Toward establishing vocabulary learning goals in Japanese junior and senior high schools: A preliminary study of teacher perceptions of receptive and productive mastery

Abstract

Given the vast number of words that students must master and their limited classroom time, setting concrete vocabulary learning goals is crucial for effective and efficient vocabulary instruction. However, there are no established guidelines specifying which vocabulary should be learned and to what extent (e.g., receptive or productive use) for Japanese learners of English. This preliminary study took the initial step of establishing vocabulary learning goals based on teachers’ judgments regarding receptive and productive mastery. The target words consisted of 180 English words, divided into three levels of 60 words each, based on a combination of the CEFR-J Wordlist and the frequency data from the New JACET 8000 List of Basic Words. Japanese English teachers were asked to choose achievement goals from four options (no need to remember, receptive use, L1-to-L2 translation, appropriate productive use). Junior high school teachers (N = 30) evaluated 120 words from Levels 1 and 2, whereas senior high school teachers (N = 22) evaluated 120 words from Levels 2 and 3. It was found that perceptions of achievement goals among teachers were somewhat reliable, especially for high-frequency words. Moreover, more advanced knowledge was expected as school level progressed; Level 2 words were expected to be mastered receptively in junior high schools and productively in senior high schools. Responses regarding the reasoning behind teachers’ judgments indicated that learning goals are primarily chosen based on perceived language use necessity. Based on these findings, we propose a method for setting vocabulary learning goals for specific words.