Effects of gloss type on text recall and incidental vocabulary learning in mobile-assisted L2 listening

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of multimedia glosses on text recall and incidental vocabulary learning in a mobile-assisted L2 listening task. A total of 88 participants with a low level of proficiency in English were randomly assigned to one of four conditions that involved single channel (textual-only, pictorial-only) and dual-channel (textual-plus-pictorial) glosses as well as a control condition where no glosses were provided. The participants listened to a story through their mobile phones and were engaged in an immediate free recall task and unannounced vocabulary tests after listening. The findings indicated that access to glosses facilitated recognition and production of vocabulary with the type of gloss having no effect. On the other hand, glosses had no effect on text recall.