The effect of lack of vocabulary on english language learners’ performance with reference to English departments students at Salahaddin University-Erbil

Abstract EN

This study, as the title refers to, investigates the problems of lack of vocabulary that face EFL students (English as a foreign language students).

It aims to seek EFL teachers’ opinions on the extent to which lack of vocabulary has influence on EFL students’ performance in listening, reading comprehension and conversation classes, and in expressing their ideas and feelings, especially in composition, and academic debate classes.

To carry out the objectives of this research paper, a questionnaire and an interview questions form were designed.

The teachers participated in this survey responded to the questionnaire and provided answers to the questions included in the interview questions form.

In addition to the two tools above, the data from the researcher’s diary was analyzed.

The analysis of the data obtained from the instruments used for this study, showed that the majority of the students surveyed had the problem of short of vocabulary which in turn had a negative effect on their performance of language skills.

The first section of this study is an introduction.

Section Two is theoretical background which includes literature review on the problem of lack of vocabulary, assumptions about vocabulary teaching, the importance of vocabulary, and current vocabulary teaching practices and the problem of short of vocabulary facing EFL students at Salahaddin University-Erbil.

The third section is about research methodology comprising participants, instruments, data collection, and data analysis.

Section Four contains the results of data analysis obtained from the questionnaire, the participants’ answers to the interview questions, and the researcher’s field notes.

The fifth section consists of two points: conclusions and recommendations.

This research paper ends with a list of references, an abstract in Arabic, another abstract in Kurdish, Appendix I-questionnaire and Appendix II-interview questions form.