Abstract
Drawing on Moreno's cognitive-affective theory of learning with media, this research aims to investigate the effectiveness of different multimedia glosses on learners' vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension in a CALL environment. A total of 160 university students who learnt English as a foreign language (EFL) in four classes participated in the study and were exposed to one of the four conditions: (a) L2 definition only, (b) L2 definition coupled with audio, (c) L2 definition plus video, and (d) L2 definition with picture. Participants were asked to read eight hypermediated reading texts. Reading comprehension as well as vocabulary acquisition were measured using a pretest–posttest design. The results show first that all these four conditions led to students' vocabulary gains. More specifically, participants who had access to L2 definition plus picture and plus videos achieved significantly higher scores than the other two groups, L2 definition coupled with audio and L2 definition only. Concerning reading comprehension, all multimedia glossing presentation led to better reading comprehension, but no differences were found among all the glossing groups. The questionnaire and interview data indicate that students preferred L2 definition coupled with video and picture glosses, followed by audio and L2 definition only. The results reflect that multimedia glossing presentation creates a different effect on students' vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension, respectively. They also provide pedagogical implications for learning in times of COVID-19.
Highlights
The advances in computer technology have presented ample opportunities for teachers and researchers for making use of it in the field of language learning and teaching
The results showed that the use of multimedia glosses was not beneficial for participants’ reading comprehension and video annotations had a negative effect on their reading comprehension
The results indicated that the differences were statistically significant for both time, F(1,156) = 748.701, p < 0.05, η2 = 0.828 and group, F(3,156) = 13.341, p < 0.05, η2 = 0.204
Summary
The advances in computer technology have presented ample opportunities for teachers and researchers for making use of it in the field of language learning and teaching. AI-Seghayer (2001) and Lin and Tseng (2012) reported that the glossing of text and video was more effective in learning unfamiliar words than that of text and picture, whereas Chun and Plass (1996) found the opposite results and Akbulut (2007) concluded that there was no significant difference between these two glosses. Extensive research has already reported the effective role of adding a still picture to clarify the word’s meaning or a video in which the learner performs a gesture to the word in vocabulary learning (e.g., Tellier, 2008; Morett, 2019; Andrä et al, 2020). The purpose of this research is to explore the effects of multimedia glossing modes, text, audio, videos, and pictures, on EFL learners’ vocabulary learning and reading comprehension There have been inconclusive results regarding reading comprehension (Ariew and Ercetin, 2004; Bowles, 2004; Lee and Lee, 2015; Taylor, 2020). Brandl (2002, p. 87) points out “whereas many educators enthusiastically embrace the use of internet-based reading materials, little theoretical and empirical research exits that demonstrates how to make use of such practices in a sound pedagogical way.” the purpose of this research is to explore the effects of multimedia glossing modes, text, audio, videos, and pictures, on EFL learners’ vocabulary learning and reading comprehension
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