Incidental vocabulary learning through viewing television

Abstract

Previous research investigating L2 incidental vocabulary learning from video has primarily focused on short videos from genres that may be conducive to vocabulary learning. The research provides evidence that L2 incidental vocabulary learning can occur through video. However, it is uncertain whether viewing episodes of full-length television programs can contribute to incidental learning. This study investigated the effects of viewing 7+ hours of television on incidental vocabulary learning as well as the effects of the frequency and range. One-hundred and eighty-seven Japanese university students viewed ten 42-minute episodes of an American drama. Two vocabulary tests at differing sensitivities were used in a pre- and post-test design measuring receptive knowledge of the form-meaning connection of 60 word-families. The results indicated that (a) viewing television contributed to significant gains in vocabulary knowledge and (b) there was a positive relationship between frequency of occurrence and vocabulary learning. Pedagogical implications are discussed in detail.

The Effect of Imagery and On‐Screen Text on Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning From Audiovisual Input

“…Puimège and Peters () demonstrated that learners can also learn the form of unfamiliar lexical items (i.e., single words as well as formulaic sequences) through TV viewing. Looking at extensive TV viewing (i.e., watching 10 full‐length episodes from one TV show), Rodgers and Webb () found that adult EFL learners learned six new words on average and that the learning gains were comparable to those found in reading studies. However, the control group also learned five new words.…”

“…Researchers have also addressed the role of a number of word‐related variables in vocabulary learning through TV viewing. Frequency of occurrence has been found to affect word learning positively (Peters & Webb, ), although its effect seems to be smaller in longitudinal studies that investigated extensive viewing (Rodgers & Webb, ). In a recent study, Puimège and Peters () found that a word’s corpus frequency was positively correlated to word learning at the level of form recall.…”

“…Although most research into incidental vocabulary learning has focused on reading (e.g., Pellicer-S anchez & Schmitt, 2010;Webb & Chang, 2015) and some studies have explored vocabulary learning through listening (van Zeeland & Schmitt, 2013;Vidal, 2003Vidal, , 2011, recent studies have shown that learners can also learn new vocabulary (Peters & Webb, 2018;Rodgers & Webb, 2019) when they watch foreign-language TV. Peters and Webb (2018) found that learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) picked up four words on average while watching a full-length, 1-hour TV program compared to 1.5 words in the control group.…”

“…In recent years, an increasing number of studies have focused on learning vocabulary from audiovisual input. They have shown that learners can pick up new words incidentally when watching TV (Peters & Webb, 2018;Rodgers & Webb, 2019). Research has also shown that on-screen text (first language or foreign language subtitles) might increase learning gains (Montero Perez, Peters, Clarebout, & Desmet, 2014;Winke, Gass, & Sydorenko, 2010).…”

“…Most studies have focused on written input (e.g., Pellicer-S anchez & Schmitt, 2010;Webb & Chang, 2015), but studies on the effects of audiovisual input have recently been gaining traction in the field of second language acquisition (e.g., Peters & Webb, 2018;Rodgers & Webb, 2017). There is growing evidence that FL vocabulary can be picked up incidentally through watching short video clips (Montero Perez, Peters, Clarebout, & Desmet, 2014;Neuman & Koskinen, 1992;Puim ege & Peters, 2019), fulllength TV programs (Peters & Webb, 2018), and extensive TV viewing (Rodgers & Webb, 2019). Neuman and Koskinen (1992) were among the first to highlight the potential of audiovisual input for vocabulary learning.…”