The effects of Semantic mapping, thematic clustering, and notebook keeping on L2 vocabulary recognition and production

To investigate the effects of semantic mapping, thematic clustering, and notebook keeping on L2 vocabulary recognition and production, four groups of intermediate level learners in an EFL institute in Zanjan, Iran participated in the study. Three experimental groups consisted of semantic mapping, semantic feature analysis, and vocabulary notebook keeping. The fourth group served as the comparison group. During the treatment, the participants of the four groups were presented with the same vocabulary items but using different techniques. At the end of the experimental period, a multiple choice and a fill-in the-blanks posttest were administered. Data were analysed using two separate one-way ANOVA procedures. Results indicated that all three experimental conditions were more effective than the comparison condition on both vocabulary recognition and production. It also turned out that semantic feature analysis and vocabulary notebook keeping techniques were more effective than semantic mapping on Iranian EFL learners vocabulary recognition. Results also showed that semantic feature analysis was more effective than semantic mapping, which in turn, was more effective than vocabulary notebook keeping on Iranian EFL learners vocabulary production.