The Effect of Teaching Vocabulary Via Chunks on Visual and AuditoryLearners’ Speaking Fluency in Iranian EFL Context

Speaking fluency is a critical ability to be cultivated and improved to communicate effectively.Speaking ability is among the most challenging facets of language acquisition. Due to the problemsthat Iranian EFL learners have in speaking, the researcher aimed to investigate the effects of teachingvocabulary via chunks on Iranian intermediate EFL learners' speaking fluency. Additionally, theresearcher considered the participants’ visual and auditory learning styles. The present study wasintended as a quasi-experimental investigation to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. In order toaccomplish this goal, ۸۰ students from Tehran Institute of Technology in Tehran were chosen from apool of ۱۰۰ intermediate learners based on their performance in the Oxford Placement Test. Next,they were given a VARK questionnaire to identify their learning styles. Then, they were assigned intofour groups: ۲۰ visuals and ۲۰ auditory in the experimental group and ۲۰ visuals and ۲۰ auditory inthe control group. IELTS speaking questions were given to all the groups as pre-tests. All the questionswere suitable for intermediate level. Experimental groups were given a treatment: learning vocabularyby collocations using the book English Collocation in use by Cambridge. The control group studiedtheir course book and learned the vocabulary, and they did not receive any treatment regardingcollocations. After the treatment, an interview was conducted on the experimental and control groupsas the post-test. The findings from the data analysis conducted in the post-test indicated that theinstruction of collocations has a statistically significant impact on the development of speakingfluency among learners. Moreover, it was observed that individuals who preferred visual learningexhibited superior speaking fluency compared to those who favored auditory learning. Additionally,the interactional effects of teaching vocabulary via chunks and learning styles was not significant.This study can provide valuable insights for educators, researchers, and material designers in Englishlanguage teaching and learning.

Keywords:

Chunks , Collocation , Fluency , Learning styles , Speaking