A comparative analysis of teaching vocabulary items through using pictures and contexts versus providing L1 equivalents and synonyms in technical and vocational colleges

This study investigated the impact of teaching vocabulary items through using pictures and contexts versus providing L1 equivalents and synonyms among technical and vocational college students.To achieve the above aim, 96 students of a technical and vocational college were selected through Nelson English Test, and were divided into three groups. The first experimental group received vocabulary treatment through using pictures and the second experimental group received treatment through contextualization of vocabulary items. The students in the control group were taught through providing Persian equivalents or synonyms of vocabulary items.At the end of the semester, an achievement test (Posttest of vocabulary) was administered to check which treatment had proved the most successful performance in vocabulary acquisition.Since there were three groups along with Pretest and Posttest, two one-way ANOVA were applied. The results showed that the difference among the means of the first experimental group in which pictures were used for teaching vocabulary items and the second experimental group (context group) and the control group (word list group) is quite significant. The results supported the positive role of pictures and the superiority of using pictures over contextualization and word lists.

A comparative analysis of teaching vocabulary items through using pictures and contexts versus providing L1 equivalents and synonyms in technical and vocational colleges Keywords:

vocabulary items , teaching techniques , pictures , contextualization , context clues