Does Game-Based Vocabulary Learning APP Influence Chinese EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Achievement, Motivation, and Self-Confidence?

• Published in: SAGE open Vol. 11; no. 1
• Main Author: Li, Rui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2021; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement motivation; Chinese languages; College Students; Confidence; Control Groups; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language learning; English Learners; Experimental Groups; Foreign Countries; Game Based Learning; Games; Instructional Effectiveness; Learning outcomes; Motivation; Quasi-experimental methods; Second Language Learning; Second language vocabulary learning; Self Esteem; Student Motivation; Students; Vocabulary Development; Word lists; China; game-based vocabulary learning; EFL; self-confidence; quasi-experiment; motivation
• DOI: 10.1177/21582440211003092
• ISSN: 2158-2440

Game-based vocabulary learning that is well documented to improve students’ vocabulary learning outcomes is gaining increasing attention. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the impact of game-based vocabulary learning application (APP) on the vocabulary learning achievement, motivation, and self-confidence among Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) students, so large a population that should never be neglected. To address the issues, a total of 70 college students in two groups participated in a quasi-experiment. One is the experimental group in which students received the game-based vocabulary learning; the other is the control group in which students received the conventional paper-based wordlist learning. Each group consisted of 35 students. The experiment was carried out to evaluate how the implementation of game-based vocabulary learning influences students’ vocabulary learning achievement, motivation, and self-confidence. In addition, a regression analysis was exploited to examine the influence of motivation and self-confidence on vocabulary achievement. Results demonstrated that the game-based vocabulary learning APP benefited students in vocabulary achievement, motivation, and self-confidence. Furthermore, learning self-confidence and motivation did not predict learning achievement. Implications of the study were also given.