Exploring EFL teachers' perceptions and classroom practices in teaching vocabulary to children: the case of lower grade English teachers in Ethiopia

Nowadays, early English teaching particularly vocabulary has become one of the growing demands in Ethiopia. This study focused on the perceptions and practices of teachers in Teaching Vocabulary to children/TVC in Ethiopia, South-Western and its environs. To carry out the study, a descriptive survey research design with a mixed method was used. A total of 90 EFL teachers participated in the study through stratified sampling techniques. Data were collected through questionnaire, observation and semi-structured interview and analysed accordingly and the findings revealed that teachers' had better perceptions of TVC; however, these stated perceptions were not consistent with their classroom practices.