Study On The Vocabulary Receptive Performance Of Foreign Language Learners Via WeChat Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition

Due to the penetration of WeChat on mobile phones all around the China,tremendous attention has been attached to the application of WeChat in foreign language learning,especially in vocabulary acquisition.Therefore,based on the theory of Mobile Learning and Spacing Effect,this study aims to examine the receptive vocabulary performance of EFL learners via WeChat sending vocabulary lessons.Eighty non-English major sophomore students were randomly chosen according to their entrance examination scores to learn new vocabulary through WeChat during a period of two weeks.They were divided into WeChat-based group which was the experimental group and paper-based group which is the control group.Quantitative data generated by Paired-Samples T-test,Independent-Samples T-test and One-Way ANOVA from current study offered implications on receptive vocabulary performance of EFL via WeChat.Results showed that there was a significant improvement of participants’scores in terms of vocabulary receptive performance in WeChat-based group with immediate post-test scores(M=69.13,SD=13.53),compared with immediate post-test scores(M=65.00,SD=13.87)in paper-based group.In WeChat-based group,pre-test scores(M=59.25,SD=13.57),immediate post-test scores(M=69.13,SD=13.53)and delayed post-test scores(M=68.36,SD=13.89)and scores of participants decayed over time due to the vocabulary attrition[F(2,78)=173.68,P=.000<0.05].In addition,qualitative data collected via questionnaire generated feedbacks from participants.Based on the Likert type questionnaire,participants generally demonstrated positive attitudes toward WeChat-assisted vocabulary learning(M=4.11,SD=0.29).However,the study found that some of participants who held the idea that vocabulary content in current study was not interesting and enjoyable(Mean=3.32,SD=0.56).