The Impact of Tasks on Male Iranian Elementary EFL Learnersʼ Incidental Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

The present study was carried out to explore the evidence of incidental vocabulary learning through the different tasks undertaken by male elementary EFL learners. To pursue this purpose, the impact of three kinds of tasks, i.e., reading comprehension, reading comprehension with fill-in gaps, and sentence writing, was measured on incidental vocabulary learning. The materials of the experiment were pilot-studied in advance on learners (n = 51) of the same age and proficiency level to assure the unfamiliarity of the target words. Three intact groups of male Iranian elementary EFL learners (n = 88) in two junior high schools participated in the main study. Two unexpected vocabulary tests after the completion of each task were administered to examine short and long-term memory retention. The results of ANOVA showed evidence of the significant impact of task involvement on the incidental learning of vocabulary by male elementary EFL learners. There is a consensus among different researchers () that knowledge of second language vocabulary plays a crucial role in language learning. This significance is highlighted for EFL learners since, as Hunt and Beglar (2005) state, they " frequently acquire impoverished lexicons despite years of formal study. " A large and rich body of research has explored different aspects of vocabulary learning and found implications for teaching vocabulary, such as the role of frequency of exposure in vocabulary enhancement (e.g., Gass & Mackey, 2002; Rott, 1999, 2007), the role of input, intake, and output on retention of word meanings (e.g., Ellis & He, 1999; Watanabe, 1997), strategies of vocabulary learning (e.g., Fraser, 1999; Gu, 2003; Nassaji, 2004), and vocabulary acquisition through reading (e.g., Wesche & Paribakht, 2000). Relevant to these issues is the role of consciousness in vocabulary learning that invited a large body of studies, especially in the domains of implicit and explicit learning. There have been debates among scholars on the relationship between implicit and explicit learning on the one hand, and incidental learning on the other hand. Schmidt (1994), in an attempt to make a distinction between these terms, proposed the following basic types of consciousness shown in Figure 1: