Learning Vocabulary from Reading-only, Reading-while-listening, and Reading with Textual Input Enhancement: Insights from Vietnamese EFL Learners

Abstract

This article reports the results of two experiments which compared the effects of reading-only, reading-while-listening, and reading with textual input enhancement (i.e. underlining) on Vietnamese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ learning of three aspects of vocabulary knowledge: form recognition, form recall, and meaning recall. Sixty Vietnamese EFL learners (32 beginner and 28 intermediate learners) were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: reading-only, reading-while-listening, or reading with textual input enhancement. During four weeks, all learners read four graded readers in their condition groups. Tests of target words were administered three times: one week before the reading (pretests), immediately after the reading (immediate posttests), and one week after the reading (delayed posttests). To gain more insights into the learners’ perspectives, follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results showed that the three reading modes resulted in word learning gains for the three word knowledge aspects tested. However, reading with textual input enhancement resulted in significantly more vocabulary learning than reading-only, while the reading-while-listening and reading-only groups did not differ significantly. In addition, form recognition had the largest gains while form recall the smallest.

The effect of input modes and number of exposures on the learning of L2 binomials

“…Notably, in response to the second research question, there were generally no differences in performance in the reading-only and the reading-while-listening modes, and they both lead to better performance than the listeningonly mode. This supports previous research on single words (e.g., Brown et al's, 2008;Vidal, 2011;Vu & Peters 2020) and points to an interesting similarity between the learning of single words and MWSs. However, the current findings seem to contradict those of Webb and Chang's (2020) indicating that reading-while-listening led to best performance for MWSs, while listening-only and reading-only yielded similar results.…”

“…Further, Malone (2018) found that a reading-while-listening group had an advantage over a reading-only group in a form-recognition task. In a recent study, however, Vu and Peters (2020) did not find a difference in single word gains between reading-while-listening and reading-only. Similarly, Feng and Webb (2020) compared the acquisition of single words from reading, listening and viewing and found similar gains in the three modes.…”

“…Incidental learning occurs through mere exposure to new words through various types of input (e.g., written and/or spoken) when learners focus on either understanding a story or reading/listening for pleasure. Research on incidental vocabulary learning has shown that new lexical items can be acquired from reading (e.g., Horst, 2005;Malone, 2018;Pellicer-Sánchez & Schmitt, 2010;Vu & Peters, 2020;Zahar, Cobb, & Spada, 2001), reading-while-listening (e.g., Malone, 2018;Vu & Peters, 2020;Webb et al, 2013), viewing (e.g., Peters & Webb, 2018;Rodgers & Webb, 2019) and, although with generally smaller gains, from listening (e.g., Vidal 2003;van Zeeland & Schmitt, 2013).…”

An exploratory study on the aspects of vocabulary knowledge addressed in EAP textbooks

“…Meanwhile, Nation (2013) recommends incidental learning for form aspects, grammatical functions, collocations, and intentional learning for meaning aspects and constraints on use. However, experimental research has shown that productive knowledge of form (i.e., form recall) can be more difficult for learners to gain than productive knowledge of meaning (i.e., meaning recall, cf., Vu & Peters, 2020) and collocations can be difficult for learners to use and acquire (e.g., Nesselhauf, 2003;Peters, 2016). Therefore, our view in this study is that all aspects of vocabulary knowledge deserve adequate attention, though not necessarily equal, from L2 learners, teachers, and textbook writers.…”

“…While an increasing number of studies have investigated L2 learners' vocabulary acquisition from different types of input such as extensive reading (e.g., Pigada & Schmitt, 2006;Vu & Peters, 2020) or audiovisual input (e.g., Peters & Webb, 2018;Rodgers & Webb, 2011), very few studies focus on vocabulary activities in textbooks (see Brown, 2011;Neary-Sundquist, 2015 for exceptions) even though textbooks are also a potential source for L2 vocabulary learning (e.g., Milton & Vassiliu, 2000;Vassiliu, 2001). Besides, previous research has examined vocabulary knowledge in general English textbooks (e.g., Brown, 2011) while no studies to date have examined vocabulary activities in English for Academic purposes (EAP) textbooks.…”