On the effectiveness of providing acquisition support to Iranian elementary EFL learners

Abstract Language acquisition has always been a concern for second and foreign language scholars, leading to the provision of acquisition support to enhance learners’ opportunities. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of providing acquisition support through videos, songs, and short stories on Iranian elementary EFL learners’ listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge. In addition, learners’ and their parents’ perceptions of the acquisition supporters were explored. To do so, ۷۰ learners of Iran Language Institute in Babolsar, Mazandaran were selected as the participants of the study. They were divided into an experimental (n = ۳۵) and a control (n = ۳۵) group. Fifteen learners in the experimental group and their parents took part in online semi-structured interviews. Acquisition support was provide within WhatsApp learning environment in which the selected videos, songs, and short stories were uploaded. Through quantitative analysis of the pre- and post-tests, it was found that providing acquisition support resulted din learners’ significant improvement in listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge. Qualitative analysis of learners’ interviews resulted in the emergence of two components of ۱) using acquisition support to experience real-life exposure; and ۲) using acquisition support to enhance peer communication. Parents believed in ۱) learners’ enjoyment in doing the activities; and ۲) learners’ motivation for doing the activities. The findings of the study contributed to the EFL teachers’ awareness of providing acquisition support for EFL learners in order to create a naturally interactive learning environment for EFL learners and assist them to be enthusiastically involved in real-life language acquisition.

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Keywords: Acquisition support ، short stories ، songs ، videos