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Audiovisual Input and Second Language Learning
Edited by Carmen Muñoz and Imma Miralpeix
[Language Learning & Language Teaching 61] 2024
► pp. 154–179

Contrastive input enhancement in captioned video for L2 pronunciation learning

| Universitat de Barcelona
| Universidad de Murcia
This study investigated the potential of input enhancement in captioned video to facilitate learners’ perceptual sensitivity to a difficult L2 vowel contrast (/æ/-/ʌ/). Participants were randomly assigned to two control and four experimental viewing conditions to explore the effects of audiovisual input (a 30-minute TV episode) on perceptual learning. Textual enhancement on captions highlighted target sounds contrastively (two colors) or non-contrastively (one color) in words transcribed orthographically or in IPA phonetic symbols. Learners’ /æ/-/ʌ/ perception gains were assessed through lexical and phonetic identification and discrimination tasks. Eye-gaze measures were used to determine the effectiveness of enhancement in drawing learners’ attention to the target contrast across viewing conditions. Perceptual learning was observed, although not always consistently across tasks and conditions.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Audiovisual input and language learning
    • 1.2Audiovisual input in L2 pronunciation learning
    • 1.3The current study
  • 2.Methods
    • 2.1Research design and experimental procedures and materials
    • 2.2Participants
    • 2.3Viewing materials and input enhancement
    • 2.4Eye-gaze recording and data acquisition
    • 2.5Testing perceptual sensitivity to the /æ/-/ʌ/ contrast
    • 2.6Data analyses
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1A1: Control (C6) vs. video viewing (C1–C5) conditions
    • 3.2A2: Unenhanced (C1) vs. textually enhanced (C2–C5) captions conditions
    • 3.3A3: Effects of Enhancement Type and Text Type
    • 3.4Descriptive analysis of viewing behavior
  • 4.Discussion and conclusion
  • Author queries
  • Notes
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
  • Appendix
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
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