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.
