Innovation in Language Learning

Vocabulary has a critical role in having a successful performance in a foreign language, and it is crucially important for foreign or second language learners’ fluent communicative ability. The present study was conducted in language institute to investigate the effect of using Short Message Service (SMS) and Flashcards on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. In this quasi experimental study, 80 students took part with age range of 19-29 which were randomly divided in two SMS and Flashcards groups. A Standard Proficiency test, Preliminary English Test, PET, was administered to check the homogeneity of the participants of the study. According to PET results, 50 of participants were selected as pre-intermediate learners. Then the pre-test, Wesche and Paribakht’ s (1996) Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), was administered in order to identify the participants’ prior knowledge of vocabulary. During the treatment sessions, both groups received a list of words selected based on the results of the pre-test. The words had been chosen from 504 Essential Words book which were presented in 10 sessions within 3 weeks. Immediately after treatment sections, VKS were filled out again.  The collected data was analyzed based on Paired Sample T-Test, Independent-Samples T-test, One-Way ANOVA and Chi-Square Test. The results indicated that there was statistically significant difference between SMS and Flashcards groups in vocabulary learning score (P<0.05) and the results also showed the superiority of using SMS for learning vocabulary English. The findings of this study may be useful for language teachers in offering readily available tool to help improving students’ vocabulary knowledge.