EFL Learners' Digitalized Practices in Promoting Vocabulary Learning at the Higher Education Level

Abstract

Technology has become an integral part of education; and language instruction, which is communicative in nature, has a share in the whole unit. The widespread use of portable devices has also transformed language learning through diverse accessible facilities that can alternatively be evaluated in an out-of-school context. This paved the way for self-directed learning practices that enable learners to advance their language skills and vocabulary. This study aimed to investigate these self-directed practices for learning vocabulary in English. 120 EFL learners at diverse departments at a state university in Turkiye participated in the study. For data collection, a survey was employed that interrogated the self-directed vocabulary learning practices of the participants in digital contexts. The results of the study showed that learners use mobile technology for English language practices and adopt different strategies in vocabulary learning supplied by a variety of digital applications and facilities. The results are discussed and related implications are addressed based on the findings.