International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Vol. 1 2 , No. 1, 2022, E-ISSN: 2 2 2 2 -6990 © 2022 HRMARS

The Use of Digital Tools to Improve Vocabulary Acquisition

Samantha Jata Robin, Azlina Aziz
To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i1/12198 DOI:10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i1/12198

Received: 16 November 2021, Revised: 27 December 2021, Accepted: 10 January 2022

Published Online: 29 January 2022

In-Text Citation: (Robin & Aziz, 2022)

To Cite this Article: Robin, S. J., & Aziz, A. (2022). The Use of Digital Tools to Improve Vocabulary Acquisition.
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 2472–2492.

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The Use of Digital Tools to Improve Vocabulary

Acquisition
Samantha Jata Robin, Azlina Aziz
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Email: samanthajatarobin@gmail.com

Abstract
Digital tools is widely used in language teaching around the world. Pandemic Covid-19 had pushed
the education to opt for hybrid system which enable the lecture session to be done in online and
also face to face interaction. Vocabulary is important in improving the four main skills such as
reading, writing, speaking and listening. Limited vocabulary make the students to depend too
much to translation. Hence, this paper presents a systematic review of relevant published studies
on the use of digital tools to improve Vocabulary Acquisition from the year 2011 until 2021. This
systematic review strives to focus on how digital tools aid the learners in vocabulary acquisition
and what are the advantages of using digital tools. The result shows that the use of digital tools
will improve vocabulary acquisition. This paper report the limitation and recommendations that
focus on vocabulary acquisition through the use of digital tools.
Keywords: Vocabulary Acquisition, Digital Tools, English

Introduction
Technology plays a crucial part in these modern days. Almost all of the lessons in class were
postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is impossible to gather in class for educational
purposes. Employing technology in education due to several factors which can stimulate the
students' learning process in class better. Investing in digital tools enables the teachers to
produce a very productive classroom activity. Time and resources should be invested in digital
tools. Teachers should spend their time comprehending the use of digital tools for educational
purposes. This will save time use while employing digital tools in a lesson. Information and
communication (ICT) resources such as a good internet connection should be provided to the
schools. Ample of resources provided will enable the teachers to optimize digital tools in every
lesson thoroughly. Digital tools are open source that available on the internet.
Advancements in technologies in globalization enable digital tools to aid students in language
learning. Technology in digital tools has aided the English language acquisition through internet
communication (Hismanoglu, 2012).Digital tools are often known as programs, websites, or
online resources that will simplify the task given. It will make the process of completing the task
easier. Variety of usage for digital tools often utilizes in the classroom such as Powerpoint
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presentation. The use of Powerpoint presentations in class will make the lesson interactive for
the students. Interactive lessons will improve the students' participation in the classroom.
Students will try their best to complete the task given to them. The educational process
developed through digital learning, which offers advantages to the students. A wide variety of
technology-enhanced educational strategies is used during the learning process. Teachers do not
have to rely on traditional teaching as the usage of technology-enhanced education will make the
learning process more accessible and interactive.
The common purpose of introducing digital tools in education is to optimize each student's
potential, which will gain insight that will develop during a lesson. Technology for education will
instigate students' curiosity, improving their attention and eventually leading them to better
comprehension during the learning process. These aspects are essential for every effective
teacher as it can be easily implemented in the classroom by using digital tools. Students are very
familiar with the technology in modern life as they are avid users. This is one of the reasons for
the use of digital tools is crucial. Digital tools can promote adaptive teaching as it is a helpful
resource to accommodate instruction to the students. Social inclusion and good learning
outcomes are achievable as digital tools are used responsibly.
English is vital as it is the language for instruction and curriculum in a variety of countries.
Teachers must implement new teaching methods to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching
process. Practical teachings in a lesson will result in a good comprehension by the students.
Students will feel it is easier to learn the English language through digital tools in a lesson. The
excitement that comes from the use of digital tools in a lesson will engage the students more.
This is due that students will feel motivated to complete the task during the lesson.
New language skills are easily acquired by the students through the use of digital tools. All of
the lessons are projected in digital tools which makes the learning process much interesting.
Digital tools such as the Quizziz application enable the students to experience a game-based quiz.
Students will engage more in the game-based quiz as the graphic is very interactive. Technology
that is correctly implemented in a lesson will produce a fast outcome in learning results as it
improves the students' engagement in a lesson. Advanced technologies are transforming the
lesson which changes how the students view learning in the classroom. Technology will enhance
the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. The teacher will create a meaningful
learning environment that encourages the students to participate in a lesson.

The Definition of Vocabulary for Language Learning

Vocabulary is the body of words used in the English language. Age often develops with
vocabulary which serves as a useful and essential tool for communication and acquiring
knowledge. In the context of communication has been made vocabulary as a basis. Language
users use vocabulary to express their feelings, ideas, and opinions, which enable them to produce
a good language sentence. Coherent messages will improve the message's quantity. Depth of
conversation and vocabulary size will lead to the correlation of good interaction that meets
communication principles. The principles of communication consist of a maxim of quantity,
quality, relevance and manner. The maxim of quality often derives speaker that often speaks
truthfully.
Vocabulary knowledge is a vital tool for second language learning. Learners that possess a
limited vocabulary will not make any good interaction with others. New items of vocabulary often

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consist of more than just one word. A meaningful conversation will include a vast vocabulary that
will promote a quality argument. The total number of words included in the communication of
ideas and expresses the speaker's reasoning. This is why it is important to learn vocabulary.
Learning vocabulary is like building blocks that consist of a list of words. It will get easier to learn
an advanced language after the learners understand the basics.

The Importance of Vocabulary in Language Learning

Vocabulary learning is vital in learning the English language as the meaning of new words is
often highlighted in books or classrooms. Language teaching emphasizes vocabulary acquisition
which is crucial to language learners' success. Vocabulary is very significant because it is the
foundation of the basis of all languages. Raw materials which often utilize in communication to
express ideas and share ideas. It will make the communicators comprehend with each other,
which also strengthens personal bonds. Acquiring a good vocabulary will enable students to
improve their capability to converse effectively. Communication will be improved as students are
able to communicate effectively. Vocabulary is the key to good communication.
Meaningful communication will often lead to a better opportunity. A well-developed
vocabulary will gain all aspects of communication. The level of vocabulary development is crucial
to a student's success. Good vocabulary will often enable the students to have good reading skills.
Vast vocabulary will enable the students to be more sophisticated thinkers, better
communicators, and avid readers. Improved language and literacy abilities in the students will
enable them to achieve more significant academic and successful communicators.
Adequate vocabulary enables students to develop skills. Learners empowered by rich
vocabulary will perform well in listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. All the skills in the
given tasks will make it easier for the learners to perform as they possess an extensive vocabulary.
This is because the students can recall the vocabulary they enable them to use the words to
convey meanings in a conversation. Doubt about the exact spelling, pronunciation and context
use of words will be lessened during a conversation. Higher-level aspects of language such as
employing a precise sentence structure and appropriate language usage are more accessible for
the students to focus.
Vocabulary is often acquired through focus and certain study. Context clues are often used to
figure out the meaning of certain words. Students receive vocabulary through indirect manners
through listening and reading. Acquiring vocabulary through listening and reading can be
challenging for the students. This is due that the students must memorize some words while
acquiring it through listening and reading. It is challenging for some students as not all of them
have good listening and reading skills.
Therefore, there is the need to identify the evidence-based instructional practice which will
accommodate the students' vocabulary acquisition. The literature has revealed that the use of
digital tools can help to improve vocabulary acquisition.

Statement of Problem
Students' vocabulary retention is very low as they are having difficulties acquiring vocabulary
due to pandemic Covid19.

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Research Objectives
The main objective of this systematic review is to present :
• A synthesis of empirical evidence found in the past related studies on the use of digital
tools to improve vocabulary acquisition.
• To enable further intervention development and research in vocabulary acquisition which
can be conducted.

Research Questions
This study is conducted to answer two research questions,
a) What type of digital tools could be in use to improve students’ vocabulary acquisition?
(b) Does the use of digital tools able to improve students’ vocabulary retention?

Literature Review
The Vocabulary Acquisition and the Challenges
Vocabulary is the words used in a language. Three different meanings for the word vocabulary
which consisted of all the words in a language, the terms used in a particular context and the
words a person knows. The list of words to make a sentence is to be referred to as vocabulary.
Meaningful and comprehensible sentences which made up of a list of words are conveyed to
other English language users. Language abilities in learning the English language have made it
vital to fully master vocabulary learning. Adequate vocabulary skills will make the students
produce and interpret the English sentences better, which enable them to analyse the meaning
of the sentences. However, learning vocabulary in English classroom is often not taken into
concern. Five important English language elements such as grammar, reading, writing, speaking,
and listening are often taught in a lesson, but the vocabulary is under the lowest priority. Most
of the time, teachers expected that vocabulary to be self-acquired by the students with their
effort.
However, most students do not feel that mastering vocabulary will make them good English
language learners. According to Alavi and Gilakajani (2019) vocabulary teaching and learning is
very challenging to the teachers and students as they do not pay enough attention to the
importance of vocabulary acquisition. The students rather focus more on the five important
language elements as it considered as important in mastering the English language. Limited
exposure to English which makes the students less motivated to learn new vocabulary. Students
are not keen to read which influences their English vocabulary acquisition. Reading in English is
hard for students as it is their second language. Most of the time the students worry if they are
unable to understand the reading texts. It hinders the students from reading in English.
Negative perception of the English language increases in the lesson as the activity is not
interesting for the students. Activities in the lesson are very dull to the students which cause them
to not motivated to learn English. The students feel that English is a challenging subject to master.
This is due that students often weak in vocabulary. Participation in English lessons lowered down
as most of the students were unable to finish their sentences. Comprehension of the English
language is limited within the students which causes them to refuse to learn English. All the
negative perceptions happen because students lack of vocabulary in learning English. It is crucial
for the teachers to find ways to make the vocabulary acquisition. Students who can master
vocabulary will understand the English context better which will be able to promote a meaningful

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conversation. Positive perception will increase as the students participate in the lesson due to
understanding the English language well.

Digital Literacy in Language Learning Classroom

Digital literacy can be described as the abilities required of users to locate, assess, organize,
produce and to convey information through the use of technology. Chang et. al (2019) stated that
basic functional digital skills will enable the users to utilize the digital devices to make use in a
meaningful way. Incorporating digital literacy activities can promote language learning and
digital literacy. Students that come from a variety of different backgrounds often have distinctive
levels of English language proficiency. Limited English language and literacy skills make the
process of acquiring digital literacy particularly challenging for students.
Advance technology will elevate the obtaining of information which requires even more
advanced levels of digital literacy. People use to obtain information frequently by navigating a
complicated website by downloading a PDF or completing an online form. Fast-changing digital
environments which new and updated product are released on a regular basis which make
everyone is a learner. This is important for developing instructional materials and supports for
teachers and students.
Numerous platforms for the students to produce a successful collaboration. An adequate
digital literacy in the students enables them to utilize the digital tools to simplify collaboration.
One example of digital tools that the students can use to simplify collaboration is using social
media. Social media such as WhatsApp is one of the tools that almost all people can access.
Virtual meetings can be assembled in WhatsApp by the students for them to discuss about
specific topics. It will make language learning easier as students can revise their pronunciation
with their friends. Provided recording video of words pronunciation of the teacher will make it
easier for the students to do revision.
Collaborative problem solving with technology usage must be possessed by students and
teachers that are digitally literate. Collaboration in education is increased in the digital context
community. This collaboration leads to a new set of language and digital abilities. Teachers can
improve the students' language learning acquisition and digital skills by assigning a collaboration
on projects and documents. There are a lot of digital tools that can be utilized by the teachers
such as Google Drive, Surveymonkey, Quizzes and etc. The use of Google Drive in language
learning will make it easier for the teachers to organize students' work. Students can upload their
spreadsheets, presentations, and documents based on the task given by the teacher. The files in
the Google Drive can be shared with anyone that have the links provided. This will enable the
students to check their friend's works or share useful information. Surveymonkey usage in the
online classroom will enable the teacher to design quick surveys and quizzes. Feedback from the
students can be acquired faster and be shared. Quizzes are one of a game show genres which is
a quiz tool. It is more similar to Kahoot!. A set of questions are designed by teachers for the
students to answer. Gamified quizzes in Quizziz is often much more interesting to the students.
Interactive quizzes will increase the students' motivation to answer the questions in Quizzes.

Teaching Media to Improve Students English Language Learning

Covid-19 pandemic has put all the Malaysian citizens into self-house quarantine. The
government closed down schools to avoid more Covid19 cases raising. Most of the people stay

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at home so that they will not get infected by the diseases. Teachers are urged to work from home.
There is a variety of teaching media that the teachers can use to improve the students learning
experience. Students are digital natives since they grow in the modern era of technologies.
Gadgets that the students possess, such as tablets and smartphones, enable them to access
language teaching media. Teachers can vary their teaching by using teaching media in a virtual
classroom. Teaching media is one of the digital tools that can amplify students learning
experience.
Students' English language learning is boosted through the use of teaching media. Online
resources such as language media is often use a teaching media in virtual classroom. The right
teaching media based on the digital tools will aid the students connection with an authentic
audience. Students' enthusiasm to learn is stimulated through the use of language media during
the learning process. Opportunities to learn more are provided through the use of digital tools.
Language skills of the students increase as they are always practicing it. Language teaching media
such as movies and audio applications enable the students to connect with native speakers.
According to Baidawi (2016) utilizing audio media will aid the students’ learning process through
produced word. Experiences that students have gained from language media will provide more
credibility to the importance of language learning. The value of language learning will not depend
exclusively on the opinions of others.
Teaching media is an open access for authentic materials. Teacher can utilize the video clips
on internet to expose the students to English language. Video clips can aid the students in
visualizing an event or a person while setting the context socially. The visuals and audio as
teaching media will reinforce students' reading text. Understanding of certain topic is enhanced
through the use of visuals and audio. It is one of a good way to improve the students learning
process of the language.
Topic can be visualized in the virtual class through the use of teaching media. Learning content
is amplified through the use of video content in English class. Students learn better as their
background knowledge on certain topic is built through the use of visual media such as video.
Multiple modalities such as viewing visual media enable the information to be process better.
Images, graphs, videos, and charts to learn will able to visualize the information to the students.
This will make the students understand the topic better in learning process.

Digital Tools in Education

Technology provides empowerment and encouragement to the students. Padmini and
Saravanakumar (2018) stated the interaction between the instructors and peer to be fully
incorporated with digital tools. that is supported through strategic use of ICT. Opportunities are
given to the students to practice their language skills at their own pace through the use of digital
tools. Teacher can use digital tools such as Quizziz to teach English. It is very convenient because
the teacher can set time to answer the questions in the Quizzes.
The digital classroom refers to the "technology-enabled" classroom where student learning and
interaction with the instructor and peers is fully supported through strategic use of information
and communication technologies (ICTs).
Engaging the students with technology will promote an active learning environment rather than
using it as a reward. Rewarding the students by playing movies is one of the ways to improve
student's participation in English lessons.

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Teacher can use digital tools to display information about certain topics in the lesson. This will
help the students to improve their comprehension of the topic. The students not only learn
something but they able to gain understanding of the subject deeply as it stimulates their
curiosity. There is a lot of information which provided by open sources such as Google. Google
Tools such as Google drive make it easier for teachers and students to access or share new
information. Curiosity will triggers the students to investigate something. Digital tool is one of the
best way to teach English in class.
Aside from that, student's accessibility to the digital tools literacy is very important in
educational technology. Students' ability to access and acquire online information quickly is
essential for them to master digital tools. Students that foster their digital literacy will make the
learning process happen. This is because the students will not waste their time trying to master
the usage of digital tools. Delving in the digital tools literacies will enable the teachers and
students to fully utilize digital tools for education.

Digital Tools for Language Teaching and Learning

Digital tools are programs, websites, or online resources that enable tasks to be completed
easier. It is accessible to all people because they only need a stable internet connection. Teacher
just needs a web browser to access the digital tools. A lot of digital tools that the teacher can
utilize in a virtual classroom. This is due that digital tools can improve students retention in virtual
classroom.
The use of technology in education is vital for the learning process in a lesson. It is known that
technology such as digital tools often use in a lesson to aid and improve learning. The teachers
will be able to adapt classroom activities through the use of digital tools. Thus language learning
process improved in a lesson. Technology is an effective tool if it fully utilized by teachers which
will facilitate the language learning process better. Integration of digital tools in language learning
improves learners' understanding of certain topics during the learning process. A good quality of
educational content is provided in digital tools such as slideshow presentation of environment
pollutions. Learners will understand the topic better because the slideshow shows a lot of
examples. Multitude of additional online educational contents are accessible to teachers. New
digital content is created in slideshow through the access of online educational resources.
Learners' experience of the world aligned better since the teachers deliver learning in a digital
context. Minasyan (2016) stated that digital tools promote creativity and development of an
entrepreneurial spirits which will prepare them for future skills. Learning can be delivered by
teachers using digital tools.
Accessibility of digital tools will enable the teacher to create home based learning. The Covid-
19 pandemic is slowing the economy down as not all business can operate. Schools have been
shut down. It is important for the teacher and students to have access on the internet. The
usability of technology is one of the crucial aspects in determining the students participation
during the implementation of digital tools in learning. Interaction between the students and the
content makes the learning process happen. Interactive learning which used digital tools such as
Quizzes will make the learning process fun. Thus, students will be motivated to complete the task
assigned by the teacher. Implementing digital tools into virtual classrooms will facilitate home-
based learning as pandemic requires the teacher and students to stay at home. The curriculum
will be chosen based on how tough and relevant of the topic. Method in which how it is learnt or

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presented whether active or interactive forms of learning used will be taken into consideration.
All the method will create an impact to the students’ learning experience in virtual class.
Aside from that, the implementation of digital tools will provide an ample opportunities which
varies in perspectives and opinions. All of the provided opportunities will open for disagreement,
resolution and consensus building within the students. Active participation and interaction in a
discussion will increase as all the students will try their best to complete the task given. Problem-
solving activity can be carried out by the teacher successfully as the internet provided various of
information. Students can do research through the use of internet. This enables teacher to assign
responsibilities individually and groups in which improve the students participation. Digital tools
will assist the students in locating themselves within a community of participants. It will also
include a motivated knowledge of the forms and functions of language employed.

Benefits of Using Digital Tools in Language Learning

Digital tools in English language classroom have benefited in many ways to teachers and
students. Digitalized platforms enable students and teachers to acquire the latest information
related to certain lessons or some class events. It would be easier for the teachers and students
to share the information without having to copy it in papers. Lesson for English class will become
more appealing to students. The students will not feel bored during lesson as they feel motivated
to learn. Integration of interactive digital tools in a lesson will improve the students participation.
In other words, the use of digital tools will steer the students' attention during English lesson
which captivate their interest in learning.
Technology such as digital tools can help to facilitate the teachers in their teaching. Teachers
can integrate some applications which promote learning and also game-like experience. It will
lead to the students competing with each other to get the highest mark. Digital tools such as
Quizzes is often used by teachers to test the students understanding of a lesson. Testing the
students understanding of a lesson enable the teacher to find out which questions are hard for
the students to excel. Discussion of the vocabulary tested will happen after the finishing
answering Quizzes.
Aside from that, motivations to improve the students vocabulary will increase as they need to
know more vocabulary to compete with their friends. According to Ashraf et al. (2014) online
game improve motivation and students’ performance as they become more interested in playing
and wish to have better result. Students enable to learn a new vocabulary through Quizzes.
Motivation of the students increased as they feel the integrated lesson with Quizziz is fun and
interesting. The Quizzes graphic makes the quiz look a bit like games. Students prefer game so
much as they can enjoy better. Participation of students in Quizziz will make the learning
experience meaningful. Understanding of the vocabulary tested in the Quizziz will improve the
student's comprehension of the lesson. Better learning environment will enhance the students'
vocabulary.

Method
The method adopted to conduct this systematic review is based on five steps which proposed
by (Khan et al., 2003). According to Khan et al (2003), there are five steps which are framing
questions for review, identifying relevant studies, assessing the quality of studies, summarizing
the evidences, and interpreting the findings.

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The first stage of the procedure is framing research questions for the review. Statement of the
problem should be identified carefully and clear. Structured questions will be able to avoid any
ambiguity. A good research questions will resulted in a good result research process.
Identification of research questions will lead to other changes. This will lead to the identification
of the population and research designs. The English teachers and English second language (ESL)
learners which are from primary to tertiary education level are chosen for this systematic review.
Second stage requiring the identification of relevant studies which include the objectives.
The following international bibliographic databases such as Google Scholar, ScienceDirect,
Springer e-journals, Ebscohost, ProQuest Education Journals, Educational Resources Information
Centre (ERIC), JSTOR, SAGE and Scopus were downloaded and read extensively data analysing
process.
Third stage is assessing the quality of the studies. The journal are chosen from year 2011
until 2021.Step by step review of the past studies is completed one by one. The quality of the
studies will be assessed by the positive impact of digital tools to facilitate vocabulary acquisition.
The fourth stage involve the summarizing of all past studies. Evidence in each of the
journals will be summarized in the table form. I have rechecked the research questions and the
objectives are relevant alongside the chosen journals.
The fifth stage is the interpretation of data in the findings. Interpretation of data is based
on the result of the use of digital tools in vocabulary acquisition.

Result and Discussion

After following the stages of conducting a systematic review, a total of three comprehensive
reviews and twelve past related studies on the use of digital tools and digital literacies from the
year 2011 to 2021 are shortlisted. Three articles are published between year 2011 to 2014 out of
sixteen journals publication. There is one journal publication in year 2011, one publication in year
2012 and in year 2014 respectively.
The remaining thirteen articles are published between 2017 and 2021; with one in year 2017,
five in year 2019; three in year 2020, two in year 2021. The highest number of publications is in
the year 2019. The empirical evidence supporting them on how the digital tools aid the
vocabulary acquisition among the students is summarised in Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4.

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Article/ Study Number of Research design Results

participant/s
tudies
Pooling Necessary Resources to Achieve Set Goals.
58 studies Comprehensive Focusing on the context of the second language learners
Amin, M.R. (2019) review or foreign language learners, assuming the predefined
goals
by the teacher were to ensure that the learners can
eloquently,
and effectively converse with the native speakers of the
language,
then it is upon teacher to identify the various opportunities
in
the learning process, whereby computer-mediated
communication technologies can be implemented.
Shadiev & Yang (2019) 398 studies Comprehensive Learners had better outcomes when their learning was
review supported by technology. In addition, learners had
positive perceptions towards the technology used. This
shows
that technology was effective in supporting language
learning
and learners accepted and used it.
Karacan & Akoglu (2021) 20 studies comprehensive
The gamers became more interested in playing
review
and wished to achieve better results, and on the
other hand, they tried to learn more new words
in addition to the vocabulary prepared for the class.
Table 1 : Summary of systematic reviews on technology enhanced language learning and teaching

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Article/ Study Number of Research Types of Total hours of Instruments Results

participan design intervention intervention
t/studies
Boyd, J.
(2011) 12 Direct Action Digital devices 2 period of questionnaire, The use of DDs allowed the students
Entry research (DDs) as English class. 1 semi- to
Design learning tools hour structured individualise their language learning
students incorporated interview, and permitted them to create their
into classroom observations own vocabulary acquisition methods.
teaching
practice.

Hermagustian Four Qualitative The use of 2 period of semi- It is implied that the use of teaching
a, I., teachers case study digital tools in English class. 1 structured aids is significant to enhance
Rusmawaty, D English hour interview and students’ vocabulary knowledge.
classroom classroom
observation

Abbasova, M., 6 teachers Qualitative The use of 2 period of Interview • ‘Smart Board’ was an
Mammadove, aged case study digital devices English class. 1 effective facility to teach any
N (2019) between in ESL classes hour language, however she stresses its
23 and 55 such as Audio huge shortage in classrooms.
who were video • PowerPoint presentation
employed recorder, improved students’ retention.
by Khazar Video • Digital tools such as online
University, presentations, dictionary enabled the students to
Azerbaijan Online practice their English
. dictionaries, • Digital tools made the
speakers and explanation process to the students
booths with better

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electronic • The use of technology was

devices, high able to improve the learning and
speed internet teaching process in class.
and personal
laptops
Table 2 : Summary of the past related studies which focused on the use of digital tools and digital literacies in language learning

Article/ Study Number of Research Types of Total hours of Instruments Results

participan design intervention intervention
t/studies

Salas-Morera, Practical Action Online quiz in Each quiz was Questionnaire Predicting that Periodic quizzes via
L., Arauzo- classes in research the Moodle open for 4 days s Moodle were intended to capture
Azofra, A., computer platform. and the Survey students’ attention which the most
Garcia- labs in estimated time relevant concept of the subject and
Hernandez, L. groups of for completion able to link concept to other activities
25 is 2 hours. in order to increase participation in
students groups tutorial and practical classes.

Ashrafa, H., 24 low- Experimental online 15 weeks Nelson Online games can be effective in
Motlaghb, F. intermedia one group pre- computer Proficiency vocabulary acquisition. The current
G., Salamic, te EFL test, post-test games Test, findings indicate
M. (2014) learners, design Pre-test and that online games, due to creating an
Post-test, interactive and motivating context
where learners can easily and
subconsciously share their
information, and also due to the
requirements and obligations
encountered by them
during playing, are effective in
vocabulary acquisition.

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6 English Turkish 2 period of Interviews • Pedagogical considerations in

Celik & Aytin teachers Qualitative Ministry of English class. 1 using digital tools indicated that 27%
(2014) which are action National hour responses agree that technology use
working in research Education in the language teaching and learning
state-run have was not only beneficial but important
elementar introduced the in preparing the students to deal with
y and innovative the requirements of modern society.
secondary program • Teachers expressed that
schools in known as the technical resources are highly
a mid-size FAITH project, effective in increasing learners’
city on the which aimed attention.
north- to equip
eastern classrooms
coast of with Smart
Turkey. Boards,
computers and
tablet PC’s.

Alavi & 80 Experimental Instructional 2 period of The first The findings indicated that the use of
Gilakjanim students one group pre- Video Games English class. 1 instrument is vocabulary Bingo game increases
(2019). were test, post-test (IVGs) which hour the Oxford Iranians’ EFL learners’
chosen design based on bingo Placement motivation in vocabulary learning.
randomly. vocabulary Test (OPT)
They were game. developed by
divided to learners. Allen (1992) to
into determine EFL
control learners’
and proficiency
experimen level and
tal groups, makes the

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each group participants

consisted homogenized.
of 20 The second
students. instrument are
pre-test and
post-test.

Amalia, D, F. 20 qualitative Quizizz English lessons questionnaire. The result of the study showed
(2020) students of survey period positive perspectives of the Dynamic
Dynamic research English Course students toward the
English use of Quizizz as an online assessment
Course tool for English teaching and learning,
especially on a formative one.

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Table 3 : Summary of the past related studies which focused on the benefits of using digital tools in language learning
Article/ Study Number of Research Types of Total hours of Instruments Results
participan design intervention intervention
t/studies

Yunus & Year 3 quasi- Kahoot! 14 weeks pre-test, post The effectiveness of Kahoot! in
Azman (2019) pupils experimental Gamified test, IBM SPSS retaining the participants’ memory of
research learning Statistics the Irregular verbs could be related to
Version 20. the features embedded in the
application and its relevance to the
younger learners.

Halim, Hashim 60 quantitative Online quiz- English lessons survey A lot of them believed that learning
& Yunus primary research games namely period questionnaire English through online quiz-games
(2020) school design Kahoot! and like Kahoot! and Quizizz was able to
learners Quizizz increase their interest and
communication skills in English. Most
of them believed that using games to
learn English made them less nervous
in their learning process, which made
them to be more willing to pay more
attention in classroom; and to be
more ready to improve themselves in
English lessons.

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40 year Quasi- In this 2 period of Pre- test and • Enhancing the Sentence
Ann, Sze, & four pupils experimental research, the English class. 1 post- test, Construction Skills among Learners
Yunus (2020). which research. innovation hour observation The results from the pre-test and
were developed, checklist, post-test have clearly shown the
selected PowerPuzz, is survey effectiveness of the PowerPuzz Game
from the an interactive questionnaire with Quizizz in enhancing the
low-level tool which learners’ sentence construction skills.
category of aims to help • Motivating Learners to Learn
English Year Four the Correct Sentence Structures
proficiency pupils master The results from the survey
. the sentence questionnaire showed that the
structures by PowerPuzz Game with Quizizz have
playing a game successfully motivated learners to
using puzzles learn the correct sentence structures.
so that they
can remember
them better.

13 action Quizizz English lessons Pre-test and The explanations for this result are
Huei, L. S., students research period post-test, that Quizizz is equipped with the
Yunus, M.M., as design Likert Scale vocabulary theory of marginal effect,
Hashim, H. participant questionnaire, and it is multimodal. Providing an
(2021) s Semi- immersive learning environment
structured through recapping words is another
interview explanation for the good correlation
between Quizizz and vocabulary
learning

Table 4 : Summary of the past related studies conducted in Malaysia ESL context

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Three relevant systematic reviews were identified (Amin, 2019; Shadiev &Yang, 2019;
Karacan & Akoglu, 2021). The findings of these systematic reviews able to explore more in
the use of digital tools in vocabulary acquisition. Integration of digital tools in language
learning will improve the students' retention during the lesson. Interactive lesson will make
the students to be interested in learning the language. Dimensions that focus on the
availability of graphics, video, audio, and text will contribute to learning goals (Amin, 2019).
Students that have critical review on certain subject often have high anxiety. The Integration
of digital tools in English language learning will enable students to practice at their time phase
(Shadiev & Yang, 2019). Meanwhile, technology-enhanced language learning and teaching
will aid the students in learning process. Immersive interface will aid the students in simulated
tasks. Virtual realities are one of the digital tools that will create immersive environments
using virtual reality to give a learning experience to the students (Karacan & Akoglu, 2021).
Based on some studies, the use of online quizzes as a discussion platform will give the
students opportunities to improve their vocabulary with their own preferred method (Boyd,
2011). Students are able to refer to their friends instead of depending on the teacher. Some
students prefer to watch video to improve their vocabulary acquisition. Thus, students are
able to work independently with the assist of digital technology. Involvement in a discussion
will enable the students to increase their participation in tutorial or practical classes (Salas-
Morera et al., 2012). Motivation of the students to complete their task are elevated as they
compete with each other. Interesting graphic of the online quiz makes the environment
comfortable for the students. Less pressure will make the students to acquire the language
better. It will stimulate a better learning environment for the students.

Vocabulary retention will increase as the students acquire new words. Students prefer
games as educational aids compared to traditional learning lessons. Game was often seen as
a pervasive element for providing simulation in educational setting. This is due that students
will subconsciously acquire new vocabulary (Ashraf et al., 2014; Alavi et al., 2019; Yunus &
Azman, 2019; Amalia, 2020). Students become excited to join a lesson as it is increasing their
confidence. Good vocabulary enable the students to have a meaningful communication in
English. Gamified learning is a good way to improve the students participation in online quiz
(Halim et al., 2020; Ann et al., 2020; Huei et al., 2021). Online quiz was often seen as very
difficult to answers which lead to less participation in the students.
The benefits of using digital tools in language learning will improve the quality of the lesson
(Celik & Aytin 2014; Abbasova & Mammadove, 2019; Hermagustiana & Rusmawati, 2017).
Vocabulary acquisition among the students improve through the use of technology aids
(Hermagustiana & Rusmawati, 2017). Teacher that utilise digital tools in a lesson will aid the
students in learning process. Students can understand the topic better with the aid of
PowerPoint. Information of the new topic is displayed in interactive slides. A deep
understanding of the subject will ignite the student's curiosity to do research. This will
motivate the students to always learn more and research certain topics that they do not
understand. Digital tools is very effective in increasing the learners' attention. Language
learning that is supported by digital tools have better outcomes. It simplifies the learning
process. Teacher can use videos from YouTube to visualization the students about the topic.
Aside from that, digital tools and technology use in a lesson will prepare the students for the
requirement of modern society. Modern society require students to have a good social skills.
Social skill is important in delivering a good conversation.

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Conclusion
The review's conclusions put light on the most significant impact of the use of digital
tools in vocabulary acquisition. It was found that the use of digital tools will aid the teachers
in their teaching. Majority of the teachers and students favouring the integration of digital
tools in language learning. Technology use in language teaching and learning process have
indicated positive attitude among the teachers and students (Shadiev & Yang, 2019; Amin,
2019) . Students were able to be prepared to deal with the requirements of modern society.
Implementation of digital tools in language learning enable the students to practice their
English pronunciation independently by using an online dictionary (Abbasova & Mammadove,
2019). Students do not have to rely on their teacher to practice their English.
Aside from that, the use of digital tools was found to improve the students interest in
learning the English language. Motivation of the students were improved as the digital tools
varies from teaching media to online quiz. Online quiz from Quizziz will motivate the students
to perform better. Students were able to compete with each other to complete the quiz.
Effective educational aids such as gamified learning will lead to students’ increase motivation
and improved performance during the process of vocabulary learning (Ashrafa et al, 2014;
Huei et al., 2021 ; Amalia, 2020; Halim et al., 2020). The level of students social anxiety were
lessen as the gamified learning make them enjoyed the learning process (Halim et al., 2020).
The findings of the studies (Hermagustiana & Rusmawaty, 2017) also featured some
considerations which need to be taken into measure when implementing digital tools in
language learning. Teacher lack of digital literacy in technology will influence the outcome.
Simple display in PowerPoint presentation would make the learning environment to be dull.
This was due that the teacher does not know how to design the slides into an interactive
PowerPoint presentation.

Limitation and Recommendations for Future Research and Practice

This systematic review indicated that the implementation of digital tools can improve
vocabulary acquisition. Two primary limitations of this review will be acknowledged. The first
limitation is accessibility to a good internet connection. Weak internet connection lead to
students not being able to complete the task given by the teacher. Not all of the students live
in suburban and rural area have a very good internet connection. Internet data is very
expensive, which not all of the students and teachers can afford. Digital tools that consume
so much data will make the students and teachers to spend more on the internet
subscriptions.
The second limitation of this systematic review is the lack of digital literacy among the
students and teachers. Lack of digital literacy will influence the vocabulary acquisition. This is
because an individual have lack of digital literacy often unable to fully utilize the technology
in language learning. Informative contents are often shared in the internet, which enable
students to access it. Students may not be aware of plagiarising someone else work in the
internet. Some of the students the copying the work of another people just to complete their
own task that is given by the teachers.
It was reported and elaborated in the shortlisted studies that majority of the respondents
believed that the digitals tools aid in listening and speaking practice, improve the students’
retention, good explanation of the subject, improving the learning and teaching process in
class, expose the students to the authentic materials and linguistic context. Therefore, there
is an evident need to conduct further studies with assortments of research design and larger
sample size. More studies on the use of digital tools and digital literacies in language learning

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should be conducted at primary level as only two out of fifteen shortlisted studies (Yunus &
Azman, 2019 ; Ann et al, 2020) were conducted with primary learners. This systematic review
was hoped to give empirical for the teachers and researchers to explore the use of digital
tools in improving the students' vocabulary acquisition.

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