Abstract

Vocabulary development is critical for the acquisition of any language. It is essential to improve vocabulary acquisition through the use of effective approaches. This research study integrated two popular ways to enhance vocabulary development: vocabulary lists and an interactive response system, Socrative. It investigated how the integration of the two tools affected students’ vocabulary skills. Furthermore, students’ perceptions of vocabulary lists and Socrative were explored. The participants were 189 first-year and second-year science and technology students taking a General English course, English Presentation in Sciences and Technology. There were four CEFR levels identified, A1, A2, B1, B2. These levels showed that the students were beginner and intermediate English language learners. To investigate the effect of the intervention, students’ pre- and post-test scores were gathered and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. To explore students’ perceptions, focused-group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores (t (188)=-19.86), p < 0.00. The mean of the post-test (M = 14.22, SD = 4.37) was significantly higher than that of the pre-test (M = 9.43, SD = 2.64 by 4.79. Further analysis was conducted to investigate CEFR scores, which revealed a significant improvement in all four groups. In addition to the vocabulary skills, the findings also include students’ perceptions of the vocabulary lists and Socrative. Both tools benefitted the students, yet several drawbacks still need to be considered for future improvement.