Vocabulary Knowledge of ELT Teachers in Iceland: Size, Levels and Influences

Abstract

This article reports on a small-scale study of the vocabulary knowledge and language learning experience of 20 secondary school teachers from six schools in Iceland. The teachers took the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) (Nation & Coxhead, 2021; Nation & Beglar 2007) and the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) (Schmitt et al., 2001; Nation 1983). Ten of the teachers took part in individual interviews, while six teachers participated in group interviews. The VST results suggest
that the teachers have a large vocabulary size at nearly 16,000 word families on average. The VLT results also indicate mastery of high-frequency, mid-frequency and academic vocabulary. The interview results indicated a range of experiences that have contributed to the vocabulary knowledge of these English teachers. These included lifelong exposure to the language, high-level academic studies, and a love of literature, language and arts in English. Implications for language learning and teaching are discussed, along with suggestions for further research.

Keywords: Vocabulary Knowledge of ELT Teachers, VLT and VST testing, professional development, sources of vocabulary knowledge