The effectiveness of computer assisted instruction on vocabulary achievement

Abstract

In recent years, computer assisted language learning has come to the forefront of language learning and teaching. Computer assisted vocabulary instruction has been considered to be one of the most common applications of CALL. The purpose of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction on students’ vocabulary achievement. The subjects of this quasi-experimental study consisted of 52 freshmen studying in the ELT Department of Balıkesir University in the spring semester of 2012-2013 academic year. Before the intervention, the students were randomly assigned to one of the groups; Computer Assisted Instruction or Communicative Language Teaching and they were given a pre-test. Following the pre-test, the CAVI group studied 20 target words by using a Moodle in a computer laboratory whereas the CLT group was instructed the same words by their teacher in a communicative classroom atmosphere. Both groups were given the post-test immediately after the intervention. The delayed post-test was administered to the freshmen five weeks after the intervention in order to test the retention. The results revealed that both CAVI and CLT groups had some kind of vocabulary gain as a result of the treatments. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in vocabulary gains.