Effects of MALL in Vocabulary Acquisition Among First-Year EFL Students

Abstract

This research examines the effectiveness of MALL via the use of WhatsApp application as a supplementary tool to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ academic vocabulary acquisition. It also investigates students’ perceptions of MALL as an innovative learning method. The research, which utilized qualitative and quantitative methods, was conducted with 51 undergraduate EFL first-year students from the English Language Department at Omar Al-Mukhtar University. Students were divided into experimental and control groups. Students in the experimental group received vocabulary instruction and vocabulary lists through WhatsApp application, whereas the control group was taught using traditional classroom instruction. The study collected data through using pre- and post-tests, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Analysis using an independent-samples t-test indicated that the experimental group did not achieve higher performance than the control group; consequently, the study discusses possible factors contributing to these findings. Nevertheless, questionnaire and semi-structured interview responses indicated that students perceived WhatsApp as motivating, encouraging, convenient, and conducive to collaborative technological learning. This research offers recommendations for integrating mobile applications into EFL teaching practices and provides pedagogical implications for language instructors.