The Effect of Meaning-focused Listening Input on Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners’ Productive Vocabulary Size

Abstract

Vocabulary as a significant component of language learning has been widely researched. As well, it is well documented that vocabulary could be learned through listening and reading. In addition, measuring productive vocabulary has been a chief concern among scholars.  However, few studies have focused on meaning-focused listening input and its effect on learners’ productive vocabulary size, particularly in EFL contexts. Therefore, the present study aims to figure out whether meaning-focused listening input has effect on productive vocabulary size of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Moreover, it explores teachers’ views about feasibility of training vocabulary through listening input. In the present study, 63 leaners were randomly assigned into two groups. After 12 sessions of treatment, Lex30 was conducted to measure productive vocabulary size of both control and experimental group. Also, six EFL teachers were interviewed to investigated their viewpoints. The results of independent sample t-tests show that experimental group who were treated through meaning-focused listening input outperformed the control group members who received traditional instruction in vocabulary. Qualitative data analysis, revealed that teachers did not believe in feasibility of vocabulary instruction through meaningful listening-input due to many limitations such as time constraint and EFL learners’ insufficient vocabulary size. Finally, some pedagogical implications are offered.

Keywords: Vocabulary learning, meaning-focused listening input, productive vocabulary size, Lex30.