AN ACTION-RESEARCH PROJECT IN THE PRACTICUM: LEARNING VOCABULARY IN A LUDIC AND INTERACTIVE WAY

Abstract

This article presents an action-research project developed in the practicum of the Master's in English Teaching for Primary Education at the University of Minho, involving a 4th-grade class. Its purpose was to promote meaningful vocabulary acquisition through playful and interactive strategies, alongside the development of self-regulated learning skills. The didactic strategies, designed to stimulate curiosity, self-confidence, and active participation, fostered language use in communicative contexts and metacognitive reflection. The evaluation, based on observation, reflection on practice, and self-regulation questionnaires administered to the students, demonstrated that this approach enhanced motivation and the expansion and use of the lexical repertoire, despite challenges such as time management and differentiated learning paces. The project proved to be a valuable formative strategy, articulating professional reflexivity with a student-centered pedagogy.