Gulistan State University, Uzbekistan

Vocabulary acquisition remains one of the central challenges for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners globally, and particularly in Central Asian contexts such as Uzbekistan, where learners navigate complex multilingual environments. This study investigates the effect of input flooding — a form-focused instruction technique that exposes learners to target vocabulary items through repeated, meaningful encounters embedded in authentic texts — on vocabulary acquisition among Uzbek EFL learners. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, sixty undergraduate students at Gulistan State University were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=30), which received flooded reading texts, and a control group (n=30), which followed a conventional vocabulary instruction approach over six weeks. A standardized vocabulary test was administered before and after the treatment. The results, analyzed using independent samples t-tests (SPSS), revealed statistically significant gains in the experimental group compared to the control group, supporting the effectiveness of input flooding in the Uzbek EFL context. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on incidental vocabulary learning and carry practical implications for EFL curriculum design and pedagogical practice in Uzbekistan and similar Central Asian educational settings.