Enhancing English Vocabulary Acquisition Through Pakistani English Newspapers: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of Undergraduate Efl Learners

Abstract

English language proficiency has become an indispensable asset for academic, professional, and social advancement in the contemporary globalized world, with vocabulary acquisition representing a cornerstone skill that fundamentally influences learners' communicative competence. Traditional vocabulary instruction methods, predominantly relying on isolated word lists and decontextualised exercises, have proven inadequate in preparing students for real-world communication scenarios, creating a significant pedagogical gap between classroom learning and practical language application. The integration of authentic materials, particularly culturally relevant Pakistani newspapers, represents a promising solution to address these instructional limitations while providing learners with exposure to contemporary vocabulary and real-world language usage. A quasi-experimental research design was employed, involving 80 undergraduate students from Government Post Graduate Jahanzeb College in District Swat, divided into experimental and control groups of 40 participants each. Data collection followed a structured pre-test, treatment, and post-test procedure spanning three months, utilising vocabulary tests with 40 objective items derived from English newspapers. Statistical analysis using SPSS 19 software revealed that the experimental group achieved statistically significant vocabulary improvements (p = 0.021 < 0.05) compared to the control group, which showed no measurable progress (p = 0.325 > 0.05). The study demonstrates that reading Pakistani English newspapers significantly enhances vocabulary acquisition, providing empirical evidence for the integration of authentic materials in English language instruction.

Keywords: Vocabulary acquisition; Authentic materials; English newspapers; EFL learners