The Effect of Watching English Language Videos on Iranian EFL Learners’ Cultural Awareness and Incidental Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of watching foreign language (FL) videos on Iranian intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ cultural awareness. I addition, this study sought to investigate if watching FL videos can improve the EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning. Two intact classes, taught by the same instructor, were considered as the two groups of the study. The experimental group (N = 35) watched the FL videos during five sessions while the control group (N = 35) did not have an opportunity to watch the videos and had their normal classes. The Peterson Cultural Awareness Test (PCAT), the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) were administered as the instruments in the current study. Results indicated that the participants’ cultural awareness improved significantly after watching the FL videos. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that watching FL videos significantly promoted the EFL learners’ incidental vocabulary learning. In practical terms, the findings suggest that language instructors take advantage of students' interest in watching videos and use it as an effective tool in the classroom to enhance the EFL learners’ cultural awareness and vocabulary knowledge.