Artificial Intelligence-powered Vocabulary Instruction: A Study on Recall and Retention in English for Specific Purposes

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education has emerged as a compelling domain aiming to meet the unique needs of language learners. While AI-enhanced instruction has been explored in general English language learning contexts, its application in ESP settings, particularly for vocabulary recall and retention, has remained underexplored. This study aims to investigate the effects of AI-enhanced instruction on ESP vocabulary recall and retention among Iranian learners. In so doing, a cohort of ۴۸ undergraduate ESP students at Applied Science University in Kerman, Iran participated in the study. The participants who had already been enrolled in ESP Course and divided into two different groups were assigned into experimental (n=۲۴) and control (n=۲۴) groups. The participants in the experimental group were exposed to AI-powered vocabulary instruction by Diffit, an AI-powered tool, while the learners in the control group received print-based vocabulary instruction. In order to address the research questions, a univariate repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was utilized. The results showed that AI-enhanced training considerably enhanced vocabulary recall and retention among ESP students. This study provides compelling evidence for the effectiveness of AI-enhanced instruction in improving vocabulary recall and retention among ESP learners.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial Intelligence ، English for specific purposes ، Vocabulary recall ، Vocabulary retention