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The Effect of Robot Assisted Language Learning (RALL) on Iranian EFL Junior High School Students’ Vocabulary Learning and Retention

Ghazi Saedy, Maryam | 2014

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: English
  3. Document No: 46613 (31)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Languages and Linguistics Center
  6. Advisor(s): Alemi, Minoo; Meghdari, Ali
  7. Abstract:
  8. This study investigated the effect of Robot Assisted Language Learning (RALL) on the vocabulary learning and retention as well as anxiety and attitude of Iranian English as Foreign Language (EFL) junior high school students in Tehran-Iran. After taking a vocabulary pretest, 46 beginner level female students at the age of 12, studying in their first year of junior-high participated in two groups of RALL (30 students) and non-RALL (16 students) in this study. The textbook used was the English book (Prospect-1) devised by the Iranian Ministry of Education for 7th graders, and the vocabulary taught and tested (pretest and posttest) were taken from this book. Moreover, the treatment given by a teacher accompanied by a humanoid robot assistant in the RALL group took about 5 weeks in which half of the book was covered, and the non-RALL group was taught in a traditional method. Furthermore, two questionnaires of anxiety (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986) and attitude (Vandewaetere & Desmet, 2009) were utilized to measure the students’ anxiety and attitude. Finally, the teacher administered the posttest and delayed posttest whose results of repeated measures ANOVA and Two Ways ANOVA indicated that there was a significant difference regarding participants’ vocabulary gain and retention in RALL group comparing to non-RALL group. In addition, the results of descriptive and t-tests regarding the questionnaires indicated that there was lower anxiety and a more positive attitude towards English vocabulary acquisition in the RALL group compared with those in the non-RALL group. The study showed that the students in the RALL group had great fun in the learning process and believed they were learning more effectively, which helped them boost their motivation in the long run. Overall the results revealed that RALL has been very influential in creating an efficient and pleasurable English learning environment. Consequently, the present study provides new insights into the use of technology in the language classroom, suggesting that teachers and material developers should integrate technology into the language learning process. This study has also some implications for technology-based education, language teaching, and social robotics fields
  9. Keywords:
  10. Attitudes ; Social Robotics ; Robotic Assisted Language Learning (RALL) ; English Vocabulary Acquisition ; Anxiety ; Iranian EFL Learners

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