Bridging English Education Gaps for India's Tribal Gen Z Learners

Abstract

Taking into account the constructive coalition between lexical dexterity and integration into the wider world, this study intends to inculcate English vocabulary in tribal learners through Cognitive Linguistics (CL) and StimulusResponse Theory (SRT). The present study identifies the factors that inhibit the target audience’s English vocabulary learning and also juxtaposes the effectiveness of incorporated theories in enhancing better memory retention. The convenience sampling method was used to choose the sample for this study. The sample consisted of 120 students, among whom 60 participants received English survival vocabulary instruction using Cognitive Linguistics, while the other 60 participants were taught through Stimulus-Response Theory. An activity-based approach was incorporated into the vocabulary learning environment. The Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) rubric is employed to assess vocabulary abilities. The findings revealed that the participants in CL improved more significantly than those in SRT. The delayed post-test results reveal that CL enhanced better memory retention than SRT. The study results indicate that the participants were inhibited by various factors that affect their vocabulary acquisition. The findings accentuate the significance of teaching vocabulary through CL, which focuses on learning vocabulary through understanding rather than mere memorisation.