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Learning formulaic language from video: an exploratory study into incidental learning of single words and formulaic sequencesTelevision is considered an important source of comprehensible input for second language learners of English and there is some evidence that L2 words can be learned incidentally by watching television.(e.g. Montero Perez et al., 2014;Peters & Webb, 2018). Few studies have looked at the role of TV viewing for learning formulaic sequences, despite the ubiquity of formulaic sequences in spoken English (e.g. Lin, 2014) and the importance of formulaic language in the development of second language proficiency (Schmitt, 2010). This study aims to find out whether single words and formulaic sequences can be learned incidentally by watching English language television, and whether learners' prior vocabulary knowledge and item-related factors affect the learning process. Data were collected from 20 English-as-a-foreign-language learners (L1=Dutch) in their first year at university. A pretest-posttest, within-subject design was adopted. Learning gains were measured at three levels of sensitivity: a form recall test, a meaning recall test and a form recognition test. The results indicate that single words and formulaic sequences can be learned incidentally from TV viewing and that the learning is mediated by item-as well as learner-related factors.

This study focused on the mechanisms underlying incidental second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition prior to formal instruction. We designed a cross‐sectional study to examine which learner‐related and word‐related variables affect young learners’ vocabulary knowledge at the level of meaning recognition and meaning recall. We collected data from 616 Flemish children between 10 and 12 years old by using a questionnaire about learners’ extramural English, an English vocabulary test, and a Dutch vocabulary test. The findings revealed that participating learners frequently engaged in activities involving English before receiving formal instruction and that their amount of extramural English increased with age. The results also showed the rate of vocabulary growth from exposure to extramural English for three contiguous age groups. Further, both word‐related and learner‐related variables predicted vocabulary knowledge. Cognateness was the most powerful predictor, followed by frequency and concreteness. We also found a positive relationship between extramural English and vocabulary knowledge. Open Practices This article has been awarded an Open Materials badge. All materials are publicly accessible via the IRIS Repository at https://www.iris-database.org. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.

The present study explores the incidental learning of formulaic sequences (FS) from audio-visual input and factors affecting the learning of FS. A pretest-posttest, within-participant design was adopted. English-as-a-foreign-language learners (L1 = Dutch; n = 42) watched a one-hour English-language documentary without subtitles. Learning gains were measured at the level of form recall and meaning recall. Significant learning gains were found in both the form recall and meaning recall tests, indicating that several knowledge aspects of FS can be learned incidentally from audio-visual input. The findings also revealed a positive relationship between learners’ prior vocabulary knowledge and the learning gains. Further, several item-related factors affected the learning gains (e.g., collocate-node relationship, frequency). Finally, the findings showed the incremental nature of learning FS, as preknowledge of the meaning of the FS prior to the TV viewing was the strongest predictor of learning the form of FS.

This study examines the effect of textual enhancement on learners’ attention to and learning of multiword units from captioned audiovisual input. We adopted a within-participants design in which 28 learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) watched a captioned video containing enhanced (underlined) and unenhanced multiword units. Using eye-tracking, we measured learners’ online processing of the multiword units as they appeared in the captions. Form recall pre- and posttests measured learners’ acquisition of the target items. The results of mixed effects models indicate that enhanced items received greater visual attention, with longer reading times, less single word skipping and more rereading. Further, a positive relationship was found between amount of visual attention and learning odds: items fixated longer, particularly during the first pass, were more likely to be recalled in an immediate posttest. Our findings provide empirical support for the positive effect of visual attention on form recall of multiword units encountered in captioned television. The results also suggest that item difficulty and amount of attention were more important than textual enhancement in predicting learning gains.