EFL Students’ Experiences in Incidental Vocabulary Learning Via Instagram Comments: A Narrative Inquiry

SYAFIRA, INDRIANA (2026) EFL Students’ Experiences in Incidental Vocabulary Learning Via Instagram Comments: A Narrative Inquiry. Undergraduate Thesis thesis, UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan.

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Abstract

This study aims to describe the experiences of EFL students in learning English vocabulary through incidental vocabulary learning (IVL) via Instagram comments. This study employs a qualitative approach using the narrative inquiry method, in which data were collected through semistructured interviews and screenshots of Instagram comments from four students in the English Language Education Program at an Islamic university in Pekalongan. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes emerging from the participants’ accounts of their experiences. The results indicate that students acquired new vocabulary through several means: repeated exposure to words in various comments, interactions with other users who provided explanations of meanings, and inferring word meanings based on the context of posts and ongoing conversations. In addition, the study identified various challenges faced by the students, such as difficulty understanding abbreviations or slang, along with the strategies they used to overcome them, such as reading replies to comments, inferring meaning from context, or using translation features. These findings suggest that Instagram comment sections can serve as a natural and meaningful source of vocabulary learning outside the classroom, as they provide authentic language exposure that aligns with students’ daily communication needs.

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