Shi, Danni; (2023) The Effects of Task Repetition on Learners' Processing of Multimodal L2 Input and Acquisition of Technical Vocabulary: A Mixed-Methods Study. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic era, video-presented lectures have become an essential component of university education. Video recordings of lectures are often made available to students either following a live session or as part of asynchronous curriculum provision. Both scenarios allow for repeated viewing of lectures while providing instructional input in multiple modalities. Given the increased importance of learning through video lectures, there is a clear need to understand how second language (L2) learners process content and language during lecture viewing, and how the acquisition of linguistic forms may proceed in this multimodal context. Little research, however, has investigated the role of video-based lectures in L2 development, and even less research has looked into how repeated lecture viewing may affect L2 learners’ processing of multimodal L2 input and vocabulary acquisition. Situated in the context of task-based language teaching, the current study aims to fill these research gaps. The study adopted a mixed-methods design, including 75 Mandarin users of L2 English at a UK university as participants. They were allocated to three groups using stratified random assignment based on the results of a pre-administered listening proficiency test. The control group (n = 30) performed a lecture-viewing task once, whereas the repetition group (n = 30) did the same task three times. The task asked the participants to watch a neurobiology lecture while taking notes. The lecture featured an instructor introducing fundamental concepts of neurobiology in front of a whiteboard with labeled diagrams. Eleven key technical terms shown in the diagrams were selected as target items. The participants’ visual attention to the instructor, diagrams, and target items during each viewing was captured using an eye tracker. Immediately after viewing, both groups were asked to complete an unannounced vocabulary post-test measuring their knowledge of the target items, followed by a free recall test assessing their lecture comprehension. A delayed vocabulary post-test was administered two weeks after the experiment. The stimulated recall group, on the other hand, performed the task once (n = 5), twice (n = 5), or three times (n = 5), respectively. The stimulated recall participants did not complete any vocabulary post-tests or the free recall test. Instead, they were asked to describe their thought processes during their last task performance, prompted by their notes and recordings of their eye movements during lecture viewing. The data analysis involved triangulation results from (a) eye-gaze recordings, (b) stimulated recall comments, (c) vocabulary test scores, and (d) free recall scores. Results from mixed-effects statistical models revealed that task repetition had a significant positive effect on learners’ vocabulary gains. During repeated task performance, learners’ visual attention to the instructor increased, whereas their visual attention to the diagram as well as the target words declined. A negative relationship was identified between learners’ attention allocated to the instructor or the diagram and their lecture comprehension. No significant difference, however, was found between the amount of attention allocated to the target words and post-test scores. Results of qualitative analyses showed that task repetition led to lower reliance on higher-level listening processes but more listening/viewing strategies. In addition, learners noticed more specific aspects of the target items during repeated viewing. The results are discussed in terms of Schmidt’s (2001) Noticing Hypothesis and models of L2 listening processes, L2 listening strategies, and multimedia learning.

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