Abstract:

Though studies such as Akinsolu (2010), Ayeni (2011), Kim & Seo (2018), Chinnappan (2019) reveal the correlation between teachers’ competence and the academic performance of secondary school students, very little appears to have been done in affiliation with the field of linguistics. The understanding is that incorporating linguistics would offer deeper insights into the level of teachers’ understanding of core concepts in education and the study of English. This study therefore investigates how teachers of English studies relate with the core vocabulary of secondary school education and major terms associated with the teaching of the English language in the Nigerian educational system.

The lexical approach theory of Michael Lewis and the register theory of M.A.K. Halliday serve as the theoretical framework for this study. The research instrument employed was a questionnaire used to test teachers’ knowledge of concepts in evaluation, learning and classroom management, educational psychology, as well as salient aspects of the English language. The items on English vocabulary were drawn from phonology, morphology, lexis, syntax and grammar as well as semantics. The data from the questionnaires were analysed using SPSS.

Tentative findings reveal that teachers of English studies do not have top of the mind answers to questions pertaining to education and concepts in English language. We expect that further findings will emerge as we conclude the analysis.

Keywords:

Language, Education, Lexical Analysis, Secondary School.