2019 IJRSLL – Volume 8 Issue 1
Author/s:
Rahimi Esfahani, Fariba*
Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran (Rahimi_fariba@yahoo.com)
Rafizade Tafti, Mohammad Reza
Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran (mrrafizade@yahoo.com)
Hajijalili, Mehrnnoosh
Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran (23.mehrnoosh@gmail.com)
Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of using digital games on intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary improvement. To this end, the Oxford Quick Placement Test was given to 62 Iranian EFL learners and based on its results, 40 intermediate students were chosen for the target population of the study. Then, they were divided into two groups- one experimental group and one control group. After that, all the participants were pre-tested and then the treatment was applied. The researcher taught the experimental group by using digital games. Students in the experimental group were taught English vocabulary consisting of the names of different animals, family members, colors and so on through using digital game. On the other hand, students of the control group were deprived of the treatment. They received a traditional teaching instruction. The treatment lasted 15 sessions; the allocated time for each session was 50 minutes. In the last session, the researcher administered the vocabulary post-test to find out the possible effects of the treatment on the participants’ vocabulary improvement. The results of paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test showed that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of experimental and control groups. The experimental group outperformed the control group on the post-test. This study has implications for teaching and learning vocabulary.
Keywords: games; digital games; technology-based instruction; vocabulary learning; intermediate EFL learners
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsll.2019.3013
*Corresponding Author