Teaching with Technology

As far as Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is concerned, language input is considered to be crucial to L2 learning.  A number of researchers have investigated the various types of L2 input, such as comprehensible input, modified input, and enhanced input.  It is widely accepted that computer technology has a great potential for enhancing language input, and some researchers have conducted studies that analyze the pedagogical effectiveness of computer-mediated input.  “The Effect of Multimedia Annotation Modes on L2 Vocabulary Acquisition: A Comparative Study,” written by Khalid Al-Seghayer, is one of the studies that has examined how technology-enabled presentation of input can affect the learning of L2 vocabulary.

A key issue in L2 vocabulary acquisition is whether different ways of presenting language input (e.g., multiple modes vs. single mode; visual vs. auditory) can improve L2 learning.  The research question guiding this study was: “Which is more effective for facilitating vocabulary acquisition: video mode or static picture?”  The participants of the study were 30 ESL students who were enrolled in the English Language Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.  They were selected on the basis of their proficiency level and years of schooling in the United States.  Each of them had demonstrated intermediate proficiency on the institution’s placement test and had studied for two semesters in the United States.  The computer program used in this study provided students who were reading a narrative English text with annotations for target words in the form of text, graphics, video, and sound.  All of the forms were intended to aid in the understanding and learning of unknown words.  Each participant read the narrative passage under three conditions: printed text definition alone, printed text definition coupled with still pictures, and printed text definition coupled with video clips.  After reading the passage, participants were asked to take two types of vocabulary tests: a recognition test that required participants to answer multiple-choice items with four alternatives, and a production test that required the participants to briefly define six selected words that were annotated in the story.  Briefly speaking, based on the results of the two tests, it was found that the participants learned and recalled more words when video clips were provided than when still pictures were made available.  Thus, the study concluded that “a video clip in combination with a text definition is more effective in teaching unknown vocabulary than a picture in combination with a text definition.”