The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the effect of a new vocabulary revision technique “peer-chain” developed by the researchers on vocabulary learning and retention among English as a foreign language (EFL) university students. A total of 46 participants (21 in the control group and 25 in the experimental group) completed the study, and the effectiveness of the treatment was checked via conducting a pre-test post-test/retention test control group design for the quantitative part. The study was eight weeks in duration, and the students were assessed with a 42-question, multiple-choice vocabulary achievement test (VAT). An analysis of ANOVA for the quantitative data showed a significant difference in students’ vocabulary achievement between the students who used peer-chain and the students who used traditional word cards. Also, the study explored learner perceptions through interviews with the experimental group students. The qualitative content analysis of the interview data showed that most learners had positive perceptions of the technique. Both quantitative and qualitative outcomes suggest that integrating WhatsApp with the peer-chain technique in teaching vocabulary is a promising technique and can be more successful than the traditional paper-based word cards for vocabulary learning and retention.

这项混合方法研究的目的是检验研究人员开发的新词汇复习技术“同伴链”对英语作为外语（EFL）大学生词汇学习和保留的影响。共有 46 名参与者（对照组 21 名，实验组 25 名）完成了研究，并通过定量部分进行前测后测/保留测试对照组设计来检查治疗的有效性。该研究持续八周，学生接受了包含 42 个问题的多项选择词汇成绩测试 (VAT) 的评估。对定量数据的方差分析显示，使用同伴链的学生和使用传统单词卡的学生之间的词汇成绩存在显着差异。此外，该研究还通过采访实验组学生来探讨学习者的看法。访谈数据的定性内容分析表明，大多数学习者对该技术持积极看法。定量和定性结果都表明，将 WhatsApp 与点对链技术结合起来进行词汇教学是一种很有前途的技术，并且在词汇学习和记忆方面比传统的纸质单词卡更成功。