Enhancing vocabulary learning in civil aviation students: A comparative study of the effects of online interactive vocabulary activities and course book-based activities

Aviation industry has been a sector which is developing rapidly both in our country and in the world. In line with this, several needs have occurred. As this sector has an international role, a common language is needed in order to process the work and provide communication. Without question, this language is English. On the other hand, since the aviation is a specific field, the needed English is not only General English but it is also English for Specific Purposes (ESP). In other words, it is a language which has a terminology and special structures in spoken language. Furthermore, it has several rules in different subjects, such as language framework, aviation alphabet, numbers, etc. which are formulated by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This research aims to explore and compare the effects of online interactive vocabulary activities and traditional course book-based activities on vocabulary improvement in Civil Aviation students at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. With a comparative nature, the research seeks to determine the effectiveness of these two approaches and identify which method enhances vocabulary learning more effectively. Additionally, the study sets out to investigate students' perspectives and opinions regarding the use of online interactive vocabulary activities versus course book-based activities in their learning process. Through statistical analysis and gathering students' viewpoints, this research intends to contribute valuable insights to the field of language teaching and learning in the context of Civil Aviation education. There are 84 students who are between 18 and 23 in the study. Their level of English is A1 and A2. In this study, mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was used as quantitative data and qualitative data were collected respectively. As a quantitative data, placement test was applied to see the English level of students and Aviation vocabulary test was used in order to see the level of students in Aviation English. As for the qualitative data, firstly, interview questionnaire form was applied to voluntary students and then the same form was given to focus groups to receive their written opinions. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between the success of the students of experimental and control group in terms of pre-test and post-test scores. In addition, students' satisfaction in experimental group related to course activities is much higher than the one in control group. This study is significant for students' comprehension of aviation vocabulary to use them in their prospective jobs to be successful. In addition, it is assumed that they will be successful in written and oral aviation English exams before being hired thanks to this study.