Efficiency of the Conceptual and Perceptual Priming for the Lexical Retrieval and Reading/Listening Comprehension of EFL Learners of Different Proficiency Levels

Priming techniques have received growing attention in second language learning as a means to facilitate lexical access. This study investigated the effects of conceptual and perceptual priming on lexical retrieval and reading and listening comprehension among Iranian EFL learners at different proficiency levels. Grounded in dual-process theories of memory, which distinguish between meaning-based and form-based processing, the study aimed to determine how these two types of priming influence language performance. Participants were assigned to conceptual priming, perceptual priming, or control groups and completed lexical decision tasks along with reading and listening comprehension assessments. The results demonstrated that while both priming types facilitated lexical retrieval, conceptual priming was significantly more promising. Importantly, learner proficiency moderated the priming effects: elementary learners showed greater gains from perceptual priming, whereas advanced learners benefited more from conceptual priming. Furthermore, conceptual priming led to more substantial improvements in both reading and listening comprehension, with listening showing a particularly stronger effect. These findings suggest that priming interventions can enhance core language skills, but their effectiveness depends on learners' proficiency and the nature of the priming. The study offers pedagogical insights for language instruction by highlighting the importance of aligning cognitive support strategies with learners' developmental stages, and it contributes to a growing body of research on memory-based mechanisms in second language acquisition.