The Implementation of Educational Texting as an Instructional Facilitator in the Iranian EFL Context

Identifier:  TDX:4046

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX4046

Authors:  Behforouz, Behnam

Abstract:
In this study, through convenience sampling, after the administration of an Oxford Placement Test (OPT), 74 participants were selected for the purpose of this study. They were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group equally. To measure learners reading ability, the reading part of the Preliminary English Test (PET) was used as a pretest and later as a posttest. To calculate the amount of autonomy among learners after implementing the vocabulary items through texting, a questionnaire was distributed. A semi-structured interview session was conducted among the participants of the experimental group to further grasp their perceptions towards MALL in the English learning context. Finally, to compute the vocabulary size of the students and their vocabulary knowledge, a Word Association Test (WAT) and a Vocabulary Level test (VLT) were conducted. The experimental group received 108 words via SMS during 18 sessions, including 6 words in context covered in 6 sentences. The control group, received the traditional instruction, in a face-to-face environment, with the ready-made materials of the class and the teacher. After conducting the posttest, the findings of the study revealed that the performance of both groups on the basis of their reading test is similar, and the treatment did not have a statistically significant effect on the experimental group. The second study revealed that the treatment played a very important role in improving learners' motivation level in the experimental group. The perceptions of the participants in the experimental group showed that students have a positive attitude towards mobile-assisted language learning in the EFL learning context. Gender showed not to be a distinguishable factor for the performance of the learners in the autonomy test. Learning vocabulary through SMS could significantly increase the size of the learners' vocabulary, learners' scores on the vocabulary depth did not show statistically significant differences.