Incidental Vocabulary Learning Through Listening to Songs

Abstract

Research investigating incidental vocabulary learning through listening to songs has primarily relied on participant’s self-report surveys on listening behaviors and its relationship with their vocabulary knowledge (Kuppens, 2010). Only one experimental study has investigated vocabulary learning gains from listening to songs (Medina, 1993). From the results, the researcher concluded that learning does occur from listening to songs. However, the learning gains were not provided. The present study investigated incidental learning of three vocabulary knowledge dimensions (spoken-form recognition, form-meaning connection, and collocation recognition) through listening to two songs. The effects of repeated listening to a single song (one, three, or five times) and the relationship between frequency of exposure to the targeted vocabulary items and learning gains were also explored. The results indicated that (a) listening to songs contributed to vocabulary learning, (b) repeated listening had a positive effect on vocabulary gains, and (c) frequency of exposure positively affected learning gains.

Learning Vocabulary Through Reading, Listening, and Viewing

“…However, surprisingly there are almost no intervention studies of L2 learning through viewing L2 television and movies and listening to L2 songs. There are a small number of studies investigating these sources of L2 input that suggest that viewing L2 television and listening to L2 songs also contribute to L2 vocabulary learning (see Pavia, Webb, & Faez, 2019, for a study of listening to L2 songs; Peters & Webb, 2018; Rodgers & Webb, 2019, for studies of viewing L2 television). There are several reasons why there is little research investigating alternative sources of input apart from written text: historically they have not been as commonly encountered in the classroom, can be difficult to manipulate for research, and are typically perceived as forms of entertainment rather than learning.…”

How Effective Are Intentional Vocabulary‐Learning Activities? A Meta‐Analysis

“…Meaning‐focused approaches to learning such as reading, listening, and viewing (television and movies) are examples of incidental vocabulary‐learning methods. Research shows that words can be learned incidentally through reading (e.g., Pellicer–Sánchez & Schmitt, 2010), listening to passages (e.g., van Zeeland & Schmitt, 2013) and songs (Pavia, Webb, & Faez, 2019), and watching television (Feng & Webb, 2020; Peters & Webb, 2018; Rodgers & Webb, 2020). Approaches that include an effort to attend to and learn words are viewed as being intentional vocabulary‐learning methods.…”

Teaching Vocabulary for Elementary School Students

“…It also able to boost students' motivation and confidence in learning vocabulary. Pavia, Webb and Faez (2019) found that song could be beneficial for students to enhance their vocabulary mastery. Through song, students can imitate the pronunciation of words.…”