A comparative study on the effectiveness of using traditional and contextualized methods for enhancing learners' vocabulary knowledge in an EFL classroom

Recent research has focused on the importance of vocabulary learning in terms of mastering the target language. In most studies, it is pointed out that using literary texts is one of the effective methods that facilitate teaching and learning new vocabulary for both teachers and learners in EFL contexts. Some of the teachers use traditional methods such as giving vocabulary lists to the learners or translating the words into their mother tongue to teach vocabulary whereas some of the teachers employ contextualized methods like to teach vocabulary. In the light of these observations, the present study aims to compare traditional and contextualized methods in terms of their effectiveness in vocabulary teaching and learning. Another purpose of the study is to help teachers in order to find out the most effective way of teaching vocabulary in the classroom. The study was conducted to 40, ninth grade students in a private college. The subjects were assigned as experimental and control groups. Both groups took English nine hours a week, and the application took 4 weeks. They were given pre-tests before the study in order to determine the subjects' vocabulary knowledge and they were given the same test as post and retention tests in order to find out how much they improve. Data were gathered through the activities in both control and experimental groups. While experimental group studied vocabulary by means of literary texts, the control group was instructed by traditional method. At the end, the results were statistically analyzed. According to the results, integration of literature into the lessons had a positive effect on the enhancement of learners' vocabulary knowledge. Further details will be discussed in the study. (C) 2013 The Authors Published by Elsevier Ltd.