Effects of Input Enhancement on Vocabulary Learning in Web-based Learning Environment

Despite the recognition received by technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) in the past decade, the effectiveness of some pedagogical approaches can be as unclear in TELL environments as they are in the traditional in-person classroom. The effects of input enhancement-a type of form-focused instruction-is one such case. This study investigates the effects of input enhancement in a web-based vocabulary learning environment. There are two types of input enhancement: input with an extra-recall (Type I) and text enhancement with increased font size in context (Type II). The participants were 34 first-year university students who used a prototype system for web-based vocabulary learning and received posttests immediately. Three pedagogical approaches were integrated into the system: baseline learning without input enhancement, vocabulary learning with Type I enhancement, and vocabulary learning with Type II enhancement. The results of the immediate posttests showed that the learning approach with Type II enhancement tends to outperform the other approaches in the web-based vocabulary learning environment.