Learning Technology Review: Vocabulary.com

Abstract

Vocaburary.com (https://www.vocabulary.com/) is an application (hereafter app) designed to promote English vocabulary learning. The primary learning activities users can engage in with the app include: 1) taking short personalised online quizzes; and 2) learning or consolidating vocabulary by accessing immediate feedback. The website describes the strengths of learning vocabularies using the app by stating it as “the quickest, most intelligent way to improve vocabulary”. To help users to learn vocabulary efficiently, Vocabulary.com adopts “sophisticated algorithms” to choose the essential words for each user from over 14,000 words. Based on the results, the app then creates personalised quizzes for each user. In addition to the quiz, Vocabulary.com provides multiple functions to promote user vocabulary learning including: 1) online dictionaries; 2) vocabulary lists; 3) vocabulary games; 4) spelling practice while listening to the pronunciation; and 5) progress reports. The app provides both computer- and smartphone-based platforms (both iPhone and Android). The computer-based platform is free; whereas, users are required to purchase the smartphone-based platform. However, accessing the app via a smartphone allows users to use their downtime efficiently to learn English vocabulary anytime and anywhere. “Educator Edition” provides educators with useful functions to promote online and blended learning courses, including the capability to monitor the progress of each learner on the platform.