Effects of Three Types of Glosses on Iraqi EFL Learners’ Incidental Vocabulary Learning from Audiovisual Input

This study investigated the effects of three different glossing conditions on Iraqi EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary acquisition from captioned videos. It aimed to compare the effectiveness of no gloss (control group), traditional gloss (TG), and multiple-choice gloss (MCG) for vocabulary learning and examine the relationship between prior vocabulary knowledge and learning gain. A quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest was employed. Ninety intermediate Iraqi university students majoring in ELT participated after being randomly assigned to three groups. Participants completed vocabulary pretests assessing prior knowledge levels. They were then randomly assigned to view 6 animated videos: 2 videos without glosses (control), 2 videos with traditional translations, and 2 videos with multiple-choice options defining targeted words. Exposure consisted of automatic playback intermittently halting for relevant on-screen annotations. Gains were measured through immediate posttests without prior notification. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results of the one-way ANOVA showed significant differences in learning outcomes based on gloss condition. Both gloss groups significantly outperformed the control, evidencing annotation benefits vocabulary uptake beyond mere exposure. Notably, the MCG group demonstrated substantially greater gains than TG, indicating interactive glossing optimizes learning over simpler formats. Additionally, based on the Pearson correlation coefficient, a strong positive correlation was found between participants’ pre-existing vocabulary size and subsequent learning gain