The widespread use of smartphone apps for educational purposes, such as language learning, offers significant opportunities for teachers and learners. This study examines and compares the effectiveness of two smartphone-based classroom procedures for vocabulary learning. Forty-five upper-intermediate learners enrolled in a general English course at a private language institution in Ilam, Iran, were divided into three homogeneous classes of 15 based on placement test results. Each class had the same number of sessions, frequency, and length. In one class, learners used the Kahoot! app to play instructional games for the last 20 minutes of each session. In another class, the final 20 minutes were dedicated to using the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD) and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE) apps to check vocabulary items. The third class spent this time reading words and definitions, practicing pronunciation, and making example sentences based on textbook samples. All other methodological aspects were identical across the classes. After the course, learners took a final achievement test to assess vocabulary learning. Results showed that learners in the mobile-assisted classes outperformed those in the non-app class, confirming the effectiveness of smartphone apps. The Kahoot! class achieved the highest scores, followed by the dictionary apps class. Further research with larger samples, different mobile applications, and varied contexts is recommended to gain deeper insights into the most effective classroom procedures developed based on diverse mobile-assisted language learning strategies.
