The effectiveness of texting to enhance academic vocabulary learning: English language learners’ perspective

ABSTRACT

This study examined university undergraduate English language learners’ (ELLs) perspectives on an intervention, Word Matters, that aimed to enhance functional academic vocabulary learning critical to their cognitive academic language proficiency development (Cummins, 1989), a challenge faced by many ELLs in English-medium universities. This intervention provided undergraduate ELLs with instructional support of their vocabulary learning through the use of texting. It focused on their acquisition of academic and low-frequency words that appeared in the readings assigned by two content-based English for academic purposes (EAP) courses required for ELLs at a large Canadian university. The intervention was aligned with the lesson plans of the courses. Data in this study were collected from follow-up interviews (n = 10) and a post-treatment survey (n = 40) from a total of 48 students who participated in the intervention. The results revealed students’ overall positive experience with the intervention, the feasibility of the intervention design and its effectiveness in supporting ELLs’ vocabulary learning. The findings, students’ suggestions for improving the intervention, and directions for future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• University English language learners
• text messages
• academic vocabulary acquisition
• learners’ perspective

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank students and instructors who participated in this research project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. 5 = more than once a day, 4 = once a day, 3 = once a week, 2 = once a month, 1 = never.

2. Italicized words in transcripts refer to the words that students said in English.

Additional information

Funding

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada [Standard research grant].

Notes on contributors

Jia Li

Jia Li is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and a Canada–U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2011 to 2012. Her research focuses on data-driven innovative language and literacy instruction using emerging technologies for linguistically diverse students.

Jim Cummins

Jim Cummins is a Professor Emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. He held a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) and a recipient of the International Reading Association's Albert J. Harris award. His research focus on literacy and multiliteracies, technology and academic language learning, and English as a second language.

Qizhen Deng

Qizhen Deng is a postdoctoral fellow at Nebraska Research Center for Children, Youth, Families, and Schools at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research interest focuses on the motivational and cognitive language learning of students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and technology integration with teacher education.