The present study aims at answering the following questions:.

1-Which is more effective in enriching students.  Vocabulary ,the use of short stories or the      traditional way?

2-What extent has the use of short stories an effect upon the students. achievement in           vocabulary test?

3- Is there any significant difference between the male and female student of the                    experimental group in vocabulary achievement test?

            To attain the aim of the study and test its hypotheses, an experiment was conducted.             The sample of the study is 45 students randomly chosen from the 2  year male and female students at the Department of English, College of Basic Education,AL_Mustansiriyah university  during the academic year 2009-2010 distributed into two group, The experimental and control   group .The subjects were initially equalized on a number of variables .At the end of experiment which lasted for two months ,all subjects were administered an achievement test, after ascertaining its validity and reliability.

             Using t-test, it was found that there is statistically significant difference between  the mean scores of the experimental and control group and in favour of the former and there is statistically significant difference between the use short stories and the traditional way and in favour of the former. Also, It was found out that there is no statistically significant difference between the male and female students of the experimental group.

           In the light of the study findings, a number of conclusions were drawn ,and several recommendations and suggestions were made.