COMPARATIVE USEFULNESS OF ONLINE AND TRADITIONAL VOCABULARY LEARNING

Acquiring vocabulary in L2 is rather a difficult and demanding process and most of the language learners wish to know which vocabulary learning method and/or activity is more beneficial or even the best one; however, the responses to this question vary and there is no clear-cut answer though there are some various suggestions and conclusions drawn from the studies related to vocabulary acquisition such as keeping a notebook, regularly reviewing and using vocabulary items in context. This study compares the usefulness of online vocabulary teaching and the traditional methods used in upper-intermediate Academic English class.  The control group students practiced vocabulary items in ten reading passages through vocabulary notebooks and cards. The learners in the experimental group practiced the same vocabulary items in the passages through WordChamp. Furthermore, with both groups, the vocabulary items were regularly reviewed. The usefulness of the two methods was evaluated via the post-test. The study showed that the learners in the experimental group outperformed the learners in the control group and that the experimental group students better remember the words studied online, evidenced by a follow-up post-test given 3 months later.