The Effect of Metacognitive Strategy Use via Task Supported Language Teaching on Vocabulary Acquisition: The Case of Iranian EFL learners

Abstract

The main difference between proficient and less proficient learners lies in the conscious ability to the so-called metacognition. Students who possess good metacognition know how to learn and what to do in any learning circumstances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of metacognitive strategy use via task supported language teaching on vocabulary acquisition. To achieve this aim, 40 learners studying at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences were put into experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, 10 units of 'Barron's Essential Words for the TOEFL (IBT) were covered through 'metacognitive strategy use', 'vocabulary acquisition', and 'task supported language teaching' principles of vocabulary teaching. In the case of the control group, the lesson plan was covered in accordance with the cognitive strategies and based on the exercises posed in the book. A sample of vocabulary test was administered as the pretest and another parallel one for the post-test of the study after each group was exposed to the treatment for 10 sessions. Data analyses revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test; in this regard, the efficacy of the teaching protocol for experimental group is confirmed.