The Role of Situational Context and Linguistic Context when Testing EFL Vocabulary Knowledgde in a Language Teacher Education Program: A Preliminary Approach

This research aims to provide a preliminary approach on to what extent linguistic and situational contexts are conducive to successfulvocabulary recognition in discrete-item testing in the context of a language teacher education program in Bogotá. This study resorted to the useof four different types of vocabulary tests administered during a one-semester period to two different classes. The data collected revealed thatstudents had more success in a test of productive vocabulary (L2 to L1 translation) than in other types of tests, namely, productive vocabulary(L2 to L1 translation/multiple choice), L2 to L1 translation provided with linguistic context and cued situational context. The findings of thisresearch suggest that the participating pre-service teachers had not reached the basic vocabulary knowledge of the English Language at thetime of this study. It was also found that vocabulary items devoid of contextual cues are more accurately identified than those embedded withina linguistic context and a cued situational context