The Impact of Using Short Stories for Fun on the Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Development and Retention

This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of using short stories for fun on the Iranian EFL leaners’ vocabulary development and retention. To do so, Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was administered to ۹۰ EFL learners from a private language institute in Iranshahr to homogenize them with respect to language proficiency. Based on the obtained result, ۶۰ EFL learners were selected as the main participants of this study. Then, the participants were randomly divided into two groups (one experimental and one control group). Before starting the treatment sessions, the selected sample was given a pretest of vocabulary to ascertain their homogeneity in terms of vocabulary knowledge. In the eight-sessions treatment the experimental group were taught the vocabulary items in the context of short stories for fun. While the participants in the control group were taught vocabulary using word lists including synonyms and antonyms and dictionary definitions. Immediately, after finishing the treatment, the vocabulary post-test which was a parallel form of the vocabulary recognition pre-test was administered. Then, in order to measure long-term retention of vocabulary, the same test was administered as a delayed posttest with two-week interval. The obtained results from analyzing the data through descriptive statistics, Independent-Sample T-test, and Paired-Sample T-test suggested that integrating reading short story for fun as an instructional tool in the process of vocabulary learning can be highly effective in the EFL learners’ vocabulary development and can enhance EFL learners’ ability in long-term retention of vocabulary items.

کلیدواژه ها:

Vocabulary development ، retention ، short story ، fun ، authentic materials