Effective vocabulary instruction in English Language at the public junior high schools in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality

Abstract

Vocabulary knowledge is one of the leading indicators of a student’s ability to comprehend a text. With this in mind, it is necessary that English language teachers in every content area, search for best practices in vocabulary instruction that will benefit students in comprehension. The purpose of the study was to assess effective teaching of vocabulary learning in English language at the public junior high in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality. Sixty-six (66) English language teachers teaching English as a subject in the public junior high schools were purposively sampled for the study. Questionnaire items were used to collect data, as well observation activities were used to observe English language teachers vocabulary instruction lesson in reading comprehension. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The study found that majority of the respondents used extensive reading, repetition method, interaction and background knowledge of students to teach vocabulary in English language. This led to a discussion in the conclusion about the need for vocabulary instruction to be taken seriously in reading lessons in English language especially at the public junior high schools. The outcome of the study would help educational policy-makers and English language teachers in basic schools to identify and resolve such concerns to increase the success rate of implementing the curriculum.