The contribution of word formation, code mixing, multiple choice and gap filling tasks to L2 vocabulary comprehension and production

This study sought to investigate the effect of various task types including Multiple-choice cloze task, Gap-filling task, Word formation task, and Code-mixing task on L2 vocabulary comprehension and production. A sample of 80 adult Iranian intermediate level learners participated in the study. They were in 4 groups; each group read the reading passages under one of the four conditions of Multiple-choice cloze, Gap-filling, Word formation, and Code-mixing tasks. At the end of the treatment, two posttests were administered. A 30-item vocabulary test in multiple-choice format was used to measure the participants’ vocabulary comprehension. Another 30-item vocabulary test in fill-in-the-blanks format was utilized to measure the participants’ vocabulary production. Two separate one-way ANOVA procedures were used to analyze the obtained data. The results showed an effect of task type, the word formation task was more effective than the other task types in vocabulary comprehension and production. It also turned out that those who were involved in the Gap-filling task were the least successful in both vocabulary comprehension and production. The present study may have theoretical as well as practical implications for the teachers, researchers, and syllabus designers.

word formation, code mixing, tasks, vocabulary