چكيده
Vocabulary teaching/learning strategies has recently received a remarkable attention by L2 researchers. In this respect, the present study set out to scrutinize the comparative effects of two vocabulary teaching/learning strategies, contextual guessing and negotiation of unknown word meaning, on vocabulary acquisition and retention. Following a quasi-experimental research design, 66 participants from two pre-university centers were selected and randomly assigned to three conditions; two experimental, contextual guessing (CG) and word meaning negotiation (WN) groups and one control (CL) group. Three text passages including seventy new words were employed as materials and each group received pertinent treatment during the study. Receiving instruction on contextual guessing strategy, CG group was taught new words through this strategy. WN group learned new vocabulary items through negotiation and interaction. A regular traditional method was used to teach target words to CL group. A week after treatment, immediate posttest was given for all groups and after one month experimental groups sat for delayed posttest. Using Independent Samples T-Test and Paired Samples Test, the results indicated that both strategies were significantly effective in vocabulary learning and retention and the subjects in WN and CG groups outperformed those in control group on either tests; However, WN group was superior to CG group on immediate and delayed posttest alike; and there was a significant difference between them on delayed posttest. The findings could be employed by L2 learners, EFL teachers, and curriculum designers and the results also revealed a need for negotiation be included in language classrooms especially for vocabulary teaching and learning.
