Strategies Of Teaching English Vocabulary For Writing Composition In Standard Seven In Public Primary Schools,Thika Sub-County, Kenya.

ABSTRACT

For six years in a row, the performance of English language in general has been

deteriorating, in Kenya, always attaining less than 50% in KCPE. Likewise, the

performance of composition writing specifically was of great concern too. Most

learners find it difficult to express themselves through selection and use of

relevant vocabulary of while writing compositions. Since the knowledge of

vocabulary is the single most important component of any language course, this

study was to investigate and document the strategies of teaching vocabulary. It

also examined the extent to which learners use vocabulary in their composition

writing. Finally, it was set to find out how teachers pointed out the learners

vocabulary mistakes and the learners response to the same. The study employed a

descriptive research method and design. The target population was twenty two

public primary schools, 2000 class seven pupils and 50 English language teachers

in Thika sub-county. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used. The

sample size was 10% of the target population of 2000 standard seven pupils and

fifty teachers in public primary schools in Thika sub-county. The research

instruments were the teachers’ questionnaires, a checklist, an interview schedule

and written compositions test for the learners. The data were analyzed using

descriptive statistics such as percentages, mean and frequency. Qualitative data

was organized according to the objectives. The study addressed the gaps affecting

the teaching and learning of vocabulary to help learners write interesting

compositions to improve language performance in general. The study found that

the decision to teach vocabulary lies squarely on teachers. This was so because

60% of teachers reported that they have time to teach vocabulary while 40% do

not. Another finding was lack of consistence on how learners practice the use of

vocabulary in composition writing. The study recommended that the teaching of

vocabulary be prioritized. Learners who were exposed to vocabulary in various

contexts were able to express themselves through appropriate use of relevant

vocabulary to acquire good grades in KCPE. In conclusion, vocabulary

knowledge is still an important component of English language learning as it

helped learners to communicate in speech and writing. These recommendations

will guide curriculum developers, designers, implementers as well as future

research studies.