Article published In:
ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Extensive viewing and L2 vocabulary learning

Two studies in EFL classes with children and adolescents

ORCID logo | Universitat de Barcelona
ORCID logo | Universitat de Barcelona

This article presents two classroom-based studies lasting one academic year: Study 1 with beginner learners of English as a foreign language and Study 2 with intermediate learners. In each study, learners in the comparison and experimental groups were introduced to new vocabulary through regular explicit instruction in class, but only those in the experimental group additionally watched subtitled (Study 1) or captioned (Study 2) television series where the new vocabulary appeared. Lexical gains, computed for each academic term, showed an overall positive effect of television viewing, although more differences between groups were found towards the end of the intervention, and more significant results were obtained in Study 2. These longitudinal data provide relevant information on the role of extensive viewing for language learning in instructional settings, which is often missed in one-off studies outside and inside the classroom.

Keywords: classroom-based research, extensive viewing, L2 vocabulary learning, subtitled and captioned TV series, vocabulary teaching
Article outline
  • Introduction: TV viewing and language learning
  • Vocabulary learning from television viewing
    • Vocabulary learning from TV viewing in beginner learners (children)
    • Vocabulary learning from TV viewing in intermediate learners
  • Research questions
  • Study 1
    • Participants
    • Instruments and procedure
      • TV series and target vocabulary
      • Vocabulary pre- and post-tests
      • Vocabulary pre- and post-tasks
      • Vocabulary size test
      • General procedure
    • Test scoring and data analysis
      • Pre- and post-test scoring and lexical gains
      • Statistical analyses
    • Results
  • Study 2
    • Participants
    • Instruments and procedure
      • TV series and target vocabulary
      • Vocabulary size tests
      • General procedure, test scoring and data analysis
    • Results
  • Discussion
    • L2 vocabulary learning from explicit teaching and television viewing
    • Vocabulary learning from TV viewing in primary school
    • Vocabulary learning from TV viewing in secondary school
    • Extensive television viewing in formal settings
  • Limitations, pedagogical implications and conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 8 June 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.22013.ges
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