Effect of Telegram Application on Iranian Advanced EFL Learners' Vocabulary Knowledge and Attitude

Subject Areas :

Roya Zarei ¹ , Laya Heidari Darani ² , Ahmad Ameri-Golestan ³

1 - Department of Foreign Languages, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of English, Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 - Department of English, Majlesi Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2017-04-15 Accepted : 2017-06-14 Published : 2017-03-01

Keywords: Attitude, vocabulary learning, EFL learners, Telegram, Social Networking,

Abstract :

The study intended to examine the effects of Telegram on Iranian EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge and the attitude of them towards vocabulary learning. To this end, a group of 100 Iranian advanced EFL learners participated in an experimental design project. The participants were selected after they took the Oxford Quick Placement Test and they were divided into experimental and control groups. The participants of both groups had a three-week vocabulary instruction. The treatment was similar for both groups except for exercises done after the class. The participants in the experimental group were asked to fill out an attitudinal questionnaire after the treatment. Then, a vocabulary test was administered among the participants of both groups. Results of the independent-samples t-test run on the collected data indicated that participants of the experimental group outperformed those of the control group. The findings of the attitudinal questionnaire showed that the participants had positive attitude toward using Telegram. The conclusion drawn is that those in the experimental group were free in using the online group to interact with each other. Within this framework, learners in the experimental group indicated that they enjoyed this instruction as it was fun to embark on new technological learning methods