The Effect of Text-Generation on Incidental Vocabulary Learning in Iranian Efl Learners

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to demonstrate the effect of text-generation on incidental vocabulary learning in Iranian EFL learners. To test the null hypothesis (i.e. there is no significant difference between the vocabulary average performance of the group undergone text-generation processing and the group undergone traditional vocabulary learning processes), two intact classes containing 70 sophomore female and male students of English Translation at Arak State University, Iran participated. A Nelson test of English Language Proficiency (test 250 A) was conducted at the beginning of the study to make sure that the two intact classes did belong to the same population. A multiple choice pre-test was administered at this stage to ensure the insignificant difference between the two groups. The students in the control group were advised to read the texts, whereas the subjects in the experimental group were supposed to use text-generation (reordering the texts) technique while reading the texts. It is worth mentioning that, both groups were provided with the texts in which target vocabulary items were highlighted. At the end of twelve-week period of treatment a multiple choice post-test of vocabulary(the same as pre-test)was administered in both experimental and control groups to compare the subjects' vocabulary achievement. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, the null hypothesis was rejected at 0.05 and (even at 0.01) level of significance for 68 degrees of freedom. Key words: text-generation, incidental vocabulary learning, EFL