Vocabulary Acquisition and Vocabulary Assessment of Young Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the vocabulary acquisition and vocabulary assessment of young Iranian leaners studying English as a foreign language. It discusses the issues and factors tied to vocabulary acquisition and assessment through observation and instruction. To this end, students’ performance as well as their achievements were required to be assessed. Researchers selected the most appropriate instrument, a teacher-created test, and observed the classroom dynamics as well as the students’ feedback each session. The participants including sixty seven boys and girls (male= 35, and female = 32) aged 9-10 were all native speakers of Persian language and were studying English in three branches of an English Language Institute of the city of Shiraz. Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-test were administered to analyze the test results. According to the results obtained from the quantitative data, there was no significant difference between boys and girls performance in regards with vocabulary acquisition. Further, oral and written assessments were recognized as the most proper testing methods for young Iranian EFL learners.