Comparative Effects of Semantic Mapping andTranslanguaging on Pre-Intermediate Iranian EFLLearners’ Vocabulary Learning

Vocabulary learning and teaching are essential components of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, and various strategies have been explored to enhance learners’ lexical development. This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of semantic mapping and translanguaging on the vocabulary acquisition of 47 Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners at the Goldis Language Institute in Tabriz. The participants were randomly assigned to two experimental groups who received twelve 60-minute sessions over six weeks (two sessions per week), covering approximately 100 target words from American English File 2 and Vocabulary in Use. Both groups completed equivalent homework assignments to ensure parity of exposure. In the semantic mapping group, the learners organized new words into conceptual networks through teacher-guided mapping tasks, brainstorming, and contextual sentence creation, supported by independent semantic mapping homework. In the translanguaging group, the learners used their first language alongside English to discuss word meanings, generate sentences, and create bilingual vocabulary journals, with English remaining the dominant instructional language. Both groups were taught by the same instructor, who received prior training and was monitored for fidelity of implementation. Vocabulary acquisition was measured using the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), and the pre-test scores were used as a covariate in the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Both instructional methods significantly improved the learners’ vocabulary, with translanguaging showing slightly higher post-test performance. These findings suggest that meaning-based and context-sensitive strategies can effectively support vocabulary development in pre-intermediate EFL learners although generalization is limited by the small sample, single-institute context, and relatively short intervention period.