The impact of word-focused activities, short messages, and their combination on students’ receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge

Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of word-focused activities, short messages, and their combination on receptive and productive vocabulary learning by Algerian learners and at exploring students’ attitudes towards each of these methods. Four hypotheses were formulated: (1) If different methods are used to teach vocabulary, then they will yield different outcomes in terms of students’ receptive and productive knowledge of vocabulary, (2) If short messages are used to teach vocabulary, then students will improve their receptive knowledge of it, (3) If word-focused activities are used to teach vocabulary, then students will improve their productive knowledge of it, (4) If a combination of word-focused activities and SMS is used to teach vocabulary, then students will improve both their receptive and their productive knowledge of it. Sixty first-year students at the Department of English, University of Constantine 1, took part in the study. Twenty participants were randomly assigned into one of the three conditions, pre-tested, taught twenty target words, and post-tested. The participants in the word-focused activities group received instruction via paper-and-pen vocabulary exercises, in the classroom for two weeks; the short messages group received the words with their definitions and example sentences through messages on their mobile phones in a spaced manner over the same period, and the participants under the blended method condition studied the words by means of both methods. The t-tests results showed that all groups improved their receptive as well as productive knowledge of the instructed words post to the interventions. The ANOVA and Scheffé tests indicated that there were statistically significant differences between them, however. It follows that the hypotheses put forward were confirmed. Besides, students showed positive attitudes towards the different methods, yet to varying degrees. The main implication dictated by the findings of the present study is that paper-and-pen vocabulary exercises are still effective and favoured, in the digital era. The SMS-based learning could be more efficient if a number of requirements are taken into consideration. Their combination is the most valued by students.