The Impact of Contextualized Texts on ESP Learners Vocabulary Retention (A Case Study of ESP Course for Mechanical Engineering Students)

Contextualized text is a text which aim is to generate circumstances for more valuable learning especially in highergrades and rates of retention in specific courses in education and has the power of encouraging, and improvinglearners’ knowledge to communicate in second language more efficiently. It can enhance learners’ skills in ESP(English for Specific Purposes) settings and facilitate their comprehension and production of second language.According to theoretical literature, Contextualized texts as an instructional strategy, has positive effects on cognition ofthe learners and can increase their retention in their learning process. To show the possible effects of contextualizedtexts, this study was designed to assess the level of vocabulary retention both before and after using these texts in thesyllabus of 120 mechanical engineering students (two groups of experimental and control group) studying at Bu-aliSina University of Hamedan, Iran. The participants of experimental group were given ten texts selected from among themost notable ones in mechanical engineering sources focusing on technical words and phrases which are essential inthis field. Moreover, the participants of control group taught in traditional form. For measuring the treatment,vocabulary test which designed from the texts was applied before and after implying contextualized texts for bothgroups. Finally the results of an independent sample t-test (conducted on the gain scores (the deviation score) onSPSS), revealed that there was a difference between the pretest and the posttest of students in experimental group andcontextualized texts had positive effects on ESP learners’ vocabulary retention. The findings of this research wouldhave suggestive implications for instructors, educator trainers, scholars, curriculum designers, syllabus planners,material developers, and students both in ESP and EFL contexts.

Keywords:

Contextualized Texts , Vocabulary Retention , ESP Learners , Mechanical Engineering