This study aims to investigate the effects of explicit and implicit vocabulary learning through animation movies on the level differentiated learner’s vocabulary learning. It also focuses on their attitude towards explicit and implicit vocabulary le...
This study aims to investigate the effects of explicit and implicit vocabulary learning through animation movies on the level differentiated learner’s vocabulary learning. It also focuses on their attitude towards explicit and implicit vocabulary learning through animation movies. One-hundred learners in different proficiency levels were divided into four groups; Group A(explicit-high level group), Group B(implicit-high level group), Group C(explicit-low level group), and Group D(implicit -low level group). They learned target words after watching three animation movies in English. Explicit group participated in activities of ‘choosing the target word represented by the picture’, ‘matching the meaning with the target word’, ‘writing the target word for Korean meaning’. Implicit group participated in activities of ‘matching a movie character with his words’, ‘ordering what happened’, ‘filling in the blanks of summary of the movie’, ‘finding the statement according to the movie.’ Learners’ learning was measured through a post lexical knowledge test. Their attitude was examined through a survey after the experiment. The findings of the study are as follows:
First, there was no significant difference between explicit vocabulary learning method and implicit vocabulary learning method in both proficiency levels. Both high level group and low level group did not show an interaction effect between vocabulary learning method and learner’s lexical competence.
Second, learners in different proficiency levels showed differences according to the evaluation type. Specifically, high level learners showed differences in productive knowledge but not in receptive knowledge. But vocabulary learning method had no effect on learner’s lexical competence according to the evaluation type. Non-context evaluation yielded better results in measuring learner’s lexical competence than context-offered evaluation type. Also, the context offered in Korean showed more positive effects on learner’s vocabulary learning than the context offered in English. Significantly, high level learners showed better results in the context-offered in English evaluation type. It means that high level learners used English context to improve their lexical competence effectively.
Third, pre-survey and post-survey measuring an effect on learner’s attitude in vocabulary learning found that most of participants showed improvement in terms of interest, motivation, confidence but high level learners’ confidence showed a minor decline. It seems that high level learners, already accustomed to the vocabulary learning method, failed to adjust to the implicit vocabulary learning method.
Based on the results from the experiment, the following pedagogical implications can be made.
First, explicit vocabulary learning method and implicit vocabulary learning method did not have any significant difference on learner’s lexical competence. Therefore, appropriate use of both explicit vocabulary learning method and implicit vocabulary learning method needs to be incorporated in enhancing learner’s lexical competence.
Second, learners in different proficiency levels are differently affected by evaluation types. Specifically, learners in the high group showed better performance when productive vocabulary knowledge was measured and English-contexts were provided. Thus, we need to consider the types of evaluation in teaching vocabulary so as to appropriately measure learners’ lexical competence.
Third, it is desirable to use animation movies as an effective vocabulary learning tool. Further studies are needed to incorporate animation movies into vocabulary instruction which uses explicit and implicit vocabulary learning methods.