Speaker
Description
Several studies have reported the increasing difficulties that Vietnamese EFL learners experience when reading texts, especially those related to unknown vocabulary, excessive mental effort, and limited reading comprehension performance (P. H. Nguyen, 2024). Drawing upon Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988), the study examined the effects of AI-assisted vocabulary support on cognitive load and EFL reading comprehension among students at 5 different high schools in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam. A quasi-experimental research design was employed involving 100 Grade 11 students who belonged to two groups: a control group receiving traditional reading instruction and an experimental group receiving AI-assisted vocabulary support during reading activities. The treatment was conducted over eight weeks using the following research instruments: reading comprehension pre-tests and post-tests, a cognitive load scale, and an AI perception questionnaire. Aligning with earlier research, the findings revealed that students in the experimental group achieved significantly higher reading comprehension scores after the treatment period compared to those in the control group while lower levels of cognitive load during reading activities were found in students of the experimental group. It was down to the fact that AI-assisted vocabulary support helped students understand unfamiliar vocabulary more efficiently, reduced their reliance on word-by-word translation, improved reading fluency, and facilitated overall text comprehension. Another finding was that these students demonstrated positive perceptions toward AI-assisted vocabulary support when claiming that AI tools made reading passages easier to understand, enhanced vocabulary processing, and increased their confidence during EFL reading activities. Also, Cognitive Load Theory was highlighted by the fact that AI-assisted lexical support may reduce unnecessary processing burden and allow learners to allocate more cognitive resources to comprehension processes. Finally, the pedagogical potential of integrating AI-assisted vocabulary support into EFL reading instruction in Vietnamese high school contexts can also be a promising teaching methodology in the technology -driven world.
Biography
Ms. Hoang Thi Hong Nhung holds an MA in TESOL, which she completed in 2012 under the Australian Awards Scholarship (AAS). She is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Tay Nguyen University. Her research interests include EFL teaching and learning, social-emotional learning (SEL), the development of productive language skills, and students’ difficulties in language learning.
| Affiliate type | Vietnamese public school |
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