THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY-MEDIATED FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION ON VOCABULARY LEARNING: A META-ANALYTIC REVIEW

Abstract

The digital technology-mediated foreign language vocabulary learning involves the use of technological tools such as online and offline dictionaries, multimedia, social media, television, computer, smart-phones, tablets, and similar others. Although many research findings in the existing literature have emphasized the effectiveness of these technological tools on foreign language vocabulary learning, some studies also have suggested that the use of these tools in vocabulary learning does not make a significant difference in student achievement. This meta-analytic research aimed to investigate the overall impact of digital technology-mediated instruction on learning foreign language vocabulary in the Turkish context by calculating the mean effects followed by some moderator analyses. Therefore, 34 experimental studies (41 comparisons), conducted between the years 2003-2018, were included in the study according to the pre-defined coding criteria. The findings revealed that incorporation of digital technologies in foreign language teaching has a positive large impact on students’ vocabulary learning achievement. The effect sizes of two moderators, the study type and grouping methods, were significant, while the study quality, education level, type of technology, and treatment duration, were not significant moderators.