Abstract:

This article describes how effectively multimedia learning environments can assist second language (L2) students of different spatial and verbal abilities with listening comprehension and vocabulary learning. In particular, it explores how written and pictorial annotations interacted with high/low spatial and verbal ability learners and thus affected students' acquisition of new vocabulary and their aural comprehension when they listened to a L2 passage. Students (N = 171) were randomly assigned to one of four groups while listening to a passage in French: a control group that received no annotations and three treatment groups that received written annotations, pictorial annotations, or both written and pictorial annotations. In terms of learning abilities, little difference was found between high- and low-spatial-ability learners when interacting with pictorial or written annotations. However, high-verbal-ability learners consistently outperformed low-verbal-ability learners on recall protocol and vocabulary tests when pictorial annotations alone were present. Within the low- and high-ability groups, learning was consistently greatest when pictorial and written annotations were accessed.

Author: Linda C. Jones