Depth of Vocabulary Activities in Top Notch Series: An Action Research on Aspects of Vocabulary Knowledge

Research on vocabulary acquisition has shown that knowledge of word is multifaceted and different aspects of word knowledge need to be mastered in order for a learner to use a word appropriately. However, previous research revealed that EFL textbooks focus on a limited number of aspects and ignore other aspects of word knowledge. This study was an action research to discover whether the same is true of Top Notch series. To this end, the students books and workbooks of all four levels of Top Notch series were analyzed based on the nine aspects of vocabulary knowledge including Spoken Form, Written Form, Word Parts, Form and Meaning, Concepts and Referents, ssociations, Grammatical Functions, Collocations, and Constraints on Use. The results showed that the student books of the Top Notch series followed a Form -Meaning -Use design. However, the pattern that was found in the workbooks was Meaning-Use-Form. Moreover, the most prominent aspects in student books were Spoken Form, Form and Meaning, and Grammatical Functions. However, Grammatical Functions, Form and Meaning and the Written Form aspects were emphasized in workbooks. On the other hand, some micro aspects were ignored including Word Parts, Concepts and Referents, Associations, Collocation, and Constraints on Use. The second round of analysis across proficiency levels revealed that the Form aspect showed a decreasing trend in the student books while a partly increasing pattern was observed in the workbooks. The Meaning aspect had a slightly rising trend in the student books. However in the work books, only the Form and Meaning micro aspect showed such an inclination. Also, the Use aspect followed a rising trend from the fundamental level to the pre-intermediate level. On the contrary, in workbook, it turned out to have a decreasing trend from the elementary to intermediate level. The findings have pedagogical implications for teachers, material developers and learners.

کلیدواژه ها:

aspects of vocabulary knowledge ، form ، meaning ، use ، material developers ، teachers ، vocabulary activities