THE EFFECT OF SMS-BASED L1 AND L2 GLOSSES ON EAP STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC VOCABULARY LEARNING AND ATTITUDES

Abstract

There has been a rise in the use of technology in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction. The integration of mobile learning can offer a plethora of learning opportunities for EAP students. This study set out to uncover the effect of SMS-based learning on EAP students’ academic vocabulary learning and attitudes. An experimental design was employed. A total of 60 EAP students of agriculture were randomly assigned to three groups, each group contained 20 students.  Based on their EAP textbook, a total of 120 academic words were sent to them through SMS for a period of four months. The first group received the academic words along with the Persian and English definitions (PED), the second group received text messages containing the academic words and the Persian definitions (PD) and the last group received the academic words and the English definitions (ED). The results showed a significant difference among the test scores of the three groups. Further t-test analyses indicated that the PED group scored significantly higher than the other groups. Post-study questionnaires revealed that all the groups had generally positive attitudes towards SMS-based learning of academic vocabulary. The perceived factors which might affect students’ SMS-based learning of academic vocabulary comprise the length of the text message, the language of the text message and definitions, and the frequency of receiving text messages containing academic vocabulary. The findings will have implications for EAP practitioners, decision-makers, and educational authorities across the world.