A study on the Effect of Telecollaboration through Social Networking on Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Learning: The Case of Iranian Female High School EFL Learners

Mahnaz Azad,Maryam Kamarei

doi:10.30870/jels.v6i2.11312

Abstract

Technology enhanced instruction has been a paramount issue in recent decades leading to a shift in educational context. Moreover, telecollaboration as an electronically mediated intercultural communication has been introduced for the purpose of foreign language learning as well as the development of intercultural competence. Along this way, the present study was an attempt to probe on the effect of social networking through mobile assisted language learning (MALL) instruction (i.e., WhatsApp) on high school students’ reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. Furthermore, the difference between the effect of social networking through WhatsApp on the learners’ reading comprehension ability and vocabulary learning was compared. The design of the study was quasi-experimental with pre-test/post-test and the experimental and control groups. To do so, 60 female high school learners were homogenized using the Oxford Placement Test. Reading comprehension and vocabulary pre- and post-tests were administered among the learners to examine the effect of MALL instruction though WhatsApp on the learners’ reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. To analyze the data, independent samples t-test and MANOVA were used. Findings showed the outperformance of the experimental group over the control group in both reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the learners’ reading comprehension and vocabulary learning when they received social networking instruction through WhatsApp. Therefore, it can be concluded that using MALL can have beneficial effects on EFL learners’ reading comprehension and vocabulary.

Highlights

Technology has been utilized for pedagogical purposes for over than half a century
As mentioned before, this study probed on the effectiveness of social networking through WhatsApp on the learners’ reading comprehension ability and vocabulary learning
The results of the first research question analyses highlighted the outperformance of the experimental group over the control group in their reading comprehension ability

Summary

Introduction

Technology has been utilized for pedagogical purposes for over than half a century. Existing technologies and upcoming communication devices haveMahnaz Azada & Maryam Kamarei/ JELS 6 (2) (2021) 171-184 provided more sophisticated view of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in the late 1980s (Chapelle, 2001). The era of technology enhanced language instruction has sufficiently prompted language scholars to have a more reasonable view of using technology in language classroom, which demands more thoughtful research to be done in this area of research. It can be of a lot of benefits to integrate technology with instruction. You can exchange words with people but you can share the pictures, videos and various other files through whats App in few seconds Another reason was the compatibility of this application with almost every smart phone and the exclusive features of making groups and doing chat together

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Conclusion