EDU 706

RESEARCH SEMINAR
REFLECTION OF BEST PRACTICES IN RESEARCH

G R O U P P R E S E N TAT I O N :
S A LWA B T O T H M A N
NO RWANI BT RAM LI
A H M A D FA I Z B I N I S M A I L
N U R U L N A D I A H D E W I B T FA I Z U L G A N A PAT H Y

ARTICLES
Title

Strength / Weakness

Writing Performance Relative to

Writing Apprehension, Self
Efficacy in Writing, and Attitudes
towards Writing: A correlational
Study in Turkish Tertiary-Level
EFL.

- All elements of article are

included
- No Research Objectives
- No Statement of Problem

The Effect of Podcast on the

Achievement of the Students A
Case Study in Malaysia

- Up to date sources
- Good design (control
group/experiment)
- Research questions not stated

Intentional Vocabulary Learning

from Watching DVDs with
Subtitles: A Case Study of an
average learner of French.

- Methodology used in the

study is well explained
- Rich findings
- Secondary sources not up to
date

Pharmacy Student Engagement,

performance, and Perception in a
Flipped Satellite Classroom.

-no were no specific subheadings

for introduction and literature
review

ABSTRACT

to provide a concise description about a research

project.
It is typically a short summary of the completed research
it makes the reader want to learn more about the
research.

ABSTRACT
Watching films with subtitles is a popular activity among language
learners, but little research has sought to thoroughly examine its
potential impact on vocabulary uptake and retention. In particular,
there is a lack of longitudinal studies involving intentional rather than
incidental learning. This paper seeks to address this gap by
investigating the vocabulary gains of a post-beginner learner of
French from watching the same film one a week for two months in
the reversed subtitling condition (L1 audio and L2 subtitles). The
results are encouraging in that the participants continually learned
new words after each viewing, while retaining all the words learned in
previous weeks. However the very poor uptake rate per hour after
the first two viewings suggests that such an activity is not worthwhile
beyond a few hours spent on watching the same film. The
relationship between repetition and word acquisition/retention was
not straightforward, and was probably overshadowed by word-based
(e.g. word class) and affective (e.g motivation) factors. Nevertheless,
if learners enjoy watching subtitled films anyway, enough vocabulary
acquisition accrues from one or two viewings to recommend this
activity as a supplement to formal instruction.
Keywords: vocabulary acquisition; intentional learning; watching

According to CARS Model (John Swales, Genre Analysis, 1990)

Watching films with subtitles is a popular activity among language
learners,
- Move 1: Establishing a territory
Step 2: Making topic generalisation
but little research has sought to thoroughly examine its potential
impact on vocabulary uptake and retention. In particular, there is
a lack of longitudinal studies involving intentional rather than
incidental learning.
- Move 2: Establishing a niche
Step 1B: Indicating a gap
This paper seeks to address this gap by investigating the
vocabulary gains of a post-beginner learner of French from
watching the same film one a week for two months in the reversed
subtitling condition (L1 audio and L2 subtitles).
- Move 3: Occupying the niche
Step 1A: Outlining purposes

The results are encouraging in that the participants continually

learned new words after each viewing, while retaining all the words
learned in previous weeks. However the very poor uptake rate per
hour after the first two viewings suggests that such an activity is
not worthwhile beyond a few hours spent on watching the same
film.
-Move 3: Occupying the niche
Step 2: Announcing main finding
The relationship between repetition and word acquisition/retention
was not straightforward, and was probably overshadowed by wordbased (e.g. word class) and affective (e.g motivation) factors.
- Move 3: Occupying the niche
Step 4: Evaluation of findings
Nevertheless, if learners enjoy watching subtitled films anyway,
enough vocabulary acquisition accrues from one or two viewings to
recommend this activity as a supplement to formal instruction.
- Move 3: Occupying the niche
Step 4: Evaluation of findings

Reflection:
- According to CARs Model, writing an abstract should start from
a general to specific focus.
- Some missing steps in this abstract, hence- this is not a good
one.
- In establishing a territory, it is better if the abstract presents:
centrality claim
items of previous research
- In establishing a niche, there are no:
Counter claiming
Arisen questions
Continuing tradition
- In occupying the niche, there are no:
Purpose outline
Present research
Structure of the paper
- Methods used are not mentioned at all.
- Length=187 words

INTRODUCTION
Audiovisual material is becoming an increasingly popular tool in foreign language learning. It is a
convenient way to supplement the learning done in the classroom, and it enables learners to be
exposed to native-speaker input in meaningful and communicative situations. Watching films or TV
programs in a foreign language is very often regarded as a pleasant activity and is becoming
increasingly available via DVDs and the Internet.
- Establishing a territory (Step 2 - Making Topic Generalizations)

Despite this, the vocabulary learning potential of watching films, especially with subtitles, has not yet
been adequately explored.
- Establishing a niche (Step 1B- Indicating a gap)

The few studies which investigated vocabulary learning from watching films were typically interested
in comparing different subtitle viewing conditions, and therefore were rather short and did not include
any further analysis into the learned words themselves.
- Establishing a territory (Step 3 Reviewing items of previous research)

CONT
They were cross-sectional instead of longitudinal, therefore missing out on the detection
of cumulative vocabulary learning. They also involved participants who had no deliberate
aim of learning vocabulary whilst watching the film, so the learning was incidental.
However, evidence from previous research on incidental learning (notably from reading:
Horst, Cobb, & Meara, 1998; Hulstijn, 1992; Pellicer-Snchez & Schmitt, 2010) shows
that without any deliberate attention to form (which is overlooked in the case of
incidental learning where the only focus is on meaning), limited uptake and retention
occurs.

- Establishing a niche (Step 1B- Indicating a gap)

CONT
Therefore, the starting point of the present case study was to investigate vocabulary
uptake and retention from watching films with subtitles when words in the subtitles are
deliberately focused on, i.e. intentional vocabulary learning. In addition, evidence from
previous research (e.g. Horst & Meara, 1999; Saragi, Nation, & Meister, 1978) shows
that repetition is a key factor in vocabulary learning, but this has been based largely on
reading studies.
- Occupying the niche (Step 1A Outlining Purposes - why?)

I will investigate the benefits and limitations of repetition in audiovisual materials. In

particular, I will explore whether there is a point after which words are particularly likely
to be learned, and/orwhether there is a point after which further repeated viewings
become ineffective.
- Occupying the niche (Step 1B Announcing present research- What? How?)

Weakness
No clear Research Problem
No research Objectives
Structure of the research
question (Q1 & Q2)

Strength
Research problem is however
integrated in the introduction.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Justified and documented the need for the study.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Weakness
Secondary sources are
outdated (more than 7-10
years)

Strength
Secondary sources are still
relevant to the study
Study-by-study review
provides a detailed
summary of the study
Flow of thoughts are well
organized

CONT

Supports or modifies existing findings in the literature

METHODOLOGY

Weakness
There is a loophole
(participants vocabulary
measurement) -based on
assumption.

Strength
- To fill the loophole - pretest
was conducted.
- Procedures are stated
clearly.
- Valid and reliable
instrument

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Weakness

Strength

- Secondary sources used in

the findings are not parallel to
the ones in the literature
review.

-Answers research questions

-finding were relate to current
and reliable literature
-diary provide a good insight
of affective filter. (limitation)

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION
Weakness
- Are not supported by
secondary sources

Strength
-discusses implications for
future study
- Findings are also discussed in
the conclusion