to reflect on an aspect of my work, which in this case, is teaching discipline-specific vocabulary in my ECS classes.

Literature shows that there are various discipline-specific vocabulary teaching strategies, however, the study revealed that ECS lecturers are not adequately cognizant of all of them. This could suggest that they do not find them suitable or appropriate for their discipline-specific modules or they lack relevant resources such as discipline-specific dictionaries to implement them.

The study recommends that in-service training workshops be organized for ECS discipline-specific lecturers to equip and empower them on other vocabulary teaching strategies they are not aware of. There should also be seminars where subject-specialists from each school and ECS discipline-specific lecturers meet to discuss latest trends and development within the discipline. ECS lecturers should also devise strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of discipline-specific vocabulary teaching strategies they use.