English Major Students’ Perceptions of Using Animated Cartoons on English Vocabulary Knowledge of Rare Words in Malaysia

Abstract

The rapid developments throughout language technologies have catered tremendous chances for learning and teaching vocabulary in second language learning. The development of vocabulary knowledge does not merely oscillate in academic vocabulary, high frequency vocabulary and technical vocabulary, English major students should also need to learn low-frequency vocabulary or rare vocabulary which enhance their language proficiency. In order to accommodate students with vocabulary knowledge of rare words, it should come with the best resort of teaching technique that can help them to learn in a meaningful way. One of the rarely used multimedia tools is animated cartoons. This paper aims at exploring the students’ perceptions of using animated cartoons in improving their English vocabulary knowledge of rare words in Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Terengganu. Employing a semi-structured interview, the qualitative data collection method was conducted. Employing the qualitative data collection method, semi-structured interviews were conducted to six students who learned vocabulary using animated cartoons to obtain their perceptions towards these multimedia materials in improving the English vocabulary knowledge of rare words. The results of semi-structured interviews highlighted the positive responses from the students who preferred animated cartoons as these materials in improving their English vocabulary knowledge of rare words. In conclusion, this study contributes to the current literature on English vocabulary learning of rare words by exposing and underlining the impacts of animated cartoons which provide opportunities for students to encounter a conducive technological-based learning environment.