ISSN: 2222-6990
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Although English is being taught every day in school with a minimum of 4 hours of interaction a week, majority of the primary school English as a second language students still face difficulties in expressing themselves verbally and in written form (Azman, 2016). Choosing the most appropriate methods in teaching and learning English vocabulary for ESL learners seems to be a big issue for educators. This is because when choosing the methods in teaching vocabulary, what is most important is ensuring that the outcome of the approach would benefit ESL learners meaningfully and that the words learned would retain for a longer period of time. One such strategy that has been studied and has been lauded to have good potential to help with ESL vocabulary development is specific word instruction. (SWI) Therefore, the purpose of this review was to unfold the gaps in the use of specific words instructions in improving vocabulary knowledge. This literature review encompassed different gaps presented in the effectiveness of using Specific Words Instructions in order to improve their vocabulary knowledge (particularly on knowledge of form, meaning and use). The gaps highlighted in this review were practical gaps, policy and curriculum gaps as we;; as research gaps. The collection of data was done through the review of previous studies conducted in relation to the use of SWI in enhancing vocabulary knowledge. The findings of the literature reviewed showed that there is a huge gap in the use of Specific Words Instructions to improve the vocabulary knowledge (i.e., knowledge of form, meaning and use) among the Year 4 ESL learners. There were prevalent implications of the review on the stakeholders. It served as a compendium in informing and guiding stakeholders in education, including teachers, policymakers, administrators, and parents on alternative and effective approach in enhancing vocabulary knowledge. By considering the findings from the gaps reviewed, stakeholders can work collaboratively to enhance educational practices, improve student outcomes, and create a more comprehensible and inclusive learning environment for all learners especially in implementing SWI in the current teaching of English to ESL learners
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In-Text Citation: (Seyapalan et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Seyapalan, E. D., Razali, A. B. M., Ismail, L., & Noordin, N. (2023). A Review of Studies on The Potential of Specific Word Instruction (SWI) to Improve Vocabulary Knowledge among Malaysian ESL Learners. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(9), 546– 557.
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