1. GLoCALL 2013 Conference
on 30th of November 2013 at University of Da Nang, Da Nang, Vietnam
Explicit vocabulary learning
with multimedia glosses
Can visual annotations enhance L2 text
comprehension?
Takeshi SATO
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
tsato@cc.tuat.ac.jp

2. Can visual *glosses help L2
vocabulary learning?
Yes
(e.g. Chun & Plass 1996; Al-Seghayer 2001;
Yoshii & Flaiz 2002; Sato & Suzuki 2010, 2012)
* “explanations of a word or phrase in a text”
from Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary

3. Learning tools with multimedia glosses
Animation
Image
Sound
Picture
From BBC learning English
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/)

4. The more
technologically
advanced, the
better
From COCONE
(http://www.cocone.jp)

5. Which visual gloss could be
more effective?

6. Overview
1. Theoretical background
2. Research questions & procedures
3. Findings
4. Conclusion

7. Background
• Multimedia glosses are effective in L2
vocabulary learning
• Al-Seghayer (2001) Mayer and Moreno
(2002)
Video > Still picture
• Yoshii & Flaitz (2002)
Text and picture > Text only and picture only

8. My concerns
•
•
•
Effective in learning any L2
vocabulary?
Effective only in incidental L2
vocabulary learning?
Is any visual gloss effective?

9. Effective in learning any L2 vocabulary?
Easier to learn
More difficult to learn
Sense 2
Form
Sense
Sense 1
Sense 3
Form

10. Effective only in an incidental
vocabulary learning?
Incidental / implicit leaning Intentional / explicit learning
• Reading and
writing etc.
• Learning
Gloss incidentally
• Longer
retention
• Learning
Gloss explicitly
• Reading and
writing etc.
• Better text
comprehension
and production

11. Is any visual gloss effective?

12. This study focuses on
✓Effectiveness of visual glosses in
intentional (explicit) learning
✓English spatial prepositions as target
words
✓Pictorial schematic image and animated
schematic image as a visual gloss

13. Why prepositions?
English prepositions are
difficult to learn.

14. Why are prepositions
difficult?
•
•
•
They appear very frequently but learners do
not always understand their meanings.
(Lingstromberg 2001a)
Learners cannot use them according to
contexts only by memorization.
(Lingstromberg 2001b)
Translation makes L2 learning more
difficult.(Tanaka, 1990)

15. L1 translations make learning
English prepositions more difficult
above
-no ue ni
located at higher level
than something
on
over

16. “image schema” as a visual gloss
(I)mage schemata are
abstract patterns in
our experience and
understanding...
(Johnson 1987, p.2)

17. Schematic pictorial
information of
Extension
prototypebasic prepositional Extended
Examples
senses should be
The clouds are
The amount is
used. (Brala, 2002)above $ 100.
above the mountain.
A flat high above the river.
? A flat high on the river.
? A flat high over the river.

18. Schematic image can
mediate several senses
The balloon is frying
over the mountain
I got over my cold
Let’s talk over a beer!

19. How about an animated
image?
The balloon is flying
over the mountain
I got over my cold
Let’s talk over a beer!

20. Research question
Can technologically advanced
animated images be more
effective glosses to comprehend
and produce L2 texts?

21. Procedures
1. Japanese university students (n=57)
2. Divided into 2 groups at random
3. Pre comprehension test (19 questions with no
feedback)
4. Displaying 3 schematic visual glosses
5. Post comprehension test
6. Free composition test
7. Delayed comprehension test
8. Delayed free composition test
9. t-test in every test

22. Procedures
Pre test (19 fill-in-the-blank questions about above, on, over)
Experimental (N=27)
Control (N=30)
Treatment
live-motion images
pictorial images
Post test (the same as pretest)
Free composition
Delayed test & Free composition (1 week after)

23. Treatment 1: Above
Tanaka et al. (eds.) 2002
coconejp from YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by2BIcd4AIQ

24. Treatment 2: On
Tanaka et al. (eds.) 2002
coconejp from YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fzk8kibGX2Y&feat
ure=c4-overview&list=UUrtW7B-57zAIz_1rpPiQ8Ew

25. Treatment 3: Over
Tanaka et al. (eds.) 2002
coconejp from YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZGf2FF01pQ

26. Results (pre/post/delayed)
Pictorial
Animated
12
11.185
10
11.222
11.000
10.346
9.933
9.867
8
Pretest
Posttest
Delayed test

27. t-test
•
Pretest:
t(55)= -2.41, p < 0.05
•
Posttest:
t(55) = -0,39, p > 0.05
•
Delayed test: t(54)= 0.61, p > 0.05

28. Results (Free composition)
Pictorial
5
Animated
4.85
4.33
4.46
4.17
4
3
post
delayed

29. t-test
•
Post test: t(54)= 1.42, p > 0.05
•
Delayed test: t(54)= 0.26, p > 0.05

30. t-test for the differences between
the comprehension tests
•
•
•
Pre and post test
t(54)= -1.86, p > 0.05
Pre and delayed test
t(54)= -1.24, p > 0.05
Post and delayed test
t(54)= -0.21, p > 0.05

31. t-test for the differences between
the production tests
•
Post and delayed free composition
t(54)= 1.16, p > 0.05

32. Findings
• No significant differences between
the visual glosses.
• Animated glosses do not always
become more effective tools in L2
explicit vocabulary learning than
pictorial glosses

33. Conclusion
• The same results from my previous
studies (Sato & Suzuki 2010, 2012)
• Other factors might be influenced
(e.g. cognitive learning styles)
• it would be important to consider how
multimedia glosses should be used

34. Which visual gloss could be
more effective?
No clear
difference

35. References
Al-Seghayer, K. (2001). The effect of multimedia annotation modes on L2 vocabulary acquisition: a comparative
study. Language Learning and Technology, 5(1), 202-232
Chun,D.L., & Plass, J.L. (1996). Effects of multimedia annotations on vocabulary acquisition. Modern Language
Journal, 80(2), 183-198.
Mayer, R. & Moreno, R. (2002). Aids to computer-based multimedia learning. Learning and Instruction, 12, 107119.
Lakoff, G.(1987) Woman, fire and dangerous thing. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Langacker, R, W.(1987) Foundations of Cognitive Grammar, Volume I, Theoretical Prerequisites.
Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
Lindstromberg, S.(2001a) "Preposition Entries in UK Monolingual Learner’s Dictionaries: Problems and Possible
Solutions." Applied Linguistics 22(1),pp79-103.
Lindstromberg, S. (2001b). Are English prepositions really incredibly idiomatic? Humanising Language Teaching
Magazine, 3(3). Available on the Web: http://www.hltmag.co.uk/may01/lind.htm
Sato, T., & Suzuki, A. (2010). Do multimedia-oriented visual glosses really facilitate EFL vocabulary learning? : A
comparison of planar images with three- dimensional images. Asian EFL Journal, 12(4):160-172.
Sato, T., & Suzuki A. (2011). Verifying Multimedia Gloss: Image Schema and Polysemous Vocabulary in English.
Proceedings of the annual conference of the European Association for Computer-Assisted Language
Learning, 285-293.
Tanaka, S. (1990) Cognitive Semantics. Sanyusha: Tokyo.
Yoshii,M., & Fraitz, J.(2002). Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Retention: The Effect of Text and Picture
Annotation Types. CALICO Journal, 20(1), 33-58.
Yeh, Y., & Wang, C. (2003). Effects of Multimedia Vocabulary Annotations and learning styles on vocabulary
learning. CALICO Journal, 21(1). 131-144.