The effect of input types on incidental vocabulary learning and the role of vocabulary learning strategies

This study aims to investigate the effect of different input types (reading, listening, reading-while-listening, watching, watching immediately after reading) and the role of vocabulary learning strategies on incidental collocation learning among secondary school Turkish EFL learners. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 140 participants from Mimar Sinan Secondary School in Kütahya, Türkiye. The study compared six groups, including a control and five experimental groups (reading, listening, reading-while-listening, watching, watching immediately after reading). The research highlights the advantages of reading-while-listening on learning collocations compared to other input methods, such as reading-only, listening-only, or video-based approaches. Reading-while-listening was shown to enhance vocabulary retention and contextual understanding by synchronizing auditory and textual input. Unlike videos, which offered vivid representations but lacked effective integration with text, the combination of reading and listening provided enriched channels for recognition and comprehension. This study also reveals the vocabulary learning strategies used by the participants such as executive cognitive, social, and repetition. Overall, the findings underscore the potential of the reading-while-listening procedure as a highly effective strategy for improving both immediate learning and long-term retention of new vocabulary. By fostering active participation in learning, enhancing information acquisition, and creating meaningful learning experiences, this approach holds promise for secondary school EFL learners, supporting their linguistic and cognitive development in a dynamic and engaging way.