An Intentional Word Learning Task: Theoretical Foundation and Evidence-Based Suggestions

Abstract

Although the Education Act (SFS 2010:800) specifies that teaching should be based in research and/or best practice, publications suggest a lack of evidence underpinning the teaching of English in Sweden (Bergström 2023; Elgemark, Henry, and Jansson 2023). Vocabulary researchers agree that intentional vocabulary learning through activities designed to promote the learning of new words should be part of any well-balanced language course (e.g., Laufer 2005; Nation 2022). Yet, English teachers in Sweden tend to rely on vocabulary learning happening incidentally through meaning-focused tasks like reading (Bergström, 2023). Research (Eriksson 2023; Warnby 2023) also shows that upper-secondary school students often are challenged by the lexical content of university-level textbooks in English. This suggests the need for systematic, intentional attention to vocabulary. The present article therefore describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an intentional vocabulary learning task. The task is a sheet with seven sections. In each section, students can provide one type of information about a target word (TW): (1) synonym(s), (2) translation equivalent(s), (3) TW illustration(s), (4) explanation(s), (5) example sentence(s) containing the TW, (6) connections to prior knowledge and (7) word associations. The task sections offer separate ways to gain, consolidate, and/or demonstrate TW knowledge recommended by vocabulary experts (Nation 2022; Schmitt and Schmitt 2020). Empirical evidence shows that the word-focused task is useful in a range of EFL classrooms. Importantly, however, TW repetition, scaffolding, and student motivation is necessary to optimise the word-focused task work (Nylander 2025).