The Effect of Explicit vs. Implicit Recast on Iranian EFL Learners Vocabulary Learning

Vocabulary learning is a primary and crucial aspect of second or foreign language learning. Pittman (2003) believes that EFL vocabulary instruction is the most important category of language learning. Therefore, students are for the most part depend on their teachers and the procedure the teachers use among which recast as corrective feedback appear to be a productive strategy. The purpose behind this study was to investigate the effect of explicit and implicit recasts during teacher-student interaction on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. Sixty EFL students at Omidan Talash School in Gorgan in three parallel intact classes were chosen to participate in the study. The students were at elementary level at age 12. The design of the study is quasi-experimental (pretest-treatment-posttest). To analyze the data taken from pretests and posttests, mainly t-test was run to probe any significant difference between the explicit and implicit recast and control groups on development of vocabulary. The results demonstrated that with the comparison between the control group and the corrective feedback groups (i.e. those receiving explicit recast and the implicit recasts), it can be concluded that the difference between the control group and the corrective feedback groups are significant and with the comparison between the explicit recast and the implicit recasts groups, it can be inferred that there is no statistically significant difference between the performance of students receiving explicit recast compared to those receiving the implicit recast. This study has some pedagogical implications which can bring the good points for language teachers and learners.