A Comparison of computer-assisted vocabulary instruction and teacher-led vocabulary instruction

Abstract

This study aims to determine whether the learning of foreign language vocabulary would be better for students who study and revise the vocabulary instruction material in a computer environment compared to students who learn and revise the same vocabulary instruction material in a classroom environment with their teachers. Additionally, the study explored the strengths and weaknesses of the computer-assisted vocabulary instruction. Three groups of students participated in this study. One group was the control group, other groups were the teacher-led vocabulary instruction group and the computer-assisted vocabulary instruction group. The teacher-led group learned and revised the target words using spaced repetition via teacher instruction, the computer group learned and revised the target words using spaced repetition via computers, and the control group learned the target words via teacher instruction while they revised vocabulary massively at one time and did not use spaced repetition.