Facilitating Incidental Vocabulary Learning: The Effects of Bimodal Presentation and Lexical Elaboration

To identify effective methods for boosting incidental vocabulary learning, this study examines the impacts of two tools—bimodal presentation (BP) and lexical elaboration (LE)—on vocabulary acquisition through repeated encounters with target words during meaning-focused reading. In a quiet and comfortable place conducive to full concentration on reading comprehension, 80 L2 learners of English were assigned to one of four treatment groups (BP+LE+, BP+LE-, BP-LE+, and BP-LE-) and individually read three reading passages where target words appeared four times. Surprise posttests assessed meaning recognition and meaning recall. The results of this ecologically valid experiment show significant vocabulary learning through reading, with BP notably enhancing meaning recall. Although the main effect of LE was non-significant, LE was also significantly effective for both meaning recognition and meaning recall if it was noticed by participants. These findings suggest that BP and LE can serve as valuable tools for promoting vocabulary acquisition during meaning-centered reading.