College EFL Students’ Perceptions of Vocabulary Learning with a Smartphone Application

Abstract

The Journal of Studies in Language 34.3, 377-392. With their popularity and their ubiquitous nature, mobile wireless devices including smartphones offer great potential as a teaching and learning tool in English education. The current paper aims at investigating the learners’ perceptions of the use of applications in learning English vocabulary. A total of 24 undergraduates in ‘Understanding of English Vocabulary’ class participated in the experiment. They used Quizlet as a mobile app on smartphones to learn vocabulary. At the end of the experiment, a vocabulary test, a questionnaire, and interviews were administered. The results indicated that participants, in general, showed positive attitudes towards vocabulary learning assisted by the mobile application. In particular, the high proficiency group demonstrated a more positive perception than the low proficiency group, in terms of the enjoyability and the learning impact. The paper concludes with pedagogical implications, focusing on the instructors’ roles to integrate mobile apps into college English classes. (Chungnam National University)