The effect of contextual richness on L2 learners’ processing and incidental acquisition of non-literal English phrasal verbs: An eye-tracking study

Abstract Many studies have used post-tests to examine word-related factors, such as encounter frequency, that influence L2 learners’ incidental acquisition of single words. However, less is known about how context affects the processing and acquisition of multi-word units, such as non-literal English phrasal verbs (PVs), which are particularly challenging for L2 learners to master. This eye-tracking study investigated how contextual richness influences L2 learners’ processing and acquisition of non-literal English PVs. Fifty-seven Chinese-L1 postgraduate students were randomly assigned to three groups, each reading eight low-frequency PVs in contexts varying in informativeness: more informative , less informative and uninformative. Vocabulary post-tests and delayed post-tests assessed incidental learning gains. Results indicated that more informative contexts enhanced form retention, whereas less informative contexts facilitated meaning recognition. These findings contribute to cognitive theories of word learning and offer practical insights for L2 vocabulary instruction.