An Investigation into the Impact of Traditional vs. Blended Teaching on EFL Learners' Vocabulary Acquisition: M-learning in Focus

This study aimed to explore the application of SMS to the blended method of teaching L2 vocabulary. It was also aimed at investigating the impact of adding written cues to Iranian high-school juniors' L2 vocabulary learning. To these ends, after conducting Nelson English Language Test (i.e. Test 100 A), 60 out of 74 Iranian high-school juniors in two classes with pre-intermediate level of English language proficiency were selected. Then, they were divided into two equal groups in terms of number. The first group received the learning content in the traditional way (G1); while the second group received the learning content through the blended mode of teaching (G2), with and without written annotation. They were then evaluated on their recognition and recall of vocabulary items. The results showed that the participants who received treatment outperformed significantly the other group in L2 vocabulary learning. Moreover, the blended group performed in a better way than the other group in learning the annotated content. The results of the study also revealed that employing SMS as part of learning content can create a desirable condition to enhance the EFL learners' L2 vocabulary knowledge.