Vocabulary is key in the development of language, cognition and academic achievement.
Learners, coming from different backgrounds, vary in the amount of vocabulary that they bring
to school. Low vocabulary levels may contribute to reading difficulties which, in turn, affect
later reading and general school success negatively. Reading is perceived as a major challenge in
Namibian schools; therefore, this study investigated the vocabulary levels, as well as the class
reading levels, in both Afrikaans first language (L1) and English second language (L2) of Grade
One Afrikaans mother tongue learners. The class reading levels were assessed by teachers, who
used a five-point assessment scale provided by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture. A
standardised test, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT 4) was administered to determine
the learners’ vocabulary levels. A quantitative research design was employed and 102 Grade
One learners from three different schools in Windhoek were selected through purposive,
criterion sampling. A one-sample t-test was used. It determined that there was a significant
difference between the mean scores for Afrikaans Vocabulary Age and English Vocabulary Age
and the chronological ages of the learners. Learners performed slightly better in the Afrikaans
test than in the English test. The chronological age of the learners in the three schools were the
same, but differences with regards to Afrikaans and English reading class assessment were
observed. Further research is required before any final conclusions can be made about the
vocabulary levels of Afrikaans speaking learners. Recommendations pertaining to further
research, as well as policy monitoring and evaluation, were made.