THE EFFECT OF TRANSLATION VERSUS MATCHING WORDS AND DEFINITIONS ON RETRIEVAL OF VOCABULARY AMONG IRANIAN INTERMEDIATE EFL LEARNERS

This paper examines the effect of translation versus matching words and definitions on retrieval of vocabulary. Sixty female English as foreign language (EFL) Iranian students in Garmsar, among whom forty received vocabularies through translation and matching words and definitions techniques, participated in the study. Retrieval of vocabulary at the beginning and end of the study was assessed and compared with that of a control group that did not received vocabularies through translation and matching words and definitions techniques but completed the same pre and post-writing task. The study describes the vocabulary teaching techniques that were provided, and the results of the effects of translation and matching words and definitions techniques. The findings showed that matching words and definitions techniques had a considerable influence on the retrieval of vocabulary. It is suggested that English as foreign language teachers in universities, colleges, or institutes move to this vocabulary teaching technique in their teaching of vocabulary, as the latter it contributes towards activating student s thinking and creating ideas for doing any task.