Do action movies enrich vocabulary mastery? Students’ perceptions

Authors

  • Mega Mulianing Maharani English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia
  • Azizatun Ni'mah English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia
  • Hartono Hartono English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia
  • Nur Ekaningsih English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61251/ijoep.v2i2.116

Keywords:

Vocabulary enrichment, movie, students' perceptions, language learning

Abstract

The acquisition and understanding of vocabulary play an important role in language learning because they are essential for effective communication. Lack of motivation is a challenge for many students. Using action movies is the solution to build their motivation to enrich their vocabulary. Through this research, researchers explore the students' perceptions regarding the use of action movies to enrich vocabulary. A qualitative descriptive approach is used. The data are collected through semi-structured interviews addressed to 15 students in one of the English Courses. They are selected purposively and asked to share their experiences in using action movies to enrich their vocabulary. The results show that action movies were argued to be able to enrich the students’ motivation and interest in learning vocabulary; show effectiveness in enriching vocabulary mastery, solve challenges in understanding vocabulary through action movies, and show a comparison with other genres.

Author Biographies

Mega Mulianing Maharani, English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia

Mega Mulianing Maharani is a researcher and lecturer at English Education Study Program of Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA). She graduated from Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) for her bachelor and magister degree majoring English Education. She is currently taking her doctoral program on English Education at UNNES. She has experiences on teaching reading and writing for years such as intensive reading, extensive reading, critical reading, reading for academic paper, paragraph writing, and writing for academic paper. Therefore, she has written several studies on English teaching especially about reading and writing. Joining national and international conferences are her additional interest to improve her publication.

Azizatun Ni'mah, English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia

Azizatun Ni'mah, originally from Indramayu, West Java, is an English tutor at the Effective English Conversation Course in Pare. She has completed her study in the English Education Study Program at Unissula, Semarang, and has been passionate about the English since high school. Her dedication to teaching and language learning continues to grow as she helps students improve their English communication skills.

Hartono Hartono, English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia

Hartono is a lecturer at the English Education Department of Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA). He got his Bachelor's degree in English Literature from Universitas Diponegoro and his Master's in English Education from Universitas Negeri Semarang. Currently, he has got his Doctoral degree in language education at Universitas Negeri Semarang. His research interests are in second language acquisition, English language teaching, and career development. He has published his research in journals, presented at conferences, and written books. He can be contacted at hartono@unissula.ac.id

Nur Ekaningsih, English Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Culture, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Indonesia

Nur Ekaningsih. is a lecturer and academic in the field of English Language Education and currently serves as the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Culture at Sultan Agung Islamic University (UNISSULA) Semarang, Indonesia. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in English Language Education and later completed her doctoral studies in the same field. Her area of expertise lies in English Language Teaching, with a particular focus on developing listening skills. She has conducted extensive research on effective and contextual listening instruction, including the implementation of Dynamic Assessment, English teaching and learning, and the integration of digital media in listening comprehension. She can be contacted at nurekaningsih@unissula.ac.id

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Published

2025-08-28

How to Cite

Maharani, M. M., Azizatun Ni'mah, Hartono, H., & Ekaningsih, N. (2025). Do action movies enrich vocabulary mastery? Students’ perceptions. Indonesian Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 2(2), 72–80. https://doi.org/10.61251/ijoep.v2i2.116

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