چكيده
The present study is designed to investigate the effect of variations in direct instruction on Iranian EFL learners' vocabulary learning based on Learner-Instruction Matching Theory. Seventy five EFL learners took part in the study following a homogeneity Nelson test and were divided into three experimental groups. In the first experimental group (26 participants), learners were taught vocabulary through clear explanations of words. In the second experimental group (25 participants), the researcher taught vocabulary through giving synonyms/antonyms in the target language. In the third experimental group (24 participants), the researcher stated the meaning of unknown words through giving exact and explicit translation of words. Before the treatment, a VKS (Vocabulary Knowledge Scale) was administrated in order to prove that none of the participants were familiar with vocabulary to be taught. The researcher chose 100 words from TOP NOTCH book and after VKS only seventy words were chosen to be taught. Then the treatment period began and continued for 10 sessions, each session the researcher taught only 7 words and lasts for 10 minutes. The Whole semester was 15 sessions and each session lasted 90 minutes. Then after 10 sessions, the teacher validated posttest of vocabulary was administered to check the learners’ vocabulary development. The findings show that the definition group significantly outperformed the synonym/antonym group on the posttest of vocabulary. Second, the definition group significantly outperformed the translation group on the posttest of vocabulary. Finally, there was not any significant difference between synonym/antonym and translation groups’ means on the posttest of vocabulary. The findings could be employed by ELT practitioners, material developers, and EFL teachers and learners in an attempt to advance vocabulary learning in the Iranian context.
Key Words: Variation; Direct Instruction; Learner-Instruction Matching
