This paper summarizes the results achieved in my MA dissertation. It aims at analyzing the relationship between vocabulary teaching and learning strategies and EFL students’ oral production. At first, a study aiming at giving an overview of how vocabulary was being dealt with in different contexts was carried out. Based on this study, a group was chosen to participate in a case study whose objective was to analyze the teaching of vocabulary and learning strategies as they occurred in classes, as well as their effect on the students’ oral production. Results show that the approach used by the teacher to deal with vocabulary, which was basically to explain the meaning of words to cope with difficulties in comprehension, does not help students to retain such words for productive use. In order to improve students’ lexical profile and lexical variation, it is necessary to use an approach that deals with vocabulary with productive goals and targets at language practice both in oral production and comprehension.
vocabulary teaching; learning strategies; EFL oral production