Abstract
Language input through reading, listening, and viewing has been shown to play a crucial role in vocabulary acquisition. However, few studies have investigated learner preferences for different types of input. To address this gap, this study examined EFL learners’ perceptions of reading, listening, and viewing (with and without captions) as a means of learning vocabulary in 107 Japanese university students who participated in reading, listening, and viewing activities (with and without captions) in academic English classes for four weeks. A questionnaire was then administered to assess the participants’ perceptions of the usefulness, enjoyableness, and preference for the four tasks. The results indicate that participants thought viewing without captions to be the least useful method for vocabulary learning, whereas no statistically significant difference was found between reading, listening, and viewing with captions. Viewing with captions was found to be the most enjoyable method; moreover, most participants preferred viewing with captions to other input modes. These findings suggest that viewing with captions may effectively capture university students’ interest, thereby increasing input and facilitating the expansion and deepening of their vocabulary knowledge.
