Acquisition of technical terms using vocabulary learning strategies among aircraft maintenance learners in an online learning home

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has introduced several technical and vocational courses, one of which is Aircraft maintenance. In this course, English is a compulsory subject in order to acquire technical terms to ensure safe and efficient operation of an aircraft. However, research on technical term acquisition and vocabulary acquisition for writing is limited, and little is known about teaching and learning technical terms in the Aircraft maintenance programme through the online learning mode. This study aims to explore the technical terms acquisition strategies utilised by the students, investigate the implementation of the online learning approach into the aircraft maintenance English Language course and discover the students’ ability to integrate the technical terms into their assignments. Social Constructivism perspectives driven by Activity theory and Collaborative theory guided the study. The sample for this study comprised 14 first-year undergraduate students who enrolled in the Diploma in Aircraft maintenance programme at the university. Students attended online lessons through Microsoft Teams for one semester and the data was obtained through individual interviews, the observations of the online lessons, and students’ assignments. Data obtained were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that the participants acquired technical terms employing several Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) during the online mode of learning. The most preferred VLS among the participants were cognitive strategies and social strategies whereas the least preferred strategies were determination strategies. Online resources like websites and YouTube videos and visuals were found useful in enhancing their acquisition. Their technical reports and assignments showed the correct use of the technical terms illustrated with visuals. The implications from the findings provide better guidelines for instructors to focus on effective approaches to teach and train these students in acquiring technical terms using the online learning mode.