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Chinese University Students' Experience of WeChat-Based English-Language Vocabulary Learning

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Title: Chinese University Students' Experience of WeChat-Based English-Language Vocabulary Learning
Authors: Li, Fan, Fan, Si (ORCID 0000-0003-1572-3677), Wang, Yanjun, Lu, Jinjin
Source: Education Sciences. 2021 11.
Availability: MDPI AG. Klybeckstrasse 64, 4057 Basel, Switzerland. e-mail: education@mdpi.com; e-mail: indexing@mdpi.com; Web site: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2021
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, COVID-19, Pandemics, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Social Media, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Language Proficiency, Student Characteristics, Language Tests, Scores, School Closing, Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Program Effectiveness
Geographic Terms: China
ISSN: 2227-7102
Abstract: The outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide in 2020 has posed tremendous challenges to higher education globally. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is among the many areas affected by the pandemic. The unexpected transition to online teaching has increased challenges for improving and/or retaining students' language proficiency. WeChat, a popular social application in China, was widely used for TEFL at Chinese universities before COVID-19. However, it remains unclear whether the use of WeChat can facilitate Chinese university students' English-language lexical proficiency during the pandemic. To fill this gap, the aim of the present study was two-fold: (1) it initially explored the relationship between the variables including students' academic years, genders, and academic faculties/disciplines, and their lexical proficiency; and (2) it evaluated the effectiveness of a WeChat-assisted lexical learning (WALL) program in facilitating learning outcomes of English-language vocabulary. One hundred and thirty-three students at a university in Northern China participated in the WALL program for three weeks. As the results indicated, the independent variables had no correlation with the students' lexical proficiency. More importantly, the students had a decline in the test scores after using the program, compared to their initial test scores. Moreover, the difference was reported to be medium. The findings further proposed questions on applying WeChat to vocabulary teaching in a large-scaled transition. The study is expected to provide insights for tertiary institutions, language practitioners, and student stakeholders to troubleshoot the potential problems regarding implementing WeChat-based TEFL pedagogies.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2021
Accession Number: EJ1314212
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Chinese University Students' Experience of WeChat-Based English-Language Vocabulary Learning
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Fan%22">Li, Fan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fan%2C+Si%22">Fan, Si</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1572-3677">0000-0003-1572-3677</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Yanjun%22">Wang, Yanjun</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lu%2C+Jinjin%22">Lu, Jinjin</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+Sciences%22"><i>Education Sciences</i></searchLink>. 2021 11.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: MDPI AG. Klybeckstrasse 64, 4057 Basel, Switzerland. e-mail: education@mdpi.com; e-mail: indexing@mdpi.com; Web site: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education
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  Data: 12
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  Data: 2021
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+%28Second+Language%29%22">English (Second Language)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Instruction%22">Second Language Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Media%22">Social Media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Technology%22">Educational Technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+Uses+in+Education%22">Technology Uses in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Proficiency%22">Language Proficiency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Tests%22">Language Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Closing%22">School Closing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Telecommunications%22">Telecommunications</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Handheld+Devices%22">Handheld Devices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
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  Data: 2227-7102
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide in 2020 has posed tremendous challenges to higher education globally. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is among the many areas affected by the pandemic. The unexpected transition to online teaching has increased challenges for improving and/or retaining students' language proficiency. WeChat, a popular social application in China, was widely used for TEFL at Chinese universities before COVID-19. However, it remains unclear whether the use of WeChat can facilitate Chinese university students' English-language lexical proficiency during the pandemic. To fill this gap, the aim of the present study was two-fold: (1) it initially explored the relationship between the variables including students' academic years, genders, and academic faculties/disciplines, and their lexical proficiency; and (2) it evaluated the effectiveness of a WeChat-assisted lexical learning (WALL) program in facilitating learning outcomes of English-language vocabulary. One hundred and thirty-three students at a university in Northern China participated in the WALL program for three weeks. As the results indicated, the independent variables had no correlation with the students' lexical proficiency. More importantly, the students had a decline in the test scores after using the program, compared to their initial test scores. Moreover, the difference was reported to be medium. The findings further proposed questions on applying WeChat to vocabulary teaching in a large-scaled transition. The study is expected to provide insights for tertiary institutions, language practitioners, and student stakeholders to troubleshoot the potential problems regarding implementing WeChat-based TEFL pedagogies.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: 2021
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  Data: EJ1314212
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        PageCount: 12
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
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      – SubjectFull: English (Second Language)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Instruction
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      – SubjectFull: Social Media
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Technology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Technology Uses in Education
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      – SubjectFull: Language Proficiency
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      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Language Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Scores
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      – SubjectFull: School Closing
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      – SubjectFull: Telecommunications
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      – SubjectFull: Handheld Devices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Chinese University Students' Experience of WeChat-Based English-Language Vocabulary Learning
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            NameFull: Li, Fan
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              Value: 11
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