Vocabulary Learning from Subtitled Input After Minimal Exposure

Abstract

Despite previous research on adult L2 acquisition after minimal exposure (Rast, 2010a) and on effects of watching subtitled videos for language learning (Bisson et al., 2014; Vanderplank, 2016), little is known about how adults extract information from multimodal input when first exposed to a new language (Gullberg et al., 2012). The present study explores whether intentional vocabulary learning from a subtitled video in an unknown language takes place after minimal exposure and whether aptitude plays a role in this endeavour. For this purpose, 46 Catalan/Spanish bilingual learners of English took the LLAMA B aptitude test (Meara, 2005) and were asked to watch an advert in English but with Polish subtitles, a language they had no knowledge of. After the second viewing, they completed a timed meaning recognition test consisting of 15 Polish words and expressions from the advert. Results from the vocabulary test showed that learning occurred and participants were making word form-meaning connections. It was also observed that high aptitude was related to more learning. The study demonstrates how digital technology and multimodal input can help vocabulary acquisition during first exposure to a novel target language and how individual differences can influence word learning at these very first stages.