Jurnal Celtic
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025): December 2025

Exploring EFL students’ perspectives on vocabulary learning through SkELL: A case study

Khairunnisa Khairunnisa (English Education Department, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay (English Education Department, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
23 Aug 2025

Abstract

This study investigates Indonesian EFL students' perspectives on using Sketch Engine for Language Learning (SkELL) for vocabulary acquisition. Employing a qualitative descriptive case study approach, data were gathered through an online questionnaire completed by twelve undergraduate EFL students and semi-structured interviews with five selected participants. The research aimed to explore students' general attitudes, perceived benefits, and challenges when utilizing SkELL as a corpus-based tool for independent learning. The findings indicate a largely positive preliminary perception, with a significant majority of students finding SkELL easy to navigate and effective in improving contextual understanding of words. Participants reported enhanced independence and motivation in vocabulary learning, and a preference for SkELL over traditional dictionaries due to its provision of real-world sentence examples. While initial challenges related to interface unfamiliarity and feature comprehension were noted, students proactively overcame these through self-directed learning. These experiences fundamentally reshaped their attitudes towards vocabulary acquisition, shifting their focus from rote memorization to a more contextual and evidence-based approach, ultimately fostering enhanced independence and motivation in their language. Students expressed strong recommendations for SkELL to peers and a commitment to continued use of corpus-based tools, highlighting the tool's potential to significantly enhance vocabulary teaching and empower learners with practical, contextually rich language skills for academic and professional communication.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

celtic

Publisher

Subject

Description

CELTIC is published twice a year, in June and December. This journal welcomes articles in the form of research reports or library research on Literature (English), Linguistics (English, Indonesian), Culture (English, Indonesia) and Teaching (English, ...