The NAO Robot as a Teacher Assistant: Its Effects on Vocabulary Learning and Learners’ Attitudes

This study investigated the effect of using a robot as a teacher assistant on university language learners’ vocabulary learning and their attitudes towards it. This study was conducted in Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in North Cyprus. First year English Language Teaching (ELT) students were the participants of this study. In this study a NAO robot which is an autonomous robot was used as a teacher assistant within the vocabulary course. In order to reach the aims of this study, a mixed method research was designed. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. By a quasi-experiment, the effect of the robot on vocabulary learning was explored. Furthermore, a questionnaire and interview were used to explore the language learners’ attitudes. Although, in this study the control group performed better than the experimental group, the results of statistical analyses did not show significant difference among them. In addition, data analyses showed that most of the learners have positive attitudes towards this technology despite of its limitations. Also this study found some of the limitations of this technology and the challenges of implementing it. Some suggestions were also posed by the participants to use this technology in more beneficial methods. Keywords: Robot-Assisted Language Learning (RALL), Technology, Teacher assistant, Attitude, Mixed-method