Vocabulary Strategy Instruction in the Argentine EFL Context: Teachers’ Perspectives and Practices

ABSTRACT

Despite extensive research on vocabulary strategy instruction (VSI), little has been known about teachers’ perspectives on how it is understood and implemented in practice. This study investigated Argentinian EFL teachers’ priorities in vocabulary instruction, their perceived knowledge of learner strategies for spoken vocabulary, and factors contributing to their implementation of VSI. Adopting a sequential mixed‐methods design, questionnaire data were first collected from 83 in‐service Argentinian primary and secondary EFL teachers enrolled in a distance teacher education programme, followed by semi‐structured interviews with eight teachers from diverse institutional and teaching contexts. Quantitative findings showed a significant relationship between educational level and prioritised areas of vocabulary instruction among both primary and secondary teachers, particularly learner strategies for vocabulary comprehension, retention, and production. Teaching experience, prior experience with VSI, and school type were found to correlate with teachers’ perceived knowledge of VSI for spoken vocabulary. Knowledge about VSI and engagement in professional development, as well as school type, correlated most highly with their self‐reported instructional experience with VSI. Qualitative insights further showed that teachers’ instructional priorities were influenced not only by personal beliefs, but also by curricular requirements, assessment demands, and classroom interactions. By combining survey data with qualitative insights, this study offers a nuanced account of how VSI is dealt with by EFL teachers in a context marked by persistent educational inequalities. The findings highlight the need for professional development that supports teachers in developing knowledge of vocabulary strategies and skills for implementing VSI.