Word learning and motivation through multimodal input for novice Chinese language learners

Non-cognitive factors, such as language input delivered through multimodal channels, may influence second and foreign language learning performance and learner motivation. A substantial body of research has demonstrated the facilitative role of visual aids, such as pictures and videos (Ramezanali & Faez, 2019), as well as bodily movements and gestures (Macedonia & Knösche, 2011), in vocabulary learning. These studies on language embodiment also highlight learners’ general preference for multimodal instructional materials (Lin & Yu, 2017). However, most existing research has focused on languages with alphabetic scripts, leaving open questions about how multimodal input affects learning outcomes and motivation in languages with non-alphabetic writing systems. This study addresses this gap by investigating Mandarin Chinese, one of the most widely spoken languages in the world with a logographic writing system, among adult novice learners in three instructional conditions: a traditional pinyin-only group, a picture-enriched group, and a gesture-enriched group. Preliminary findings from a sample of 20 participants reveal that participants in the picture-enriched (n = 6) demonstrated significantly greater gains in motivation from pre- to post-learning compared to those in the pinyin-only group (n = 8) (p < .05), with the gesture-enriched group (n = 6) showing marginal gains (p = .08). However, there are no significant differences across three learning conditions in word learning outcomes. These results align with previous findings on the motivational benefits of multimodal instruction and contribute to our understanding of how such approaches might be effectively integrated into L2 pedagogy for logographic scripts.