Viewing narrative TV to boost your foreign language learning

An exploratory study on using viewing strategies with the digital tool Language Reactor

Abstract

Millions of people stream narrative TV every day. Recent meta-reviews (Montero Perez, 2022; Wi & Boers, 2025) show that it is increasingly used for learning foreign languages. More recently, studies have explored how digital language learning tools, such as the Language Reactor (LR), can further enhance learning from TV (e.g. Alm, 2021). However, these studies lack a focus on what learners do with such tools. This two-week study explored learners’ engagement and experience with LR. Nine high school students of French viewed four episodes of the Netflix series Marseille while using LR. Data were collected using a survey, three vocabulary tests, a diary, and an introspective interview. Findings show that learners believed LR to be useful and less disruptive over time, while engaging mostly with glossed captions to verify unknown words. Our findings suggest that learners might require instruction before they can fully utilize digital tools.