The effect of using mobile applications on literal and contextual vocabulary instruction

Abstract

Smartphones have been an indispensable part of our lives and function in all fields of life effectively. Mobile applications, which are one of the core components of smartphones, are the main agent in integration of smartphones into education. After the mobile applications started to be used for educational purposes, a radical change took place in the nature of education. With the contribution of mobile applications, education has turned out to be more individualized, ubiquitous, learner-centred and, disquietly, uncontrolled. Language learning is highly affected by this prevalent impact of the mobile applications and vocabulary applications have taken the lead in number in application markets. This study aimed to find out the effectiveness of mobile applications on contextual and literal vocabulary instruction. 84 university freshman students were chosen as the participants of the study. The participants were divided into two groups as literal and contextual vocabulary instruction group, 42 in each. A four-week training session was administered to both groups using the particular vocabulary apps that comply with the necessity of the groups. The data obtained were analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15. Consequently, it was found out that both groups showed improvements in their post-test scores, but literal instruction group outperformed the contextual instruction group. Along with this finding, some recommendations were made for further studies.

Use of Smartphone Applications in English Language Learning—A Challenge for Foreign Language Education

“…The majority of the 16 original reviewed texts agree that mobile learning, or m-learning, is becoming a salient feature of education (e.g., [19]), as it is a great opportunity and an immense step forward (e.g., [2,20,21]) and should therefore be supported (e.g., [22]), albeit with caution (e.g., [23,24]) and only as a supporting tool (e.g., [19]).…”

“…As regards language skills practiced by means of m-learning, some research aimed at specific ones such as writing (e.g., [20,27]), speaking [28], vocabulary [3,21,23,25], listening [28], and reading [29].…”

“…Çelik and Yavuz [23] maintain that mobile apps help integrate smartphones into radically changing education, which is now more individualized, ubiquitous, learner-centered, and even uncontrolled. The authors studied the effectiveness of mobile apps in vocabulary instruction, both contextual and literal.…”

“…On reading these selected articles, there is a feeling that not only language learning and teaching but education as such is on the threshold of a profound change. It may seem that the traditional model is on the wane (e.g., [23,30]). The use of mobile devices in education seems to be on an inevitable rise.…”

Impact of Mobile Learning on Students’ Achievement Results

“…This also provided those students who did not work with the app some feedback on their study. For example, Celik and Yavuz [29] claim that a supervised and monitored implementation of smartphones can enhance the efficacy and excellence of any foreign language learning.…”