The Evolution of Vocabulary Learning Strategies in a Computer-Mediated Reading Environment

Numerous studies have indicated that the provision of appropriate computer-mediated support to second language (L2) learners results in different vocabulary learning outcomes. However, there is no study available that investigates the transition in their way of learning vocabulary under the influence of technology-based support. This article presents a comparative study that examines the differences between L2 learners’ use of vocabulary strategies with or without such support. Twenty-four ESL students in a Toronto high school were involved. A language learning system was implemented to facilitate a technology-enhanced reading environment. Observations and tape-recorded field notes contribute to the data collection. The results showed that (a) a variety of strategies were employed across cognitive, compensatory, metacognitive and social categories when students learned vocabulary through sustained reading within the computer-mediated environment and that (b) significant variations in the techniques and functionalities of strategies were found between the two reading conditions. Situated within the vocabulary learning strategy framework, the article argues that the technology-enhanced scaffoldings can effectively assist students to advance their learning strategies, potentially optimizing their reading-based vocabulary acquisition.