Tracing Effectiveness and Challenges in Using Online Tools to Enhance Vocabulary Language Learning: A Review

Abstract

Technology has brought up tremendous changes in the education field. Technology has become a powerful platform in the ever-changing pedagogical approaches which meet the current context where learning could be done using various technology tools instead of relying on paper and pen approach. Newly, online tools have become educators’ focus as they are interesting and easily available for language teaching and learning around the world. This review addressed two research questions, namely how online tools enhance students’ English vocabulary learning and what are the challenges faced by the English learners and teachers in using online tools. Thirty-one studies from the year 2015 to 2021 were shortlisted from the Google Scholar and Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC) databases based on the two review questions. Therefore, this paper reviewed 23 relevant published studies on the teaching and learning of English vocabulary through various online tools and 8 pertinent past studies on the challenges faced by the educators and learners in using online tools in a language classroom. This review explored the effectiveness of online tools in enhancing vocabulary learning in the language classroom under five key concepts namely vocabulary knowledge and retention, motivation in learning, active participation, immediate feedback and self-regulated learning. This study further revealed that the educators and learners are facing numerous challenges in using online tools in the classroom. This study proposes further researches on overcoming the barriers of using online tools to enhance the learners’ language learning in par with the current technology advancement.