Picture-Based e-Learning of English Phrasal Verbs: A Comparative Study of the Use of Pictures and L1 Glosses

Abstract

English phrasal verbs such as ‘call off’ (a game due to rain) and (the buttons) ‘come off’ are difficult for non-native speakers to learn because the meanings of many phrasal verbs are not compositions of the meanings of each component. It was reported that the use of phrasal verbs was avoided by non-native speakers and that the mastery of collocations was hampered by a strong influence from the learner's native language. Therefore, to prevent such interference from learners’ native languages, it would be appropriate to learn phrasal verbs directly through nonverbal media such as pictures and sound. A web application was developed for the picture-based e-learning of phrasal verbs. An experiment was conducted, which consisted of a sequence of two sessions with a week-long break in between. In order to investigate the learning effectiveness, two methods were compared: one with the display of meaning with still pictures, and the other with Japanese word glosses. Two groups participated in the experiment, and each group had both methods. The only difference was the sequence of the order of the two methods. This paper reports the comparative results of the two post-tests by the two groups, discusses some of the findings, and offers several suggestions.