English abstract
This study investigated the experiences of Omani school learners in developing their
vocabulary acquisition through interaction with English popular culture. Therefore,
the study addressed three research questions that targeted the experiences of Omani
EFL school learners in acquiring vocabulary through popular culture, their strategies
in acquiring vocabulary and the potential challenges that they encountered when they
are exposed to popular culture. The study followed a qualitative research design
particularly case study. The participants of the study were four female school learners
at grade11 who study at a public school in Muscat governorate. Two methods of data
collection were used in the study. The first method was reflective group conversations
and the second one was reflective journals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the
data. The findings of the study revealed insights into learners’ experiences such as
frequency of engagement with popular culture, preference of time for engagement and
preference of forms of popular culture. The results also showed the different
approaches used by participants to acquire vocabulary, the most effective forms and
the criteria for selecting forms of popular culture. Additionally, the results presented
samples of vocabulary acquired and ways of incorporating the newly acquired
vocabulary. The finding also indicated that exposure to popular cultural has increased
the cultural awareness of participants. The results related to strategies provided
insights about learner’s specific strategies for acquiring vocabulary through popular
culture, their mode of acquisition and alignment with their personal language goals.
The findings illustrated some strategies for tracking progress and the role of
technology in facilitating vocabulary acquisition through popular culture. Lastly, the
findings of the study showed that leaners faced a number of challenges when
interacting with popular culture for vocabulary enhancement. These challenges were
divided into linguistic, cultural, economic, social and technical challenges. In light of
the analysis of the results and discussion, a number of recommendations were
proposed for policy makers and further research.
