Incidental multimodal exposure produces better explicit translation-recognition performance on previously exposed words than on new words in beginner FL learners¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2014 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 Participants performed better on old words than new words in the translation recognition task in both block 1 and block 2 of explicit learning. → Marie-Josée Bisson 2014

Evidence¶

Marie-Josée Bisson 2014¶

Marie-Josée Bisson, Walter J. B. van Heuven, Kathy Conklin, and Richard J. Tunney. (2014). The Role of Repeated Exposure to Multimodal Input in Incidental Acquisition of Foreign Language Vocabulary. Language Learning 64:4. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12085

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

Repeated-measures ANOVAs on the translation recognition task (phase 2) showed a main effect of word type, "indicating that participants performed better on old words" than new words, with ηp2 = .39 (by participants) and ηp2 = .40 (by items) in block 1 and ηp2 = .26 and .28 in block 2. Seventy-eight adults took part; after 10 were excluded for language background, one for a technical problem and one for 58% accuracy in the phase 1 letter-search task, the participant analyses rest on 66 (F1 df = 65).

"Results revealed a main effect of word type for both block 1, F1(1, 65) = 41.35, p < .001, ηp2 = .39, F2(1, 76) = 51.43, p < .001, ηp2 = .40"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The incidental learning advantage occurs from as little as two exposures to multimodal stimuli in complete beginners — related
• No significant overall linear trend of exposure number on the incidental learning effect, though two exposures yield a significantly smaller effect than eight in block 1 — related
• Incidental vocabulary exposure produces reliable learning, but learners pick up only a small share of the unknown words they meet — a broader claim this one bears on
• Vocabulary Knowledge Grows Incrementally With Repeated Encounters In Varied Contexts — a broader claim this one bears on
• Per-exposure learning gains decrease as the number of exposures increases: a small but significant negative linear trend in the normalized incidental learning effect — related
• Participants respond increasingly faster to stimuli presented more often during the incidental letter-search task — related
• The more often learners meet a word while reading, the more likely they are to learn it incidentally; a meta-analysis of correlational studies finds a moderate correlation — related
• Pairing Contextual Encounters With Explicit Instruction Produces Stronger Vocabulary Outcomes Than Either Alone — related