Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Experiences with Fast-Mapping Strategies for Vocabulary Instruction in Hunan Middle School EFL Classrooms

Abstract

Pre-service teachers play a pivotal role in facilitating vocabulary acquisition within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. In Hunan middle schools, however, they face significant challenges, including overcrowded classrooms, limited pedagogical training, and unequal access to digital resources, which constrain the implementation of strategies such as Fast Mapping. Despite its recognized effectiveness for rapid lexical acquisition, the experiences and knowledge of pre-service teachers in applying this strategy remain underexplored. This study investigates the conceptual understanding and practical application of Fast-Mapping–based vocabulary instruction among five pre-service teachers, examining how institutional constraints, teacher beliefs, and communicative competence influence classroom enactment. Using an exploratory qualitative design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically, guided by Cognitive Load Theory to account for instructional cognitive demands. Findings reveal that, although participants demonstrate theoretical awareness of Fast Mapping and its alignment with communicative competence, classroom implementation is limited by exam-driven curricula, minimal mentoring, and restricted exposure to learner-centered pedagogies. Fast Mapping proved most effective when combined with visual scaffolds, peer collaboration, and context-rich dialogue; however, teachers in rural schools remained disadvantaged due to large class sizes and digital inequity. The study recommends embedding Fast Mapping into pre-service training through microteaching and reflective supervision and calls for targeted policy interventions to reduce resource disparities. These findings contribute to applied linguistics and teacher education and provide a foundation for future research on technology-enhanced, cognitively informed vocabulary instruction.