International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences

(IJRESS) ISSN: 2617-4804 1 (2) 116-127, November, 2018

www.oircjournals.org

Language Teachers’ Cognition and

Classroom Practice: A Study of
Teaching English Vocabulary in Busia
County, Kenya
1Mulamba Patrick Omoto, 1Prof. Peter Barasa 1Prof. Carolyn Omulando
Moi University

Type of the Paper: Research Paper.

Type of Review: Peer Reviewed.
Indexed in: worldwide web.
Google Scholar Citation: IJRESS

How to Cite this Paper:

Mulamba, P. O., Barasa, P. and Omulando, C. (2018). Language Teachers’

Cognition and Classroom Practice: A Study of Teaching English Vocabulary
in Busia County, Kenya. International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences
(IJRESS), 1 (2), 108-127.

International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences

(IJESS)

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Mulamba et al. (2018) www.oircjournals.org

 International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences
(IJRESS) ISSN: 2617-4804 1 (2) 116-127, November, 2018
www.oircjournals.org

Language Teachers’ Cognition and Classroom

Practice: A Study of Teaching English Vocabulary in
Busia County, Kenya
1Mulamba Patrick Omoto, 1Prof. Peter Barasa 1Prof. Carolyn Omulando
Moi University

ARTICLE INFO Abstract

Language is the basic mechanism in
Received 11th September, 2018 representation and expression of information.
Received in Revised Form 28th October, 2018 It is instrumental in enabling human beings
form social intuitions. The mental
Accepted on 10th November, 2018
representation about the world that is
Published online 12th November, 2018 communicated in any speech act is based on
Key Words: Language Teachers, Cognition, Classroom vocabulary as the building blocks. The
Practices, English Vocabulary, Busia County approach to teaching determines the mastery of
language vocabulary. Teacher Cognition is
central to the process of understanding
teaching. A key factor driving this research is the recognition of the fact that teachers are active thinking
decision – makers who play a pivot role in shaping classroom events. Instructional process is determined and
shaped by the teachers’ cognition. The congruence between teachers’ beliefs and actions is significant in
teaching. Vocabulary is the first and foremost important step in language acquisition; words are the main
carriers of meaning and thus the reason for this study to focus on vocabulary teaching. The purpose of this
qualitative study was to explore cognitive perspectives in relation to English language vocabulary instruction
process in primary schools in Busia County, Kenya. The objective was to investigate teachers’ beliefs about
English vocabulary instruction. The theoretical framework was based on Mezirow’s perspective transformation
which explores teacher cognition reflecting current, real life situation vocabulary instruction needs. There was
interplay between factors that shape teacher cognition as independent variable and the learning outcomes of
teaching English vocabulary being the dependent variables. The philosophical paradigm underpinning the
study was interpretivism. The research used descriptive survey design. The target population constituted of 548
primary schools in Busia County. The sample was 20 standard 8 teachers of English. Data collection
instruments were classroom observations and interview schedules. The data collected was analysed by use of
descriptive thematic analysis procedures, and were presented in various thematic areas based on study
objectives. It provides insight for teachers to improve on English vocabulary instructions.
Introduction important task facing the language learner”, (Swan
The study of English as official Language & Walter 1984). As (Calderon et al 2005) states,
cultivates real concern to improve the competence poor vocabulary is a serious issue for students.
and proficiency of the language. The increasing Other components of language such as grammar,
status of English as a world language has created phonology, discourse analysis, syntax and
an escalating demand for English proficiency and semantics cannot be developed without
competence. The more words learners are able to vocabulary. This study looks at the cognitive
handle accurately the better their chances of approach to teaching English vocabulary. The
understanding English and making themselves mental constructs and parameters of teacher
understood. Acquisition of vocabulary is arguably cognition are conceptualised. Vocabulary
the most critical component of language learning. instruction draws relevance from teacher
“Vocabulary acquisition is the largest and most cognition.
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 International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences
(IJRESS) ISSN: 2617-4804 1 (2) 116-127, November, 2018
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Vocabulary is the first and foremost important step
in language acquisition. In a classroom where
learners find themselves uncomfortable with L2,
language learning can be made interactive and
interesting with the employment of appropriate
approach and introduction of appropriate
vocabulary exercises
A vocabulary is anybody of words someone knows
and uses to express themselves in language
learning vocabulary is an important part of English
language art or second language classes.
Regardless of the level or class of teaching, it is
important that learners learn and practice new
vocabulary as often as possible. Although it is
important for learners to use correct grammar and
structure, words are the main carriers of meaning.
This means that the more words learners are able
to handle accurately the better their chances of
understanding English and making themselves
understood.
Learning the meaning of words involves learning
how one’s community labels content in their word.
(Golinkoff, 1999).
According to (Borg, 2015) education in the 1970’s
was mostly on behaviours (Borg 2013).This was
the dominant conceptual model of teaching in
1970’s. Learning was seen to be a product of
teaching and teaching was conceived as a
behaviour performed by teachers in class (Borg,
2015). Research in teaching aimed at describing
these behaviours. It conceived that behaviours
were determinants of learning outcomes.
Developments in cognitive psychology as
according to (Calderhead, 1987, 1996, Carter, 1990
in Borg 2015) highlighted the influence thinking
on behaviour. Understanding teachers required an
understanding of teachers’ mental lives rather than
an exclusive focus on observable behaviours (Borg
2003, 2006, 2015). It is obvious that what teachers
do is directed in no small measure by what they
think. Teaching based on the perception of
teachers, actual thinking and practices. . (Borg,
2015) asserts that recognition of this two – way
interaction between thinking and classroom
practice was an important step forward in
conceptualizing the field of teachers’ cognition. It
was affirmed that cognition shaped classroom
practice and likewise classroom events shaped
subsequent cognitions. This interest in congruence
between teachers’ beliefs and actions remain
current today. Nisbett and Ross (1980 P. 206)
confirm that “all human perception is influenced
Mulamba et al. (2018)
by the perceivers schema constructs, existing
beliefs and understanding. Arguing the same case,
Halkes and Olson (1984 a: 1) states what is in the
mind of teachers could explain classroom
processes in one way or another. Teaching is more
than merely transmitting information. Indeed the
management, motivation and sustainability of
learning can be understood only by exploring what
teachers do in their specific working contexts.
Teachers are the executive decision makers of the
curriculum. Teachers wondering how to teach are
not short of advice. Penny Ur (2013: 470) states
that, while working within external constraints,
teachers should adopt “their own situated
methodologies, driven directly by the question,
how are my students likely to learn best”. Teacher
cognition research area is the source for the
required insights. “Cognition refers to what
teachers think, know and belies and the
relationship of these mental constructs to what
teachers do in the language teaching classroom”
(Borg, 2003: 81). It is recognized that separating
the cognitive construction of teacher cognition
(Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs) may prove
difficult, as those are complex and overlapping
components (Borg, 2003:86). Teacher’s belief is
crucial in shaping their behaviour
(Kumaravadivelu, 2001).
Importance of Teacher Cognition
Research reveals that approaches to teaching has
been changing from time to time in the last few
decades. One predominant approach in the earlier
studies was process – product approach which
focused mainly on observable teaching events and
students learning outcomes (Dunkin & Biddle,
1974; Green, 1960; Rosenshine, 1971). In this
approach researchers aim to discover the
relationship between teacher behaviour and student
achievement, which is applicable to a wide range
of circumstances.
The assumption is that specific teaching behaviour
could be casually linked to particular learning
outcomes and the behaviours characteristics of
effective teacher could be used as a basis for
training other learners (Zan, 2013). However,
classroom contexts are by nature diverse; teacher
behaviour that is effective in one context may be
inappropriate and ineffective in another. Process -
product approach has contributed to our knowledge
of what teachers and students do in the classrooms,
and how teacher behaviours related to students,
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 International Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences
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learning and studies. Adopting this approach failed
to produce any contribution
Importance of Vocabulary in Learning English
Language
For many years vocabulary has been undervalued
in the field of second language teaching and
learning, but the last decades have seen a change of
attitude towards vocabulary. Laufer (1997) says:
“vocabulary is no longer a victim of discrimination
in second language learning research, or in
language teaching. After decades of neglect lexis is
now recognized as central to any language
acquisition process, native or non native. What
many language teachers might have intuitively
known for a long time, that a solid vocabulary is
necessary in every stage of language learning, is
now being openly stated by some language
researchers”. Change is due to the spread of the
audio lingual method followed by the
communicative approach, since then the findings
of applied linguistics slim down the syntax and
gives more importance to the lexicon. This
revolution of vocabulary has created explosion of
publications on vocabulary aimed at second
language teachers and course designers. Carter
(1998) thinks that vocabulary was neglected in
second language researches, as a result of syntax
and phonology domination in this field. Moreover,
vocabulary presentation seems to be difficult task
for syllabus designers because of its infinite nature.
But now vocabulary is in the top of second
language research. Jordens et al. (1996) believe
that vocabulary is more important than grammar
because people generally use vocabulary and
reduce grammar particularly when getting a
message across quickly and precisely and is of the
utmost importance; like telegrams, panic situations
or times when emotions are very high. Moreover,
the number of ungrammatical sentences people
speak and write is enormous, unless they need to
convey complex messages precisely. It is clear that
vocabulary has been recognized as a key area of
language knowledge. Hatch (1978) believes that
what the foreign language learner needs lexical
elements in early stage as well as in later stage of
the learning process, is often far greater than the
need for grammatical rules. This why travellers
take dictionaries not grammar books when going
abroad. Vocabulary is central to English language
teaching because without sufficient vocabulary
students cannot understand or express their own
Mulamba et al. (2018)
ideas Wilkins (1972: 111) states: While without
grammar very little can be conveyed, without
vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”.
Call (1987) cited in Jordens (1996) points out that
we can give a clear image without using certain
grammatical categories for example: storm fall tree
dead, this explain why text comprehension is
determined to a large extent by vocabulary
acquisition. A considerable amount of research has
been devoted to second language classrooms in
order to ascertain where the type of instruction has
an effect on second language development and
achievement. As Ellis (2012) points out that this
kind of research aims at the clarification of
theoretical issues but above all aims at the
improvement of language teaching by means of
developing teachers awareness of the nature of the
input that learners are exposed to. In order to
become proficient in a foreign language therefore,
a learner has to learn thousands of words before
taking care of grammar , and language teachers
should spend considerable time on teaching
vocabulary in their classroom, and examining the
relationship between vocabulary teaching and
vocabulary learning.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to explore cognitive
perspectives in relation to the teaching and learning
of English language vocabulary with the view of
improving pedagogy of English in primary schools
in Busia County, Kenya.
Objective of the Study
To investigate Kenyan primary school teachers’
beliefs and perception about English vocabulary
instruction in primary schools.
Justification of the Study
The need for research on teacher cognition in
vocabulary instruction is justified on several
grounds. First, examining the relationship between
teacher beliefs and actual classroom action can
inform educational practices. Second, if teacher
education is to have an impact on how prospective
teachers will teach vocabulary, it must engage
participants in examining their beliefs, attitude,
perceptions, assumptions, values and knowledge.
Third, attempts to implement new classroom
practices without considering teachers’ beliefs can
lead to disappointing results.
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Significance of the Study
This study aims to provide insights into teacher
cognition in vocabulary teaching, which may
provide pedagogical guidelines for language
educators, policy makers and curriculum
developers to plan and prepare English language
instructional material in particular contents.
Research Design and Methodology
This study adopted qualitative approach with
interpertivism as the underpinning philosophical
paradigm. The study was conducted through
descriptive survey design.
Findings of the Study
Influence of Teachers’ Teaching Experience on
the Mastery of Vocabulary Knowledge
Teachers of various experiences in teaching
English were interviewed. The range of experience
varied from those newly trained to those pending
retirement from the government teaching service.
Response from the respondents revealed that the
longer the experience the higher the teachers
competence in teaching English vocabulary.
Teachers’ mastery of knowledge is gained as the
teacher takes time in the process of teaching. The
longer the teacher is in the field the better the
teacher of language becomes. Teaching the same
contest repeatedly is the cause of English
vocabulary familiarity and mastery. More ideas are
acquired with time. Meaning of words is
internalized and diversified according to context.
Familiarity creates perfection. Teaching is made
easy. More is ideas are acquired with time. The
longer the teacher teaches the more knowledge is
acquired. This knowledge makes teachers
preparation easy and efficient.
The teachers’ level of preparation is enhanced. The
teacher is apparently ever prepared to teach. The
teacher has more to teach than time available. The
teacher wide exposure to multiple contexts.
Experience makes teachers attain various ways of
reflecting real life situation when teaching
vocabulary. Experience cultivates teachers’
perception, attitude and belief towards teaching.
The way to teach is compared to the way to master
operating a machine. The longer one operates a
machine the higher the expertise and skill to
manipulate it with ease and the joy derived in
operating it. Experience makes teaching easy,
enjoyable, real, and meaningful.
Mulamba et al. (2018)
Experience makes a teacher feel self-fulfilled and
actualized in teaching. Experience develops the
teacher’s skill of understanding the learners since
every learner is unique. The long term serving
teacher has had opportunity to meet every
character of learner.
Past experience is compared to the roots of a plant.
Roots are the first to develop and all the parts of the
plant depend on the well-developed roots. The way
of teaching improves with time. The teachers’
proficiency in teaching improves with time.
Performance in the examination improves as the
teacher teaches the English language year after
years. Experience is an asset in teaching language.
Experience reigns superior to qualification.
The Influence of Teachers’ English Learning
Experience on the Teaching of English
Vocabulary
Experience is a major agent to the mastery of
knowledge. Experience improves efficiency,
enhances confidence to deliver a lesson.
Experienced teachers have good command and
mastery of vocabulary. The teacher can relate and
apply to various real life situations. Teacher’s
performance improves with time. Experience is an
asset to teacher regardless of the qualifications.
Experiences enhance originality, creativity, humor
and attention capturing ability of the teacher.
The teacher with long experience feels self-
actualized and personally fulfilled. Teaching
becomes enjoyable and fun. There is high ability to
vary the teaching techniques and according to the
learning institution, environment and the learners,
ability. Experience reign superior to other
attributes of ESL learners, the teachers pedagogical
skills are developed to a high level. The advantage
gained through experience in teaching can be
compared to riding a bicycle or swimming. The
long a time one has swum or ridden a bicycle, the
higher the competing and ability to carry out the
exercise with ease. The experienced teacher has
content to deliver than the less experienced teacher.
The teacher cultivates and develops burning desire
to teach with time. Knowledge accumulates high
time one cannot give what has not been acquired.
The experienced teacher motivates learners. The
teacher is generous with knowledge. The long
experienced teacher has in built passion and zeal to
teach. Experience enhances effectives. Learners
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find value in the experienced teacher since the
teacher is a resource.
The enhanced mutual relational between the
learner and the experienced teacher since the
teacher has intended with all kinds of talents and
abilities. The error correction process methods,
techniques are well polished and admirable. The
instruction is well fulfilled with experienced
teachers. Teaching and learning become easy and
enjoyable. Experience of the teacher makes
learners to like the teacher and the language. The
teacher determines the interest of the learners in the
subject.
The experienced teacher is by the learners as the
source of English language and the role model.
The teacher has a high reportage of vocabulary,
proficiency in, pronunciation and speaking,
spelling and skill of writing. Experience influences
learners to cultivate positive attitude toward the
subject. Through experience teachers expose
themselves to more vocabulary items. Experience
makes teacher enhance and develops admirable
personality and quality personal attributes. The
teacher with long term experience has increased
content. The longer the teacher in the field the more
the content in English vocabulary. Experience
teacher have varying methodology for learner with
different abilities. Experienced teacher have
admirable approaches to error correction. The
longer the teacher stays in the field the wider the
exposure to the learners with different abilities and
challenges.
The longer the experience of the teacher the better
the teacher becomes in all standards of English
language instructional process. Experienced
teacher have good, classroom control not only
because of the potential and also because of the
enforcement passed to them by the earlier learners
taught by the same teachers. Prominent people and
celebrates taught by the same teacher makes
learners develop confidence in the teacher earn
respect for the teachers and develop interest and
curiosity with the hope of being made equally
successfully. Exposure to multiple content through
experience enhances mastery, proficiency and
fluency in language use and teaching.
Experienced teachers ability to attend to learners
makes the humble performers in English language
to develop interest and learn in the ease.
Experienced teachers have the ability to identify
learner language deformities, problems and errors
with for they have met several such cases in the
Mulamba et al. (2018)
past. They have a wide repertoire of various ways
of approaching the correction of the same errors
including using peers, learner cantered techniques
and groups learning.
The experienced teachers have ability to explain
the meaning of words without referring to the
dictionary. They have a wide range of vocabulary;
they are more fluency, competent and have
enhanced communicative competence. The
experienced teacher has learned a lot from the
learners. They know various learners ways of
learning, thought pattern, common errors.
Experienced teachers are not slaves to books; they
refer to books for guidance but not verbatim
transfer of information. They have enhanced
confidence welcome learners questing with ease
and a lot of familiarity. They have ability to vary
teaching methods accordance to context. They
generate numerous instructional activities.
Experience teacher are aware of learning
challenges facing learners
They are familiar with the learners’ errors.
Experience teachers have a lot of influence on the
learning process and the novice teachers. They
have corrected errors and solved language
problems year after year and are thereafter familiar
and competent to correct and find remedy. They
have long term, reflection of learning and teaching.
They have seen many learners become competent
in language while others struggle to achieve the
required competence
Teaching being dynamic practice they have gone
through various trends that lay foundation for the
present teaching and learning and create projection
for the future. They have interacted with different
levels of learners and have integrated the practice
of teaching them. They have the ability to derive
meaning from real life situation and the immediate
environment at the same time utilizing the prior
knowledge of the learners
They understand the child better interest, needs
challenges and ability. They understand how to
approach each level of learners in relation to the
class, ability and age. They cultivate teacher
learner relationship and harmonious interaction is
chanced. They easily and quickly adapt the
learning levels. Experiences develop language
teachers. It makes a better teacher. Experience
creates the uniqueness of the language teacher. The
interruption of a science teacher with the chemicals
only creates familiarity but the fluid nature of
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language and its dynamism makes the teacher
unique in special way. Experience increases the
expressive functions of language. It makes teacher
humorous motivating, arousing. Aroused and
interesting. The experienced teacher is a role
model; inspiring the learners to speak likes the
teacher. Experience enhances interactive learning.
Error correction skills are enhanced with long
experience of the teachers. Experience enhances
interactive learning. Experienced teachers are able
to change teaching approach to fit the level of the
teachers. Experienced teachers are deprive to the
teaching environment determined by the class size
and learners ability. Teachers bring into play the
experience of other class taught in the past.
Experience enhances the teacher ability to improve
learning resources and being creative. Experienced
teachers are familiar of with extensive form of
content in language and other forms of knowledge.
This widens the scope of vocabulary. Experience
increases the teachers’ confidence and interest. The
experienced teacher level of preparation is high
creativity in preparation of teaching aids in high.
The teachers’ skill of asking questions is well
developed through experience. The teachers order
and presentation of the lesson vocabulary items,
one leading to the order is enhanced. Creative
presentation of new words. Each word acts an
introduction to the other.
The Influence of Academic Qualification on the
Teachers Pedagogical Competence.
The level of education and training of the
respondents ranged from primary teachers
education certificate, diploma in education and
undergraduate degree. Other teachers specialized
in language option at primary teacher education
certificate; other teachers studied other disciplines
at diploma and degree levels .The respondents who
studied English language manifested higher
competency in the classroom practice compared to
those who studied other disciplines. Teachers who
advanced in education to diploma or degree level
portrayed superior competency in communication.
They had good command of the language and they
were eloquent. Their approach to teaching was
administrable. The class control was good.
The Influence of Teacher’s Primary and
Secondary Education on Pedagogy
It was noted that no teacher professed to have
received very satisfactory instruction in English at
Mulamba et al. (2018)
primary and secondary levels. The respondents had
varying information regarding their primary and
secondary education. Those who had satisfaction
attention in the learning of English during early
schooling time developed positive attitude towards
English language. In contrast, those who received
unsatisfactory instruction developed negative
attitude and lacked interest in the language. The
construct between the two categories was vividly
seen in the interview response and classroom
observation. Those who received satisfactory
instruction expressed high competency and
commitment to teaching the language while those
who received unsatisfactory attention appeared to
be forcing themselves to teach the language with a
lot of difficulties. Primary and secondary education
shapes the interest and attitude of the learners of
English. Basic content in the language is mastered
at the lower levels of learning.
Training during teacher primary education course
serve pivotal role in both content acquisition and
the way to teach English language. Most
respondants reported to have received satisfactory
instruction in teacher training colleges. Tutors
were knowledgeable and inspiriting. Competent
tutors enhanced passion to learn English language
while incompetent teachers demoralized learners.
Teachers who attend courses in any aspects of
English add a lot of value to their professional
development. Short courses and workshops
organized to refresh teachers in reading speaking,
speaking or writing were of great use to teachers.
More courses and workshops should be organized.
Any course in English regardless of the aspect
being emphasized develops vocabulary. Those
who attended workshops in writing skill improved
their vocabulary because as they mark the learners’
compositions, they learn words that they have
never come across. They also encounter the use of
words in various contexts. Workshops influence
the way to teach English. Methodology is made
easy. Teachers who trained by KNEC as
composition markers or item makers are very
competent because of exposure to the syllabus
objectives, content and basic methodology. The
status of school attended also contributed to the
type of instruction received. CDF and community
based (Harambee) schools lacked facilities and
well trained teachers. The school environment was
not motivating and some teachers required
competency in terms of content and pedagogy.
This poor handling created the desire in the
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students to learn given opportunity. It enhanced
their passion to learn and longed for the
opportunity. Grade scored in English at Primary
and secondary school examination, manifested the
quality of instruction received only one respondent
out off the sample population scored grade A at
primary level and non at secondary level.
Advantages of Reflecting Real Life Situation in
Learning English Vocabulary
Classroom practice cannot be detouched from
social cultural setting of both the teacher and the
learners. The following is a list of advantages of
the aforesaid as reported from the respondence
Easy lesson preparation by the teacher, enhances
creating learning creativity, learning becomes real
and natural, promote interest eagerness and
curiosity in learners, make learning active.
Learners actively participate in the lesson. Promote
understating of concepts, application of knowledge
learned is easy and use of vocabulary becomes
effective, makes learners learn friendly, promote
learners active participation in the learning
process, promotes the teachers each passion and
interest to make learners understand the meaning
of words. Meaning of words are derived from the
real life situation reflected, develop examples and
illustration because easy when teaching
vocabulary, Provides good background for
construction of secondary. Enhances memory,
enhances mastery of the content of vocabulary
being taught makes lessons enjoyable,
communicative competence is enhanced to a
higher level. Learners become curious, eager to
learn and interested in the lesson. The lesson
becomes active; deriving meaning becomes easy
for the learners. Makes teachers preparation easy.
Enhances learners active participation in the lesson
and learning becomes natural and real. Promotes
content delivery with ease. Promotes learning of
vocabulary to in a given situation. Promotes
contextual use of vocabulary. Makes the goal of
learning to be communication but not
memorization of words. Discourages rote learning
promotes comprehension and reasoning
application of language use becomes effective.
Enhance good mastery of content. Makes it easy
for the teacher to develop tasks and activities for
the English vocabulary instruction process.
Sentences construction becomes easy. Use of
pictures reflects what learners know. Leaners bring
their experiences and background in the learning
Mulamba et al. (2018)
process, vocabulary proficiency is improved
enhances teachers and learners creativity in
deriving meaning of wards. Error correction
becomes meaningful. Learners are involved in the
error correction process. Enhances the learner’s
zeal, passion and interest to make learners
understand the meaning of words. Promotes
effective use of teaching aids.
Learners’ involvement in the learning process is
high. Makes a vocabulary lesson learners centred
promotes storytelling and narration of experience.
Promotes drama lesson. Makes the teacher
composed, relaxed, confident and interested.
Enhances confidence in the teacher, learning wards
serves a genuine need to fill the gap of knowing the
right wards to use in a given context. Learners
construct sentences to convey meaning but not
mere grammatical structures, enhances defining
wards from context instead of referring to the
dictionary. Provides opportunity for learners to
share experience. Develops learner’s confidence to
use language. Learners’ personality is developed
since they speak with confidence, enhances the
learning of English language but not knowledge
about English language, links the mind to the
situation and thus enhances conceptualisation of
meaning. Links the symbol of the word to the
meaning. Enhances reflective teaching, enhances
creativity and imagination. Makes learners to
actively be involved in the learning process.
Vocabulary is learnt for use in day to day life but
not just for knowledge. Develops the cognitive
skills of observation and imagination creates room
for observation.
Study Conclusion
Form the summary of findings, the following
conclusion were made.
1. Teachers experience in teaching has a lot of
influence English Vocabulary instruction
process.
2. Training and continuing education impact
positively on teaching.
3. Primary and secondary school education
shapes the attitude of learners towards English
language.
4. Reflecting real life situation in teaching
vocabulary is of great advantage to the
teaching of English.
Recommendation
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The findings of the study on language teacher
cognition and classroom practice and the teaching
of the vocabulary call for attention in the following
areas.
1. Regular workshops, seminars and refresher
courses on the teaching of English should be
organised.
2. Instructional material in English should reflect
real life situation.
3. Teachers should customize and domesticate
content and classroom practice to suit learners
need.
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