The Contribution of Field Dependence/Independence to Receptive/Productive Vocabulary Learning of Iranian EFL Learners
Kamal Heideri
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Email: [email protected]
Published: February 22, 2023
Abstract
Vocabulary knowledge has unanimously been reported to be the central component of language. Despite the multitude of studies on vocabulary, the issue of receptive/productive vocabulary is still far from clarity. On the other hand, the issue of individual differences, specifically Field Dependence/Independence (FD/I), is among important but controversial areas of investigation in English language learning and teaching. While it is asserted that language pedagogy should be the same for all types of learners, it has been proved that when pedagogy is individualized, the teaching effectiveness increases. The thrust of this study is, then, to look into the impact of learning styles in general and Field dependence/Independence in particular on the receptive/productive lexical performance of Iranian EFL learners. It aims to examine whether or not FD/I learners perform differently on receptive and productive vocabulary tests. To achieve this, first, Iranian EFL learners are first given the Group Embedded Figure Test (GEFT) to determine their learning style; and second, they will be put into two groups based on their performance on the GEFT. They will then be asked to take a receptive and a productive vocabulary test to see if FD and FI learners perform differently on these tests or not. The findings of the study can substantially contribute to better understanding of learners’ individual preferences for vocabulary learning. The pertinent implications are also discussed.
Key words: Field dependence; Field independence; GEFT; Receptive vocabulary; Productive vocabulary; EFL learners
DOI: 10.23918/vesal2023v22