Definition-based Versus Contextualized Vocabulary Learning

Ability to infer the meaning of unknown words encountered while reading plays an important role in learners' foreign language word knowledge development. The current study was an attempt to investigate the efficiency of two vocabulary learning procedures, i.e. definition-based (decontextualized) versus contextualized. In the contextualized group there were 53 students of grade one in high school and preuniversity who were taught meaning inferencing strategies in which they read their textbooks, identified unknown words in the texts, and inferred the meanings of the unknown words. There were also another 54 students in the decontextualized group who learnt the new words' translations out of context before a new lesson was taught. The findings of the study revealed that the students in decontextualized group slightly outperformed the contextualized group on the vocabulary post-test. It is concluded that definition-based learning was more effective in improving learner's vocabulary knowledge.