Mobile mediated versus traditional method of L2 vocabulary learning: A comparison between vocabulary learning with and without pictorial annotation

The focus of this study was to explore the efficacy of mobile learning (m-learning) in the context of teaching English vocabulary items to Iranian semi-illiterates in a traditional versus blended manner of content delivery. To that end, 60 semi-illiterate adults were randomly assigned to the traditional (G1) and the blended groups (G2) after their familiarity with English alphabet was assessed via English alphabet letter writing test. Then, they were taught 30 new English vocabularies in traditional (G1) and blended (G2) methods, with the vocabulary items in two forms of without annotation and with pictorial annotation presented to the second (blended) group. Following the teaching phase and at the end of the course, paper- and-pencil-based English Vocabulary Recognition and Recall (EVRR) tests were administered. The data were collected and then subjected to the appropriate statistical operations, that is, paired sample t-test. The t- test analysis indicated that blended group of semi-illiterates outperformed their traditional counterpart in vocabulary learning. Also, the results showed that the vocabulary items with pictorial annotations were learned better than those without. This study could have some pedagogical implications for language teachers and practitioners.