Impact of Using Authentic Videos on Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of authentic video use on the vocabulary reservoir of English language learners and aimed to compare the effectiveness of this technique to traditional techniques. The study included 45 students in two language classes with B1 English proficiency levels. The language context took place in a preparatory school at a foundation university in Istanbul. Half of the 45 students were chosen as the control group, and the other half became the experimental group. In the control group, the students were taught target vocabulary merely by the definitions and translations provided by the teacher. The experimental group was taught vocabulary using short excerpts from authentic videos such as different series, movies, and songs. The study lasted seven weeks. A pretest and post-test were given to both participant groups to assess their vocabulary discernment. The results of the quantitative data demonstrated that the experimental group was much more successful in their vocabulary learning process than the control group as the test fort he vocabulary recognition indicated, and each student had significant improvement in their target vocabulary knowledge, proven by the number of correct answers marked in the vocabulary test. In addition to the quantitative data, interviews with 6 open-ended questions, provided a deeper understanding of students' views about authentic video excerpts. Interviews were conducted with 10 students from the experimental group. The results indicated that students had positive attitudes toward the use of authentic video excerpts in the language classroom and expressed support for being more effective in vocabulary building.