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In:Early Language Education in Instructed Contexts: Current issues and empirical insights into teaching and learning languages in primary school
Edited by Stefanie Frisch and Karen Glaser
[Language Learning & Language Teaching 62] 2025
► pp. 43–64

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Chapter 3
Primary school learners benefit from captioned video viewing

Vocabulary learning, viewing distribution and perceptions

 | University of O’Higgins
 | University of Barcelona
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Published online: 22 May 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.62.03ave
Abstract
This study explored the extent to which 6 groups of primary school L2 students (n = 120) from Chile benefitted from viewing 11 captioned episodes of an animated cartoon in vocabulary learning at the level of written word form recall (dictation). The pretest-posttest research design compared the outcomes of the experimental groups that differed in year level and viewing distribution (year 4 = 1–4 episodes a week; year 5 = 2 or 4 episodes a week). The results revealed learners’ significant gains at posttest, especially in the case of fifth graders, and greater influence of viewing distribution on fourth graders. Specifically, a shorter distance between episodes appeared to enhance the recall of written word forms. The group interviews conducted with sample participants provided rich data on the beneficial effects of multimodality to compensate for knowledge gaps.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Theoretical background
    • 2.2Vocabulary learning from captioned video viewing
    • 2.3Lag effects
  • 3.Research aims and methodology
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Treatment and procedure
    • 3.3Target items and data-gathering instruments
    • 3.4Data analyses
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Preliminary analyses
    • 4.2RQ1: Gains in written word form recall
    • 4.3RQ2: The influence of learner- and treatment-related factors
    • 4.4RQ3: Learners’ perceptions of their viewing experience
      • 4.4.1Learners’ attitude towards the viewing experience
      • 4.4.2Main challenges encountered during the viewing experience
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
References (60)
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