The role of prior knowledge in vocabulary learning from an emotional perspective

Abstract

This study examines the role of emotional stimuli in second language lexical learning, considering not only mean gains but also the relationship between prior lexical knowledge, learning outcomes, and interindividual variability. Using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, two instructional conditions were compared: vocabulary presentation with emotional stimuli and a neutral presentation. The results show that the emotional condition exhibits a tendency toward greater lexical gains, although without reaching conventional statistical significance. Furthermore, prior lexical knowledge emerges as a significant predictor of subsequent performance. Although the interaction between prior knowledge and condition is also not significant, the observed pattern preliminarily suggests a possible attenuation of the dependence of learning on initial proficiency level in the emotional condition. No significant differences were found in the interindividual variability of gains. Overall, the findings point to a possible facilitative and moderating effect of emotion.