THE EFFECT OF CORPUS-BASED ACTIVITIES ON VOCABULARY ACQUISITION OF A1-A2 LEVEL SEVENTH GRADERS - A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Corpus-based activities (CBAs) have been used in FLT in recent decades, especially in countries where educational systems are well developed. However, this is not the case in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is why a case study was conducted in a primary school in Bosnia and Herzegovina including 48 7th grade students divided into an experimental and a control group to investigate the effect of the use of corpus-based activities on vocabulary acquisition. In both groups blended learning methods were applied due to COVID restrictions. The aim was also to determine whether the use of CBAs had any impact on the students' motivation for participating in vocabulary learning activities. The students' results achieved in the pre- and post-tests which included new vocabulary items were analyzed and compared. The students' responses in the five-point Likert scale motivation questionnaires completed prior to and after the use of CBAs were also compared and discussed. Statistical analysis of the results confirmed that there was a positive effect of the use of CBAs on vocabulary acquisition of A1 – A2 level seventh graders, as well as on their motivation for participating in such activities. Contrary to statistically significant improvement in vocabulary acquisition, there is no statistically significant increase in the motivation to learn new vocabulary items in either of the groups, for which some possible explanations are also discussed in the paper.  Article visualizations: