Exploring the Mental Lexicon: Multi-disciplinary Perspectives on Vocabulary

Inma Miralpeix Pujol,
Universitat de Barcelona.

The increasing accessibility of digital technologies—particularly audiovisual (AV) platforms such as streaming and video-on-demand services—has substantially expanded learners’ exposure to AV input and intensified research interest in its potential for second language (L2) learning. This talk examines the role of extensive viewing in supporting L2 lexical acquisition and presents findings from several longitudinal studies, structured around a key distinction between the effects of technology and the effects with technology.

The first two studies, involving children and teenagers, investigate the effects of technology on vocabulary learning by focusing on the impact of on-screen text in the form of captions and subtitles. The other two studies examine the effects with technology, that is, situations in which learners actively interact with on-screen text during AV viewing through applications such as Language Reactor. These studies focus on teenagers and adults and employ different methodological designs to explore vocabulary learning outcomes.

The talk concludes by considering the pedagogical implications of these findings and outlining directions for future research on extensive viewing and L2 lexical acquisition.