From Screens to Words: Understanding the Effects of Multimodality in Digital Second Language Vocabulary Learning

Janjić, Paula (2025) From Screens to Words: Understanding the Effects of Multimodality in Digital Second Language Vocabulary Learning. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Learning a second language (L2) is a multimodal process encompassing linguistic, social, and sensory-motor experiences. While technological advancements enable multimodal input in learning settings, its effectiveness in L2 vocabulary learning varies. This thesis explores the complex dynamics of second language vocabulary learning by examining distributional and embodied accounts of language processing, and investigating social aspects of digital language learning. The first set of experiments extends research on L2 learning modality by examining previously underexplored variables of congruency between learning and testing modalities, word class, and translational ambiguity. Results reveal that different word classes benefit from different modalities, with implications for distributional, embodied, and hybrid accounts of language processing. The second series of experiments investigates how social cues (eye-gaze and deictic gestures), critical in first language acquisition, affect L2 vocabulary learning in digital contexts. Through manipulating distractor items and agent-target distance, results suggest that the effectiveness of these social cues does not completely translate to screen-based L2 vocabulary learning environments. The final study shifts to practical application, developing a framework for evaluating language learning software based on research-driven practices and theoretical foundations. This framework was implemented with UK language teachers to assess learning software and investigate classroom technology implementation. The thesis concludes by integrating these findings to address theoretical and practical implications of multimodality in second language vocabulary learning.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	01 Dec 2025 14:51
Last Modified:	01 Dec 2025 14:51
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101170
DOI:

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