Teaching Strategies for Vocabulary Acquisition: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches in Swedish Year 2 Primary EFL Classrooms

Sammanfattning

In second language acquisition (SLA), bridging the gap between receptive word recognition and functional communication remains a major challenge for young learners. This qualitative study investigates the pedagogical scaffolding and teacher rationales used to expand vocabulary within Swedish Year 2 primary EFL classrooms. Using Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) as an analytical lens, the research examines how teachers design interventions to transition pupils from passive comprehension to active language production. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with six primary school teachers. The findings reveal that while all participants anchor their practice in incidental learning through stories and songs, successful vocabulary expansion requires intentional noticing prompts to prevent "lexical wandering." By systematically mediating incidental exposure, teachers ensure pupils build specific linguistic connections during communicative activities. Furthermore, the data indicate a strategic shift towards teaching lexical chunks rather than isolated words to facilitate coherent text production. The study also highlights the complex classroom dynamics introduced by extramural English (EE), such as gaming and digital media, which creates a significant proficiency divide among young learners. To manage the resulting phonological bottleneck and cognitive load, teachers utilise visual anchors, extended waiting times, and scaffolding like puppets or playful metaphors. The study concludes that the primary school EFL teacher’s most vital role is that of a "cognitive monitor", finely tuning pedagogical interventions to balance national curriculum demands with the individualised needs of beginning learners.