Investigating the Perceptions and Practices of Iranian Language and Content Teachers in Teaching EAP Vocabulary

Abstract

Standing at the cornerstone of discipline-based EAP courses, vocabulary teaching warrants attention from the EAP scholars and research mainstream. However, such a shift of attention, in theory, has lagged behind the practice in particular contexts such as EAP and EAP teachers are yet afflicted by pedagogical chaos in the Iranian academic context due largely to the inconsistencies between language teachers’ (LT) and content teachers’ (CT) cognitions and practices. Thus, this study was conducted in the EAP context to explore Iranian EAP teachers’ perceptions and practices of their vocabulary teaching. To this end, six EAP teachers (three LTs and three CTs) from three different disciplines (Electrical Engineering, Medicine, and Psychology) participated in this study, and their classes were observed for a semester. To thoroughly probe the teachers’ perceptions, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers. The findings pointed to differences between the two groups of teachers in terms of their vocabulary teaching practices and perceptions. It was revealed that LTs focused on a more varied combination of aspects than CTs did. The findings of the study provide implications for EAP teacher education to colour current practices and perceptions of the two groups of teachers about vocabulary teaching and learning with fresh paint.