CALL/MCALL

One of students' difficulties in comprehending a reading text is their limited vocabulary. Therefore, this article is aimed to provide practical recommendation for EFL teachers to use picto-text (pictorial and textual) glosses in reading materials to help students' become familiar to the terms used in the text that will eventually improve their reading comprehension.

This study investigated the effects of three kinds of gloss conditions that is traditional non-CALL marginal gloss, computer-based audio gloss, and computer-based extended audio gloss, on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. To this end, three experimental and one control groups, each comprising 15 participants, took part in this study. In order to ensure that the participants were from the right proficiency level, KET (Key Language Test) was used to select upper-intermediate proficiency learners. Participants in each group read two passages under one of the three mentioned conditions, with no gloss offered for control group. They all completed one pretest, one reading session, and one post-test. The data were analyzed using t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Statistical analyses of the results revealed that extended audio gloss group, who were provided with the voice of a speaker to read the meaning of the target word, as well as one example sentence, significantly outperformed the other groups. The results of this study provide some insights for teachers and administrators to review their curricula, approaches, and educational tools, and to consider the possibility of incorporating CALL technology into their teaching.

Learning vocabulary forms a major part for any language learner. Apart from direct teaching of vocabulary, language teachers are always searching for ways to increase their students' vocabulary to enable them to use the language more effectively. Therefore, this study sets out to investigate whether the use of computer textual glosses can aid vocabulary development. With a sample of 99 English as second language students, this study examines whether a computer-aided textual glosses embedded in a narrative text is able to aid students in developing their vocabulary knowledge. Using ANOVA and descriptive statistics, it was found out that students with different language proficiency levels used the gloss in a similar pattern. The similarity was that there were gains after immediate use of the glosses but the gains were not maintained over time. High proficiency students made the most gains followed by mid and low proficiency students. What can be learnt from this study is that computer textual glosses can be used to develop students' vocabulary knowledge in the short term. However, this should be supplemented with other vocabulary teaching/learning activities for more robust vocabulary knowledge development. The implications of measuring vocabulary knowledge by using vocabulary tests in the study could have resulted in the students having more gain in productive vocabulary knowledge compared to receptive vocabulary.

With the expansion of education, and technology-mediated tools, the technology mediatedcourses are taking high response in teaching and learning by attracting learners' attention, particularly in the reading skills context. Henceforth, the current study's objectives were to know the effects of multimedia glossing in helping engineering students reading comprehension and to know which multimedia features remained the strong factors in enhancing reading comprehension of the engineering students of Mehran UET Jamshoro, Pakistan. Two research tools were used to collect the data from 20 engineering students studying in the first-year first semester of engineering university in Pakistan, and an action research design was followed to accomplish the aim of the research. The sample of the study was selected through the judgment sampling technique. The data collected from the test and analysed on SPSS. The qualitative data collected through the semi-structured interview and analysed through thematic analysis. The findings of the study demonstrated that the employment of multimedia glossing in the ESL reading comprehension class proved useful which scaffolded the process of texts' understanding effectively. In contrast, the audio feature remained the least effective in helping engineering students comprehending the information as compared to audio glossing and image multimedia features. Therefore, one of the suggestions of the research is for teachers and university administration is to plan a multimedia integrated lessons/ modules/ program with a proper guideline to conduct English language classes. Besides that, the university community should incorporate multimedia glossing according to the need of the learners, learning, and context in their lessons as it will let them visualize difficult abstract information without difficulty.

The study investigates immediate and delayed effects of different hypermedia glosses on incidental vocabulary learning and reading comprehension of advanced foreign language learners. Sixty-nine freshman TEFL students studying at a Turkish university were randomly assigned to three types of annotations: (a) definitions of words, (b) definitions coupled with associated pictures, and (c) definitions coupled with associated short videos. Subjects were asked to read an annotated text with the intention of comprehension. The data were collected through a vocabulary pre-test, a vocabulary post-test, a delayed vocabulary test as well as a reading comprehension test. In order to measure incidental vocabulary learning, subjects were not told that they were going to be given vocabulary tests. Results showed that the groups that had access to definitions along with both types of visuals had significantly higher vocabulary scores on both immediate and delayed posttests than the definition only group. However, no differences were observed on the reading comprehension test. Finally, the qualitative data revealed that hypermedia reading had positive impact on participants' attitudes towards foreign language reading and vocabulary learning.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of different multimedia glosses on reading comprehension and vocabulary production. To this end, 65 female students of a high school in Qazvin, Iran were selected for the treatment. They consisted of four groups, one comparison group and three multimedia gloss groups. Glossed groups included pictorial gloss group, textual gloss group, and textual-pictorial group. They were given a pre-test before the treatment and two post-tests of vocabulary production and reading comprehension at the end of the treatment. Data were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA procedure. The results of the data analyses indicated that multimedia glosses performed better than the comparison group on vocabulary production, and there was no difference among three glossed groups. Moreover, for reading comprehension no significant differences were found among the groups.

As mobile connectedness continues to sweep across the landscape, the value of deploying mobile technology at the service of learning and teaching seems to be both self-evident and unavoidable. To this end, this study employed multimedia to develop three types of vocabulary learning materials. Due to the importance of short-term memory in the realm of vocabulary learning, careful consideration was given to the L2 learners’ different visual and verbal short-term memories. 158 L2 learners aged 18-23 participated in the major phases of vocabulary learning experiment through mobile. Based on their scores on the English Vocabulary and Recall tests and statistical analysis of the results it was revealed that L2 learners with high-visual and high-verbal abilities find it easier to learn the content presented with both pictorial and written annotations. However, L2 learners with low-visual and low-verbal abilities benefit from learning materials presented without annotations. Furthermore, de...

Convictions are strong that multimedia courseware holds great promise for enhancing learning efficiency among learners. This study thus aimed at comparing the effects of the multimedia programs introducing 100 vocabulary items through pictures and streaming video with those of teacher instruction on increasing EFL learners' vocabulary repertoire. A total of 120 subjects were identified as intermediate-level students based on the scores they obtained on the reading and listening sections of an IELTS and were randomly assigned to four equivalent groups. One group served as the pilot group, two as the experimental groups, and the other as the control group. The pilot group participated in the pilot study of the vocabulary test that was designed by the researcher as the pre-and posttest. The two experimental groups received treatment on teaching the vocabulary items through a Motion-Picture Multimedia Program (MPMP) or a Still-Picture Multimedia Program (SPMP). The control group received a treatment on the same vocabulary items through teacher instruction. The results favored the use of the multimedia programs, albeit the multimedia program drawing on streaming video proved to be more effective than the one using still pictures. Therefore, the findings revealed that dual coding of vocabulary might occur at different degrees across different methods of vocabulary teaching, resulting in varying degrees of the learning success.

Prior research indicated that computer-mediated glosses had an overall medium effect on second language reading comprehension. This study investigated the effects of computer-mediated glosses on reading comprehension. It also investigated the predictive power index of the e-glosses use with regard to reading comprehension performance, from a stepwise multiple regression analysis. A quasi-experimental method, involving the nonequivalent, pretest-posttest design was employed for this study. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 17) and a control group (n = 21). Participants in the experimental group were provided with a computer-mediated dictionary condition, doing their readings with e-glosses available as hypertext links to unfamiliar lexicon. The control group accessed the same reading texts in textbooks without any additional dictionary or glossary explanations available to them. ANCOVA analysis showed that the instructional method integrating e-glosses...

This study investigated the impact of using word-picture pre-teaching task on reading comprehension ability of EFL learners. To this end, 60 female EFL learners with the age range of 17 to 28 were selected from a larger population based on their performance on a Quick Placement Test (QPT). Its purpose was to homogenize the participants based on their proficiency level. Then they were randomly assigned to equal experimental and control groups. A pre-test consisting of three reading texts was administered to both groups. Next, the experimental group received word-picture pre-teaching task for 6 sessions. During the treatment sessions 60 unfamiliar vocabularies were pre-taught to the learners by the use of pictures. Meanwhile, the control group received its usual classroom teaching. At last, a post-test which consisted of three reading texts was administered to both groups. The related findings revealed that the experimental group who received word-picture pre-teaching task outperforme...

This study explores the effect of online annotations via Interactive White Boards (IWBs) on reading comprehension of Iranian EFL learners. To this aim, 60 students from a language institute were selected as homogeneous based on their performance on Oxford Placement Test (2014). Then, they were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups of 20, and subsequently exposed to the research treatment after taking a pre-test of reading comprehension. The experimental groups received the L2 texts on IWB screen for comprehension and, at the same time, received the online annotations (auditory, pictorial, and video) attached to the target words. During the session of instruction, the participants read the texts through IWB for comprehension while consulting the annotations attached to the target words. Then, they were tested on their reading comprehension through an immediate post-test in order to measure the effect of instruction on reading comprehension immediately. The results of one-way ANO...

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the mnemonic keyword method, which is one of the vocabulary learning strategies, plus the context method on L2 vocabulary learning of 8th graders in comparison with rote rehearsal plus the context method. Forty-five Turkish L1 learners of English as a foreign language with the same level of English proficiency in two intact classes at Konya Abidin Saniye Ercal secondary school were randomly assigned as the mnemonic keyword group and the L1 translation group. Before the instruction period a multiple choice vocabulary test, which was developed by the researchers, was given as the pre-test and after the instruction period, which lasted 3 week, the same test was given as the posttest. The results of the statistical analysis conducted using the t-test on the SPSS 18 revealed that the difference between the two groups’ scores was statistically significant in favor of the experimental group, which employed the mnemonic keyword method co...

Researchers as well as educators have shown a general interest for investigating techniques that facilitate reading in a foreign language. One such technique that recently has come under closer inspection in the area of second or foreign language acquisition research is glossing. This study aimed to explore the effect of glosses on high school students’ reading comprehension. Subjects of the study were 80 second grade students in a high school in Sarab, East Azerbaijan, Iran. In order to accomplish the purpose of the study, the following tests and materials were used. First, a general English test determined the homogeneity of the subjects. Then a passage serving as the reading comprehension passage with three glossing conditions (textual, visual (pictorial), and textual-pictorial) with the related multiple-choice questions, prepared. In order to become sure that the subjects have no previous familiarity with the words which will be glossed a pre-test was given to the participants. ...

Convictions are strong that multimedia courseware holds great promise for enhancing learning efficiency among learners. This study thus aimed at comparing the effects of the multimedia programs introducing 100 vocabulary items through pictures and streaming video with those of teacher instruction on increasing EFL learners’ vocabulary repertoire. A total of 120 subjects were identified as intermediate-level students based on the scores they obtained on the reading and listening sections of an IELTS and were randomly assigned to four equivalent groups. One group served as the pilot group, two as the experimental groups, and the other as the control group. The pilot group participated in the pilot study of the vocabulary test that was designed by the researcher as the pre- and posttest. The two experimental groups received treatment on teaching the vocabulary items through a Motion-Picture Multimedia Program (MPMP) or a Still-Picture Multimedia Program (SPMP). The control group receiv...

Inspired by the controversial findings of studies suggesting that the modality or redundancy effect is produced when information presented to learners is available in multiple modalities, the present study examined whether the integration of context video or static images in multimedia tests of listening would privilege the participants or adversely impact their listening comprehension in English. To this aim, three study groups were assigned to listen to five aural passages on everyday themes under one of three conditions: an audio-only condition where only auditory information was available; a video-plus-audio condition where the participants listened to the passages while watching video clips of the interlocutors and the settings; and an image-plus-audio condition where both aural information and screenshots of the video counterparts of context visuals were available. The result revealed that both types of context visuals had proved fruitful in aiding the participants’ comprehens...

The integration of technology into teaching and learning has contributed highly to the process teaching and learning as English language teachers and learners have recognized the place of technology in education and the way it can be effectively used to support various kinds of learning and teaching. The present research intended to find if teaching L2 pronunciation through mobile apps produce a statistically significant effect on the learning of pronunciation ability among Iranian intermediate EFL learners compared to teacher fronted instruction of pronunciation. In so doing, a sample of 30 intermediate EFL learners was selected based on their performance on QPT. The participants were randomly assigned to experimental group and control group of 15. A pretest piloted before with the reliability index of (0.86) was administered. Then, both groups received a 6-session treatment that were the use of the TFlat as a mobile courseware and the use of teacher-fronted instruction of pronunci...

Vocabulary teaching and learning constitute a major problem for EFL instructors and students. The pretest showed that freshman students at COLT have difficulty in pronouncing, recognizing the meaning of, using and spelling English words. In their first semester, freshman students are required to take a vocabulary course that consists of 50 lessons (2000 words), each consisting of a presentation page and a practice page. To help the students learn, retain, apply and relate word, the instructional approach focused on connecting the printed form of the word with its pronunciation (the hidden sounds, double & silent letters, and homophones), with its part of speech, singular or plural form, synonym or antonym, English & Arabic meanings, usage, component parts, previously-encountered words and others while presenting the new vocabulary items in each lesson. Categorization, association, and visualization skills and mnemonic approaches were emphasized. Out of class extensive reading and listening activities were also encouraged. Quizzes required the students to make the above-mentioned connections. Comparisons of pre and posttest results and of the experimental and control groups' test scores revealed significant differences in vocabulary knowledge and skills. The experimental approach proved to be effective in enhancing vocabulary learning by struggling EFL college students.

Screen cast as a viable digital tool to enhance vocabulary learning and retention is quite rare in many language contexts in Iran. It was stipulated that the application of different gloss types as a new pedagogical technique could be of value for this purpose. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the effect of different gloss types presented through screen cast on learning vocabulary and working memory (WM). For this purpose, 60 male Iranian EFL learners were assigned to three equal groups (i.e., two experimental and a control group). After pre-tests, the experimental groups were taught vocabulary through different gloss types (i.e., lexical and topic-level) by means of a screen cast presentation. The control group was instructed through traditional techniques. The analysis of the data in post-tests revealed that the experimental groups outperformed the control group. It is thus suggested that gloss types presented via screen cast can boost EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge and WM. This result can have pedagogical implications for EFL teachers and material developers.

There has been exciting and serious progress in the field of computers for teaching English. Identification of the most effective methods is essential to make teaching and learning more efficient. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using multiple content forms in web-based instruction on students' English vocabulary learning. The study was conducted at the Compulsory Preparatory Program of a state university located in the Black Sea region of Turkey with 106 students. The factorial research design was used to conduct the study. Thus, the effect of using multiple content forms in web-based instruction on students' English vocabulary learning was analyzed. The vocabulary level of students was measured with a web-based multiple choice English vocabulary achievement test. The measure of internal consistency of the English vocabulary achievement test was 0.966. The findings of this study indicate that, in vocabulary teaching, providing definitions in an audio format in English is more effective in teaching English vocabulary than providing the same definitions in an audio format in English accompanied with pictures. Mobile devices which eliminate the time and distance limitations can be used in further studies with developmental applications to investigate the effects on students' English vocabulary learning.

In recent years, improvements in technology have enhanced the possibilities of teaching and learning various subjects. This is specially the case in foreign language instruction. The use of technology and multimedia brings new opportunities for learning different areas of language. In this regard, the present study attempts to find out if the use of multimedia, images and movies, helps learners in learning vocabulary items included in a reading comprehension text. For this purpose, 70 students studying English at pre-intermediate level have been selected. These participants are then divided into three groups, each of which receives a different kind of instruction. The members of the first group were required to read some texts in which certain vocabulary items were included as the target of teaching. Those in the second group received the same texts with some pictures added so that the grasp of the unknown words would become facilitated. The students in the third group were exposed ...

Vocabulary is an important component of language proficiency which provides the basis for learners' performance in other skills. But, since vocabulary learning seems to be so demanding, learners tend to forget newly-learnt words quite soon. In order to identify vocabulary learning conditions which can produce a more lasting effect, this study investigated the effect of three kinds of gloss conditions, that is traditional non-CALL marginal gloss, audio gloss, and extended audio gloss, on vocabulary gain of EFL learners. To this end, three experimental and one control groups, each comprising 15 participants, took part in the current study. In order to ensure that the participants were from the right proficiency level, KET (Key English Test) was used as the homogenizing tool. Participants in each group read two unseen passages under one of the three mentioned conditions for experimental groups, with no gloss offered for control group. They all completed one pre-test, one reading session, one post-test, and one delayed post-test of vocabulary. The data were analyzed using t-tests and one-way ANOVAs for both immediate and delayed post-tests. Statistical analyses of the results revealed that the audio gloss group, who were provided with the voice of a speaker to read the meaning of the target word, and extended audio gloss group, who had access to audio gloss as well as L2 English example, both significantly outperformed the other groups in terms of vocabulary acquisition in both the immediate retention and in the delayed retention of key words. Further results and implications are discussed in the paper.

The present study examined the effect of multimedia glosses on foreign language listening comprehension.To this end,94 male students studying at Rasa English InstituteinTehranwereselectedforthetreatment.Theparticipantsconsistedof three groups, and each group was randomly assigned to one of the following treatment conditions: textual, pictorial, and textual-pictorial glossing. They were given a vocabulary pre-test before the treatment. The purpose of this test was to excludethewordswhichwerealreadyfamiliartotheparticipantsfromtheposttests. Meanwhile,alisteningcomprehensionpost-testwasadministeredattheendofthe treatment period. To investigate the effect of multimedia glosses on listening comprehension,thedataobtainedfromthelisteningcomprehensionpost-testwere analyzedusingone-wayANOVA.Theresultshowedthattextual-pictorialglosses hadasignificanteffectonlisteningcomprehension.Thefindingsofthisstudymay have implications for language learners, teachers, researchers, and materials developers.

Convictions are strong that multimedia courseware holds great promise for enhancing learning efficiency among learners. This study thus aimed at comparing the effects of the multimedia programs introducing 100 vocabulary items through pictures and streaming video with those of teacher instruction on increasing EFL learners' vocabulary repertoire. A total of 120 subjects were identified as intermediate-level students based on the scores they obtained on the reading and listening sections of an IELTS and were randomly assigned to four equivalent groups. One group served as the pilot group, two as the experimental groups, and the other as the control group. The pilot group participated in the pilot study of the vocabulary test that was designed by the researcher as the pre-and posttest. The two experimental groups received treatment on teaching the vocabulary items through a Motion-Picture Multimedia Program (MPMP) or a Still-Picture Multimedia Program (SPMP). The control group received a treatment on the same vocabulary items through teacher instruction. The results favored the use of the multimedia programs, albeit the multimedia program drawing on streaming video proved to be more effective than the one using still pictures. Therefore, the findings revealed that dual coding of vocabulary might occur at different degrees across different methods of vocabulary teaching, resulting in varying degrees of the learning success.

This study compared the effects of two annotation modalities on the reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate level EFL learners. The two experimental groups under study received treatment on 10 academic L2 reading passages under one of two conditions: One group received treatment on key words in the reading passages through a multimedia environment providing textual annotations. The second group received treatment under a similar environment but received compound glosses. The control group, however, received no treatment and was encouraged to use contextual guessing. The findings revealed that the experimental group who received treatment through compound glosses outperformed the other two groups on the comprehension test, and the group who used textual annotations obtained a higher mean on the post-test than the control group. One explanation is that compound glosses might help learners better decipher the meanings of key words in L2 passages, thus contributing to their deeper understanding of the texts.

This research explores the effects of three computer-mediated feedback modalities, that is, elicitation, recast, and meta-linguistics, on the learning of English participial, gerund, and infinitival phrases among Iranian intermediate-level EFL learners. The overriding focus of the present study was to investigate whether different types of feedback given through form-focused computer-human exchanges would produce varying immediate and long-term effects on the participants' incorporation of linguistic forms. To this end, 160 participants were randomly assigned to three equivalent experimental groups. One group then received treatment on the three types of phrases through a tutorial system and multimedia grammar exercises where they received elicitation on the errors they made. The second and the third groups likewise received treatment on the same types of phrases through the same tutorial system, but received either recast or meta-linguistic feedback on their errors. The groups then sat for an immediate and a delayed post-test of grammar two weeks after the experiment. The experiment revealed that meta-linguistic feedback yielded the strongest immediate and sustained effects as compared with those of elicitation and recast. Likewise, while recast produced stronger immediate effects on learning as compared to those of elicitation, its sustained effects were much smaller than those of elicitation and meta-linguistic feedback.

This research compared the effects of two types of help options (subtitles and transcripts) in a multimedia listening unit on EFL learners' comprehension of an academic lecture. To this end, the two experimental groups under study listened to an academic lecture on " e-waste " under two multimedia conditions. The first group used the multimedia program comprising the video of the lecture coupled with subtitles and the second group used the multimedia program comprising the same video clip coupled with transcripts. The help options would be offered to learners in case of communication breakdown. The experiment revealed that those students who used video and transcripts obtained a higher mean score on the comprehension test than did those who used video and subtitles.

This article reports on the process of design and development of two language courses for university students at beginning levels of competence. Following a preliminary experience in a low-tech environment for distance language learning and teaching, and a thorough review of the available literature, we identified two major challenges that would need to be addressed in our design:

This study investigates the perceptions of secondary school female students on the introduction of Multimedia Vocabulary Courseware (MVC) in teaching vocabulary skills. The study population comprises 45 female students from the Saudi Arabia secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . Questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentage. It was found that there is a high perception of female students of Saudi -Arabia secondary school in introduction and usage of multimedia vocabulary courseware (MVC) in improving their vocabulary skills.

The present study sought to explore the effects of Multimedia Computer-Assisted Language Learning (MCALL) programs drawing on two different text modalities on the vocabulary retention of Iranian EFL learners. The two groups under study received treatment on vocabulary items under two multimedia conditions: The first group received treatment on the vocabulary items using a multimedia environment comprising streaming video and visual texts, and the second group received treatment on the same items through a similar environment drawing on streaming video and spoken texts. After the experiment, the two groups took an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. The study revealed that those students who received treatment on the items through visual texts and video outperformed the ones who received treatment on the same items through spoken texts and video. This appears not to corroborate the view that the modularity of the working memory always results in a more efficient learning.

The present study sought to explore the effects of Multimedia Computer-Assisted Language Learning (MCALL) programs drawing on two different text modalities on the vocabulary retention of Iranian EFL learners. The two groups under study received treatment on vocabulary items under two multimedia conditions: The first group received treatment on the vocabulary items using a multimedia environment comprising streaming video and visual texts, and the second group received treatment on the same items through a similar environment drawing on streaming video and spoken texts. After the experiment, the two groups took an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. The study revealed that those students who received treatment on the items through visual texts and video outperformed the ones who received treatment on the same items through spoken texts and video. This appears not to corroborate the view that the modularity of the working memory always results in a more efficient learning.

This research explored the effects of three types of multimedia glosses on the reading comprehension of learners in an EFL context. From among the three experimental groups under study, one received treatment on five academic reading passages through picto-textual glosses where both textual definitions and relevant images of words popped up, thus helping learners surmise the meanings of the keywords. In a similar vein, the other two groups received treatment on the same passages, but used either pictorial or textual glosses where pertinent pictures or textual definitions of the keywords appeared on the screen. The experiment showed that the picto-textual-gloss group outperformed the other two groups, and that the pictorial-gloss group outperformed the textual-gloss group. The study thus underpinned Dual Coding Theory, arguing that when information is available in two modes of presentation, it becomes more elaborate and thus more memorable. When applied to reading comprehension, the idea suggests that the combination of textual and visual definitions might help learners better decipher the meanings of keywords in reading passages, and hence arrive at an even deeper comprehension of the texts.

This research sought to compare the effects of two types of multimedia agents, an anthropomorphic agent and a pointing finger, with teacher instruction on the learning of three major types of subordinate clauses in English by learners in an EFL context. To this aim, the three groups under study received treatment on nominal, adjectival, and adverbial clauses under one of three conditions: The first experimental group received treatment through a multimedia program drawing on an anthropomorphic agent, researcher's voice, and texts to introduce clauses. The second experimental group received treatment through a multimedia program using a pointing finger, voice, and texts to teach clauses, and the control group received treatment on clauses through teacher instruction. The three groups were then post-tested on the clauses taught. The post-test results revealed that both multimedia courseware were more effective than teacher instruction in introducing subordinate clauses in English. Nevertheless, the study favored the use of the pointing finger in multimedia environments as a more effective attention-getting device that might better focus learners' attention on salient aspects of grammatical structures of language.