The Impacts of Vocabulary Instruction via Synchronous and Asynchronous Social Networks on Iranian EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

The significant role of technology in improving second language skills and components has been recently addressed extensively. In the same vein, this quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design study aimed to compare the effects of synchronous and asynchronous social networks in teaching vocabulary to improve English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' reading comprehension. For this purpose, 61 EFL learners were chosen using the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Before the treatment, a researcher-made reading comprehension test was run as the pretest. Then WhatsApp was employed as the synchronous network for teaching vocabulary for the first group and Instagram as the asynchronous network for the second. The first group had to be online at a specific time, but the second group was given two days to see the posts. The strategies for teaching vocabulary were the same in both groups. After the treatment, another reading comprehension test was administered as the posttest. The statistical analysis indicated significant effects for both networks and a significant difference between the two experimental groups, showing that the asynchronous social network was significantly more effective in enhancing learners' reading comprehension than the synchronous one. The results imply that teachers can benefit from synchronous and asynchronous social networks as good platforms for teaching new words and improving learners' reading comprehension.