Effects of Captioned Film Clips on Incidental Learning of Lexical Collocations and Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategy Use Among Saudi EFL Learners

Exposure to collocations in real-life film dialogues could enhance language acquisition and engagement among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). This study investigates the effectiveness of captioned film clips in Saudi female EFL students’ incidental learning of three categories of lexical collocations. It also examines cognitive and metacognitive strategy use by successful learners of lexical collocations. Furthermore, it explores students’ perceptions of using films as a learning tool for English vocabulary. The sample comprised 88 Saudi female EFL university students. The participants were divided into a control group (n = 43) and an experimental group (n = 45). A mixed-methods approach was employed. Quantitative data was collected through a pretest and posttest on three categories of lexical collocations and a questionnaire about cognitive and metacognitive learning strategy use. The qualitative data was collected from semi-structured interviews with five participants. The results showed that the intervention significantly improved the students’ incidental learning of lexical collocations. Moreover, it revealed that successful learners of lexical collocations employed various cognitive and metacognitive strategies, with a notable emphasis on metacognitive strategies. Additionally, qualitative analysis revealed that students perceived films as practical tools for improving vocabulary, as they provide authentic language exposure and motivation for learning. The study suggests incorporating captioned film clips into EFL collocation instruction to enhance EFL learners’ collocational competence. Furthermore, it highlights the significance of strategic awareness in achieving collocation mastery and raising EFL students’ understanding of effective learning strategies to improve collocation learning outcomes, particularly for less successful learners.