Abstract:

A lot of studies have found evidence that vocabulary can be acquired incidentally from reading. This experimental study investigated whether Iranian EFL learners could acquire English vocabulary from reading the graded reader, A Little Princess. The instruments employed in this study were Nation’s (2001) Vocabulary Level Test (VLT) to decide a suitable Graded Reader for the students, and a set of three different tests: word-form recognition, meaning-recognition (Multiple-Choice), and meaning-translation test to assess different types of word knowledge (partial and full knowledge) gained by 30 Iranian grade 1 high school students. These three tests were administered immediately after the treatment which was reading the graded reader. The results showed a considerable vocabulary gain at all levels of word knowledge, but not to the same extent. Knowledge of form was strongly enhanced and knowledge of meaning was increased as well. In conclusion, the reading approach is an effective approach for vocabulary development.

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