STRATEGIES OF PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS IN TEACHING VOCABULARY TO ELEMENTARY LEARNERS

Abstract

Choosing appropriate strategies in teaching vocabulary to young learners is required to achieve learning objectives. However, few studies have specifically investigated the strategies employed by pre-service teachers when teaching vocabulary to elementary school students, even though there is often a discrepancy between the theory they have learned and their teaching practice. This study aimed to explore the strategies and media applied by pre-service English teachers in teaching vocabulary to elementary learners. A descriptive qualitative method was used to describe the data. Eight pre-service teachers who had completed their teaching practicum were chosen using purposive sampling as participants in this study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then analyzed using qualitative procedures. The findings showed several strategies applied by pre-service English teachers, including listening and repeating words, creating fun activities with games and songs, memorizing words, using interactive media, and adjusting strategies based on grade levels. The interactive media utilized to support the strategies were flashcards, pictures, audio recordings, real objects, mind maps, and YouTube videos. Implementing these strategies with media made students more active, enthusiastic, and able to remember vocabulary better. Therefore, using various strategies in teaching vocabulary to young learners was essential.