L2 vocabulary learning with animated aids -Do learner factors affect L2 production with figurative expressions?

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of animated aids for the production of English figurative expressions and the influence of learner factors. While previous studies illustrate that motion animations do not always enhance L2 learning, this study suggests that theoretically-grounded animations with learners' individual factors benefit L2 vocabulary learning. With animated aids for three spatial prepositions based on image schema theory and consideration of learners’ information processing styles and first language, our empirical research was conducted to examine the condition under which the efficacy of animated aids was optimized. The research with 152 participants from Taiwan and Japan demonstrated the effectiveness of animated aids in facilitating the production of figurative L2 expressions. Our ANCOVA analyses revealed that the animation effect was observed to be more significant for the Taiwanese participants than for the Japanese participants. It was also found that for the Japanese participants, the imagers obtained more benefits from the animated aids than the verbalizers.