Positive Emotional Stimuli and Vocabulary Achievement among Saudi EFL Students in a Reading and Vocabulary Building Course

Abstract

Positive emotional stimuli can play an important role in vocabulary learning because they may help EFL students pay more attention, enjoy the class, and remember new words more effectively. This study examines how positive emotional stimuli may influence vocabulary lerning among Saudi EFL undergraduate students enrolled in a 14-week reading and vocabulary-building course at Qassim University. The study used a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with two male class sessions, each consisting of 34 students. The target vocabulary includes 300 words selected from 10 reading passages. The experimental group received vocabulary instruction supported by positive emotional stimuli, while the control group received regular vocabulary instruction without the intervention. Students’ vocabulary achievement was measured using a pre-test and post-test. In addition, a final comprehensive vocabulary quiz (FCVQ) was used as supporting evidence from the course. Both groups improved by the end of the study; however, the experimental group achieved higher vocabulary gains. The post-test mean score for the experimental group was  44.90 out of 60, compared with 34.10 out of 60 for the control group. Similarly, the experimental group outperformed the control group in the final vocabulary quiz, with a mean score of 45.80 out of 60 compared with 33.40 out of 60 for the control group. This difference was statistically significant, p < .001. Overall, the findings indicate that positive emotional stimuli helped improve vocabulary achievement and made vocabulary learning more engaging and enjoyable for Saudi EFL students.