The impact of technology on enhancing adult efl learner vocabulary

Vocabulary plays a crucial role for English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) learners' mastery of language skills. Having an adequate knowledge of vocabulary is required to maintain communication effectively in the target language. In order to be a successful foreign language learner, it is necessary to have an adequate range of vocabulary. The present study investigates the impact of an online platform, Kahoot!, as a tool for enhancing vocabulary knowledge of adult EFL learners receiving an intensive English language programme at the School of Foreign Languages of a foundation university in Konya, Turkey. In particular, the present study aims to explore the Turkish adult EFL learners' perspectives on the effects of using Kahoot! for vocabulary learning; the effects of playing Kahoot! on self-regulated learning, and if Kahoot! makes a significant difference between the experimental and the control group in terms of vocabulary enhancement. This study was conducted during the spring term of the 2019-2020 academic year. A quasi-experimental research methodology was adopted using a pre-and a post-test and interviews to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The participants of this study are two groups of adult learners, each comprising 25 students, with an average age of 19 and having the same level of proficiency in English. One of the groups was treated as the control group while the other as the experimental group. Initially, all the participants were required to take a pre-test. The experimental group was given an intervention lasting over seven weeks. In the experimental group, Kahoot! was incorporated as an out-of-class learning tool in which students played Kahoot! vocabulary game weekly. At the end of six-week treatment, a post-test was administered to both control and experimental groups to determine the potential effect of the intervention. In addition, semi-structured interviews were held with students in the experimental group. To analyse quantitative data from the pre- and post-test, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Qualitative data from the semi-structured interviews were analysed through content analysis. Findings suggest that students perceived Kahoot! as entertaining", "motivating", "fun" and at the same time "helpful" in learning vocabulary. They also agreed that Kahoot! helped them with reinforcement and recall of the in-class learned vocabulary. Kahoot! was also found to contribute to students' self-regulated learning. Furthermore, students agreed that playing Kahoot! is useful regardless of whether it is played in-class or out-of-class. Finally, significant difference was recorded between the control and the experimental group in pre- and post-test scores, suggesting that Kahoot! has a potential to enhance adult EFL learners' vocabulary enhancement in out-of-class learning context.