The Effect of Visual Aids on Vocabulary Learning among Iranian EFL Learners

Vocabulary learning in a foreign language is challenging and requires using an appropriate method. teachers need to find an appropriate technique to improve vocabulary learning. using visual aids is one of techniques for improving vocabulary learning. therefore, the present research aimed to investigate the effect of visual aids as a teaching and learning tool on high school efl learners’ vocabulary learning. this research is a quantitative research with a quasi-experimental design. it was conducted in the imam khomeini high school during the academic year 2022/2023 in tabriz, east azerbaijan. to conduct the study, out of 79 high school efl learners 60 homogeneous students were chosen as participants. all of them were intermediate level learners of english. then, they were assigned to two classes each with 30 learners. the homogeneity of the groups was checked through the pet test. besides, a pre-test was used to check their vocabulary knowledge at the onset of research. the experimental group experienced vocabulary learning through visual aids. in contrast, the control group was taught the same materials through the conventional method. it means teacher explained the meaning of words in english, persian or turkish. students also tried to find the meaning in dictionary. a vocabulary-based test, acting as a post-test, was conducted after the treatment. the results of the independent-samples t-test on the post-test scores of both groups showed that the experimental group acted better than the control group. the study proves the need for visual aids in teaching english vocabulary to bring about better outcomes in students' achievements in the english language. the researchers suggested some practical implications that can be useful and instructional to syllabus designers as visual aids are effective means to stimulate further activities.