As second language (L2) research adapts to the dynamics of multimodal instruction, researchers are exploring the role of captioning and textual enhancement (TE) on learner development. The present experiment assesses the differential effects of textually enhanced captions on learners’ elicited imitation of L2 Spanish grammar. Twenty-eight English-speaking intermediate L2 Spanish learners saw 3 videos that focused on gustar-type verbs, the preterite–imperfect contrast, or the subjunctive. Each video included 3 conditions: sentences without captions (NC); sentences with target verbs highlighted entirely (TE1); or sentences with highlighting on inflectional morphemes (TE2). Using a novel written elicited imitation task, we uncovered consistent positive effects of both TE conditions compared to NC, with an added advantage of TE2 for the subjunctive. The findings demonstrate that (a) TE with captions contributes to increased L2 accuracy, (b) the elicited imitation of some grammatical structures is more conducive to enhancement than others, and (c) there is space for future investigation into the factors that mediate the effectiveness of multimodal interventions.

中文翻译：

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文本增强字幕对二语语法中书面诱导模仿的影响

随着第二语言 (L2) 研究适应多模式教学的动态，研究人员正在探索字幕和文本增强 (TE) 在学习者发展中的作用。本实验评估文本增强字幕对学习者模仿 L2 西班牙语语法的不同影响。28 位讲英语的中级 L2 西班牙语学习者观看了 3 个专注于gustar的视频型动词，过时的不完全对比，或虚拟语气。每个视频包含 3 个条件：无字幕的句子（NC）；目标动词完全突出显示的句子（TE1）；或突出屈折词素 (TE2) 的句子。使用一种新颖的书面引发模仿任务，我们发现了与 NC 相比，两种 TE 条件的一致积极影响，以及 TE2 对于虚拟语气的额外优势。研究结果表明 (a) 带字幕的 TE 有助于提高 L2 的准确性，(b) 一些语法结构的启发式模仿比其他语法结构更有利于增强，以及 (c) 未来研究介导多模式干预的有效性。