Cartoon Video-Assisted Learning: An Investigation into the Acquisition of EFL Children’s Incidental Vocabulary

Abstract

Although many previous studies have addressed vital issues on vocabulary learning within formal instruction settings, relatively few studies have examined the effectiveness of using cartoon videos in EFL home settings where neither the parents nor the children have any English background. This study aims at examining the effectiveness of children's at-home incidental vocabulary learning using cartoon videos with and without captions, and explaining children's responses to the implementation of the two different combinations. An at-home experimental study was designed for 30 EFL children (14 male and 16 female) who had no English background. A vocabulary knowledge scale (VKS) was administered to assess their incidental vocabulary enhancement. The results of the study indicate that children who learned incidental vocabulary using short cartoon videos with captions at-home for thirty minutes learned more effectively than those children who learned the same vocabulary targets using cartoon videos without captions. Furthermore, EFL children in both groups who did not have an English background also responded positively towards the implementation of the two different treatments. Curricular merits, study limitations, and suggestions for further research are also offered through the study.