Abstract
This study aimed to find out whether watching subtitled cartoons influences incidental
vocabulary learning. The study was conducted with 42 first grade English Language Teaching
(ELT) department students at the University of Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Burdur. To collect data
from the subjects, a 5-point vocabulary knowledge scale was used and 18 target words were
integrated into the scale. The pre-test and post-test group design was selected for the
administration. After subjects had been randomly assigned into two groups (one subtitle group
and the other no-subtitle group), they were given the same pre- and post-tests.
The findings of study did not support the assumption that the subtitle group would
outperform the no-subtitle group, since there were no significant differences between two
groups according to t-test results. However, there was significant improvement in both of the
groups from pre-test to post-test scores. This progress was attributed to the presentation of
target words in cartoons. In this way, the target words were contextualized and it became easy
for participants to elicit the meanings of the words.
Keywords: animated cartoons, vocabulary