Learners’ Preferred L2 Vocabulary Learning Modalities

Under the framework of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, this study examined how four modalities (iconic gestures, beat gestures, no gesture, audio) and learner modality preferences affect L2 vocabulary learning coupled with their relation to language aptitude. Sixty native or bilingual Japanese speakers watched video clips of sixty Spanish words under the above-mentioned four conditions six times. Their retention rate was measured immediately following the learning phase and after two weeks. The primary findings were (a) modalities had no relationship with the test scores; (b) learners preferred iconic gestures most; (c) modality preferences had a strong relationship to test scores; (d) the scores of their most preferred modality were significantly higher than those of other less-preferred modalities, and (e) the language aptitude score was correlated with modalities but not with modality preferences. This study suggests that learners may learn L2 vocabulary most efficiently when the modality matches their preferences.