<![CDATA[Vocabulary mastery is central to language learning success, yet traditional instructional approaches have consistently failed to promote durable retention among junior high school learners. Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) offers promising alternatives by leveraging learner familiarity with mobile devices to create flexible, engaging learning environments. Despite theoretical support for combining visual learning with self-generated content in mobile contexts, empirical research specifically examining the Self-Created Picture Vocabulary (SCPV) approach remains limited, particularly for junior high school vocabulary instruction. This study investigated the effectiveness of SCPV in improving vocabulary mastery across four dimensions: word recognition, meaning comprehension, spelling accuracy, and contextual usage. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design was employed with 64 eight-grade EFL students over a four-week SCPV intervention using a mobile application. Paired-samples t-tests revealed statistically significant improvements across all dimensions (p < .001), with a very large overall effect size (d = 2.31) and a mean score increase of 22.58 points (41.6%). Meaning comprehension showed the greatest gains (d = 1.97), followed by contextual usage (d = 1.42), word recognition (d = 1.28), and spelling accuracy (d = 1.06), SCPV integrating dual coding, generative learning, personalization, and mobile affordances constitutes an effective and practical approach to vocabulary instruction that warrants broader adoption in EFL classroom.]]>
