Vocabulary Knowledge of ELT Teachers in Iceland: Size, Levels and Influences

• Main Authors: Coxhead,, Averil, Drayton, Jennifer, Boutorwick, TJ
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Icelandic
• Published: Milli Mála 2022
• Subjects: Vocabulary Knowledge of ELT Teachers; VLT and VST testing; professional development; sources of vocabulary knowledge; Iceland
• Online Access: https://ojs.hi.is/index.php/millimala/article/view/3674

This article reports on a small-scale study of the vocabulary knowledge and language learning experience of 20 secondary school teachers from six schools in Iceland. The teachers took the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) (Nation & Coxhead, 2021; Nation & Beglar 2007) and the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) (Schmitt et al., 2001; Nation 1983). Ten of the teachers took part in individual interviews, while six teachers participated in group interviews. The VST results suggestthat the teachers have a large vocabulary size at nearly 16,000 word families on average. The VLT results also indicate mastery of high-frequency, mid-frequency and academic vocabulary. The interview results indicated a range of experiences that have contributed to the vocabulary knowledge of these English teachers. These included lifelong exposure to the language, high-level academic studies, and a love of literature, language and arts in English. Implications for language learning and teaching are discussed, along with suggestions for further research.Keywords: Vocabulary Knowledge of ELT Teachers, VLT and VST testing, professional development, sources of vocabulary knowledge Þessi grein segir frá rannsókn á enskufærni, nánar tiltekið orðaforðakunnáttu, tuttugu framhaldsskólakennara í sex skólum á Íslandi. Tvö orðaforðapróf voru lögð fyrir kennarana. Annars vegar Vocabulary Size Test (VST) (Nation og Coxhead 2021; Nation og Beglar 2007) til að mæla umfang orðaforðaþekkingar, og hins vegar Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) (Scmitt o.fl. 2001; Nation 1983). Tíukennarar tóku að auki þátt í einstaklingsviðtölum en sex kennarar voru þátttakendur í hópviðtölum um hvar þeir hefðu lært ensku og enskan orðaforða. Niðurstöður úr VST prófum benda til þess að íslensku kennararnir hafi á valdi sínu næstum 16.000 orðafjölskyldur að meðaltali sem er mjög ríkulegur orðaforði hjá annarsmálsnotendum. Niðurstöður VLT prófa gáfu til kynna að kennararnir hafi á valdi sínu algeng hátíðniorð og orð á miðtíðniskala en þekki einnig fátíð orð sem flokkast sem sérhæfður og ...