ABSTRACT

The current study investigated the contribution of a mobile application for self-directed and autonomous learning of academic vocabulary among English as a Foreign language (EFL) university students. Furthermore, we examined the long-term impacts of mobile-assisted vocabulary learning, by using a pre-, post-, and delayed post-test design. The participants were 38 third- and fourth-year university students in experimental (N = 20) and control (N = 18) groups, selected based on convenience sampling procedures. During a semester, students in the experimental group used a mobile application (i.e. AWL builder), while the control group used traditional materials. The participants’ receptive vocabulary knowledge was tested three times. The findings revealed that both groups improved their vocabulary knowledge (Sig. < 0.000). Nonetheless, the participants in the experimental group attained better results in both post- and delayed post-test, and the observed mean differences were statistically significant (Sig. < 0.000, Partial Eta Squared = 0.356). Moreover, a significant effect for time was found for mobile-assisted vocabulary learning (Sig. < 0.000, Partial Eta Squared = 0.907). The results highlight the potential offered by mobile applications for self-directed learning of academic vocabulary and promise implications for EFL vocabulary learning.

摘要

目前的研究调查了移动应用程序对英语作为外语 (EFL) 大学生自主和自主学习学术词汇的贡献。此外，我们通过使用前测、后测和延迟后测设计，检查了移动辅助词汇学习的长期影响。参与者是实验组（N = 20）和控制组（N = 18）的 38 名三年级和四年级大学生，根据便利抽样程序选择。在一个学期中，实验组学生使用移动应用程序（即AWL builder），而对照组使用传统材料。参与者的接受词汇知识被测试了3次。研究结果表明，两组都提高了他们的词汇知识（Sig. < 0.000）。尽管如此，实验组的参与者在后测和延迟后测中都取得了更好的结果，并且观察到的平均差异具有统计学意义（Sig. < 0.000，Partial Eta Squared = 0.356）。此外，发现移动辅助词汇学习对时间有显着影响（Sig. < 0.000，Partial Eta Squared = 0.907）。结果突出了移动应用程序在学术词汇自主学习方面提供的潜力，以及对 EFL 词汇学习的潜在影响。部分 Eta 平方 = 0.907)。结果突出了移动应用程序在学术词汇自主学习方面提供的潜力，以及对 EFL 词汇学习的潜在影响。部分 Eta 平方 = 0.907)。结果突出了移动应用程序在学术词汇自主学习方面提供的潜力，以及对 EFL 词汇学习的潜在影响。