Improving English Listening and Reading Comprehension via Using Visuals

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25770206
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: The University of Aizu
• Principal Investigator: HEO Younghyon 会津大学, コンピュータ理工学部, 准教授 (10631476)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: English education / Visual / English listening / English reading / English vocabulary

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In 2013, experiments were conducted to test whether the extensive use of visuals in listening and reading improves students’ listening/reading comprehension and memorization of vocabulary items. The results of the tests show that the materials with extensive use of visuals were better understood/memorized by participants. The largest effect of using visuals was found in the vocabulary memorization. When wordlists are provided with relevant pictures, students could remember them far better than when only the definitions are given. In 2014, class materials were developed and used in the English classes at UoA. Using visuals had the most positive effect on memorizing vocabulary items, so the visuals were most extensively incorporated in the teaching materials for introducing vocabulary items. In the lecture materials for English courses, relevant visuals were incorporated for new vocabulary items and also for listening and reading, and they were effectively used in English classes.

Free Research Field

Second Language Acquisition