Effects of Input Enhancement Techniques on Word Learning of Korean Elementary Learners

This study examines the effects of three input enhancement techniques on the immediate and delayed vocabulary recall of young Korean EFL learners. A total of 116 sixth grade students from four homogeneous classes participated in the study. In reading classes, each of three classes was instructed according to one of the input enhancement techniques, including visual enhancement, semantic enhancement, and input flooding. The fourth class was instructed with regular texts without input enhancement. In the immediate meaning-recognition post-test, the semantic enhancement group outperformed the visual input enhancement and control groups, while in the form-recognition post-test the input flooding and visual input groups significantly outperformed the semantic input group. Further, in the delayed meaning-recognition post-test, there were no significant differences between the groups. These particular patterns were consistent regardless of varying language levels of the learners. Based on the results, further pedagogical implications are suggested.