IN-CLASS USE OF WEB APPLICATIONS WITH ESP STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Rapid advancement of technology has undeniably brought many changes to the traditional foreign language teaching and learning. Nowadays, numerous web- and mobile-friendly apps are being developed and used not only by individual learners, but also in interactive classrooms, since they are convenient and informal tools that may, if used appropriately, not only add a dash of playfulness and entertainment to the language learning and teaching process, but also contribute to its success. This paper outlines the use of gamified web apps Mentimeter, Kahoot! and Socrative in an ESP course at a higher education institution and measures their contribution to students’ specialized vocabulary development and their motivation to actively participate in classes using two instruments: an end-of semester vocabulary test and a questionnaire. The end-of-semester vocabulary test results were analyzed using the independent samples t-test to reveal that the experimental group students who used the apps scored higher than the control group students who did not use them. The questionnaire results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson correlation coefficient, and proved that the students themselves believed that the applications contributed to their vocabulary development and increased their motivation to engage in class activities.