Vocabulary Demands of Television Programs
Abstract
This study investigated vocabulary coverage and the number of encounters of low‐frequency vocabulary in television programs. Eighty‐eight television programs consisting of 264,384 running words were categorized according to genre. Television shows were classified as either British or American and then put into the following genres: news, drama, situation comedy, older programs, children's programs, and science fiction. The results showed that knowledge of the most frequent 3,000 word families plus proper nouns and marginal words provided 95.45% coverage, and knowledge of the most frequent 7,000 word families plus proper nouns and marginal words provided 98.27% coverage. The vocabulary size necessary to gain 95% coverage of the different genres ranged from 2,000 to 4,000 word families plus proper nouns and marginal words; 5,000 to 9,000 word families plus proper nouns and marginal words to gain 98% coverage. The analysis also indicated that there was great variation in coverage between episodes. The results showed that there were relatively few encounters with low‐frequency vocabulary. However, if learners knew the most frequent 3,000 word families and they watched at least an hour of television a day, there is the potential for significant incidental vocabulary learning.
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Knowledge of the 2,000 to 4,000 most frequent word families provides 95% coverage of television programs.
“They found that knowledge of the 2,000 to 4,000 most frequent word families provides 95% coverage of television programs, which, according to Nation (2006), is the coverage required for incidental learning and adequate text comprehension.”
From Effects of captioning on video comprehension and incidental vocabulary learning (2014) · cites this paper as Webb and Rodgers, 2009
To achieve 98% coverage, 5,000 to 9,000 word families are necessary, depending on the television genre.
“Webb and Rodgers' results indicated that to achieve 98% coverage, 5,000 to 9,000 word families are necessary, depending on the television genre.”
From Effects of captioning on video comprehension and incidental vocabulary learning (2014) · cites this paper as Webb and Rodgers, 2009
To obtain 95% coverage of TV programmes, vocabulary knowledge needed is 2000-4000 words; to obtain 98% coverage, 5000-9000 words.
“Webb and Rodgers (2009) analysed 88 TV programmes of different genres and revealed that the vocabulary knowledge needed to obtain 95% coverage was 2000-4000 and 5000-9000 to 98% coverage.”
From The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students (2019) · cites this paper as Webb and Rodgers (2009)
For films, vocabulary size of 3000-4000 is important for 95% coverage while 5000-10000 for 98% coverage.
“Similar findings were revealed in the analysis of 318 films by Webb and Rodgers (2009), where the vocabulary size of 3000-4000 was seen as important to 95% coverage while 5000-10000 to 98% coverage.”
From The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students (2019) · cites this paper as Webb and Rodgers (2009)
The participants would not be able to reach high levels of comprehension for TV programmes and films, since approximately 9000 words are needed for that.
“However, the participants would not be able to reach high levels of comprehension for TV programmes and films since their vocabulary knowledge needed to be approximately 9000 words (Webb & Rodgers, 2009).”
From The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students (2019) · cites this paper as Webb & Rodgers, 2009
The vocabulary size of most of the participants would help them reach the nearly 95% coverage needed for watching English TV programmes and films.
“The vocabulary size of most of the participants would help them reach the nearly 95% coverage needed for watching English TV programmes and films, based on Webb and Rodger's (2009) findings.”
From The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students (2019) · cites this paper as Webb and Rodger's (2009)
Nearly 95% coverage is needed for watching English TV programmes and films.
“the nearly 95% coverage needed for watching English TV programmes and films, based on Webb and Rodger's (2009) findings.”
From The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students (2019) · cites this paper as Webb and Rodger's (2009)
Approximately 9000 words of vocabulary knowledge are needed to reach high levels of comprehension for TV programmes and films.
“their vocabulary knowledge needed to be approximately 9000 words (Webb & Rodgers, 2009).”
From The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students (2019) · cites this paper as Webb & Rodgers, 2009
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van Zeeland, H., & Schmitt, N. (2013) · Applied Linguistics · doi:10.1093/applin/ams074 · Cited by 457 · see citing works
Captioned video for L2 listening and vocabulary learning: A meta-analysis
Montero Perez, M., Van Den Noortgate, W., & Desmet, P. (2013) · System · doi:10.1016/j.system.2013.07.013 · Cited by 347 · see citing works
Effects of captioning on video comprehension and incidental vocabulary learning
Montero Perez, M., Peters, E., Clarebout, G., & Desmet, P. (2014) · Language Learning & Technology · doi:10.64152/10125/44357 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
“Previous research has revealed that vocabulary size is linked to listening success (Staehr, 2009; van Zeeland & Schmitt, 2012; Webb & Rodgers, 2009) and vocabulary learning (Baltova, 1999; Webb & Rodgers, 2009).”
BackgroundMetzger, S. L., Liu, J. R., Moses, D. A., Dougherty, M. E., Seaton, M. P., Littlejohn, K. T., Chartier, J., Anumanchipalli, G. K., Tu-Chan, A., Ganguly, K., et al. (2022) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-022-33611-3 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Repeating a Monologue Under Increasing Time Pressure: Effects on Fluency, Complexity, and Accuracy
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Using glossaries to increase the lexical coverage of television programs
Webb, S. (2010) · Reading in a Foreign Language · doi:10.64152/10125/66653 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“In a study examining the vocabulary in 88 television programs, Webb and Rodgers (2009a) suggest that 95% coverage may be sufficient for comprehension of television programs.”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationThe Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students
Altalhab, S. (2019) · English Language Teaching · doi:10.5539/elt.v12n5p55 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Webb and Rodgers (2009) analysed 88 TV programmes of different genres and revealed that the vocabulary knowledge needed to obtain 95% coverage was 2000-4000 and 5000-9000 to 98% coverage. Similar findings were revealed in the analysis of 318 films by Webb and Rodgers (2009), where the vocabulary size of 3000-4000 was…”
BackgroundResultInfluential
- Authors
- Webb, S., & Rodgers, M. P. H.
- Affiliations
- Victoria University of Wellington (NZ)
- Fukuoka University (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Webb, Stuart
- Venue
- Language Learning
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-05-08
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 335-366
- ISSN
- 0023-8333 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9922
- OpenAlex
- W2145536326
- Cited by
- 447
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 19.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Language Learning (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Subtitles and Audiovisual Media
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Keywords
- vocabulary coverage, television programs, incidental vocabulary learning, low-frequency vocabulary, word families, vocabulary size, television genres, drama, situation comedy, children's programming, science fiction
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