Sequencing matters: Exploring the effects of monomodal and multimodal input order on EFL comprehension

Abstract

There is limited empirical evidence on how the sequence of a combination of monomodal and multimodal input influences comprehension outcomes amid the increasing interest in the integration of multimedia in listening and viewing comprehension courses. To address this gap, the study investigates how audio-before-video (AbV) and video-before-audio (VbA) sequencing affects listening and viewing comprehension among first-year English department students at an Indonesian university, whether learners’ input sequence preferences align with their comprehension performance, and how learning styles relate to both preference and comprehension outcomes. The experimental research employed a single-group repeated measures design, in which 115 participants were exposed to both input sequencing conditions. Data were collected from an English proficiency test, a listening and viewing comprehension test, and a questionnaire. Three non-parametric statistical analyses, i.e., Wilcoxon Signed-Rank, Chi-Square, and Spearman’s Correlation, were utilised to examine the collected data. The findings revealed that participants performed significantly better when exposed to the audio-before-video condition (AbV, M = 77.54) compared to video-before-audio (VbA, M = 65.65), Z = −6.324, p <. 001, r = .59, indicating a large effect. However, there was no significant association between input sequence preferences and comprehension performance, χ²(2, N = 112) = 4.779, p = .092. Learning style was also not significantly correlated with input sequence preference (rs = -.002, p = .980) or comprehension outcomes in either the AbV (rs = 0.037, p = 0.693) or VbA condition (rs = 0.081, p = 0.389). The results of this study enrich our understanding of the effects of monomodal and multimodal input sequencing on listening and viewing comprehension. The findings further suggest that listening and viewing instruction may benefit from staged input strategies, such as an initial audio-only exposure followed by video for confirmation, guided note-taking or prediction during the first exposure, and repeated listening and viewing to refine comprehension.