“So I Think دبة is bear!” An Initial Data-Driven Explanation of How Arabic Students Use Captioned Video to Learn Vocabulary

Authors

Keywords:

incidental vocabulary learning, eye-tracking, second language acquisition

Abstract

We explored how L2 learners of Arabic make use of video-based captions to learn vocabulary. Thirteen students watched a four-minute captioned video twice on a computer equipped with eye-tracking technology. The study included 19 novel words, 2 familiar words with novel meanings, and 2 words with familiar morphological roots (23 total). In this paper, we focus on one word, bear, and plotted the learners’ visual attention to that word as it appeared on screen. We triangulated the eye-tracking data with an L2 form recall task, a prior vocabulary knowledge scale task, a free-recall task, and a semi-structured interview with stimulated recall. Our conclusion is that Arabic programs should include more captioned-video content both inside and outside of class and at an appropriate proficiency level to help learners with L2 Arabic’s complex form-meaning mapping.

Author Biographies

Paula Winke, Michigan State University

Paula Winke is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, where she is also the Director of the Second Language Studies Ph.D. Program. Paula is the Co-Editor of the international journal Language Testing with Talia Issacs (University College London). Paula received the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (NFMLTA)/Modern Language Journal Paul Pimsleur Award for Research in World Language Education in 2021, the American Association for Applied Linguistics Research Article of the Year Award in 2020, the TESOL International Association Award for Distinguished Research in 2012, and the Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium’s Outstanding Article Award in 2009. At Michigan State, she teaches courses on language assessment and on individual differences in SLA. 

Lizz Huntley, Michigan State University

Elizabeth Huntley is a doctoral candidate in Second Language Studies at Michigan State University. Her research interests include K-16 foreign language curricular articulation, psycholinguistic approaches to second language acquisition, and open science practices. She has also served as editorial assistant for the journal Studies in Second Language Acquisition for four years. Beyond research, Huntley is the co-author of two recent textbooks for students of Arabic: ‘Arabiyyat al-Naas fii MaSr, and ‘Arabiyyat al-Naas Part II. She has taught Arabic as a second language in both high school and college programs since 2006, including the University of Michigan and Cornell University. Huntley holds am MA in Middle Eastern and North African Studies, as well as in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language, from the University of Michigan.

Susan Gass, Michigan State University

Susan Gass is University Distinguished Professor Emerita in the Second Language Studies Program at Michigan State University. She has published widely in the field of Second Language Acquisition on a range of topics including input/interaction, language transfer, and research methodology. She has published three recent books on research methodology: Second Language Research: Methodology and Design (3rd edition, with Alison Mackey), Using Judgments in Second Language Acquisition Research (with Patti Spinner), and Stimulated Recall Methodology in Applied Linguistics and L2 Research (with Alison Mackey). She is the winner of numerous local, national, and international awards and has served as President of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and the International Association of Applied Linguistics. For nearly 35 years, she had numerous roles with Studies in Second Language Acquisition, most recently as Co-Editor and Editor from 2015-2022.

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Additional Files

Published

12/31/2022

How to Cite

Winke, P., Huntley, L. ., & Gass, S. (2022). “So I Think دبة is bear!” An Initial Data-Driven Explanation of How Arabic Students Use Captioned Video to Learn Vocabulary. Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics, 7(2), 1–34. Retrieved from https://arjals.com/ajal/article/view/362

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2022): Mainstreaming Arabic Second Language Acquisition Research

Section

New Articles

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