The Effect of Task-Induced Involvement Load in Written Modality on L2 Vocabulary Production and productive Retention

The present study aimed at investigating the effect of reading task-induced involvement load on L2 vocabulary production and productive retention. To this end, initially a sample of 90 Iranian B.A. level students majoring in TEFL and translation studies at Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU) were selected. After the administration of a subset of the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MTELP), and the exclusion of the students who were not present in all treatment sessions, a sample of 60 participants remained. The participants were randomly assigned to three different groups of 20 members each. Each group was randomly assigned to a different treatment condition with various involvement load indices. After six consecutive treatment sessions, the participants were exposed to both immediate and delayed tests of vocabulary production. The data were analyzed using a One-way ANOVA procedure for each question. The results showed that reading involvement load of three was significantly more effective on both vocabulary production and productive retention than load one, which was in turn, more effective than load zero. These findings lend support to the effectiveness of reading task-induced involvement load. The results of the present study may have implications for teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.