Impact of Feedback on Vocabulary Improvement in Speaking Skills among Afghan EFL Learners

Abstract

Improving one’s vocabulary skill is really important for advancing English language proficiency. Hence, this study was conducted by two lecturers from the English Department of the Education Faculty at Balkh University. Its intention is to determine how providing feedback helps Afghan EFL learners improve their vocabulary in speaking. To gather reliable data, we conducted an online survey by distributing an online questionnaire to our seventh-semester female students. These students were enrolled in the English Department of the Education Faculty at Balkh University. We sent the questionnaire to 20 students, which was designed using a four-point Likert Scale with options ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, consisting of 13 items. The questionnaire was crafted to gauge students' perceptions of the feedback they receive and how it contributes to their vocabulary improvement in speaking. After collecting the data, we analyzed it using basic descriptive statistics. The results indicate that students prefer receiving feedback from their teachers and are keen to identify their mistakes and enhance their vocabulary. While some students expressed interest in receiving feedback during speaking activities, others were opposed to it, as they believed that receiving feedback during speaking could be detrimental and lead to hesitation.