Indonesian University Students' Perceptions of Incidental Vocabulary Learning through English-Translated Manhwa in Informal Settings

Abstract

This research explored Indonesian university students’ perceptions of incidental vocabulary learning through English-translated manhwa in informal settings. It also investigated the conditions and digital reading practices that students perceived as facilitating or constraining the learning process. This study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach. Four Indonesian university students, who were taking courses in one university in East Java, participated in the study, chosen through criterion-based purposive sampling in consideration of their experiences in reading English-translated manhwas. Data were gathered from semi-structured online interviews and analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis, which consists of six phases proposed by Braun and Clarke. Nine themes emerged from the analysis. The first four themes showed that the students generally perceived English-translated manhwa as enjoyable reading material and a natural, low-pressure source of vocabulary exposure. They reported noticing unfamiliar or repeated words, inferring meanings from dialogue, storyline, facial expressions, gestures, and other visual cues, and remembering vocabulary through meaningful and repeated contexts. The remaining five themes revealed that flexible reading time, self-selected digital platforms, rereading, translation tools, dictionaries, screenshots, artificial intelligence tools, friends, and online communities supported their understanding. However, difficult and genre-specific vocabulary, slang, cultural references, locked or paid episodes, frequent application switching, and overly rapid scrolling sometimes constrained comprehension and reading continuity. Overall, English-translated manhwa was perceived as an enjoyable and self-directed form of informal English exposure that complemented formal learning. However, the findings represented students’ perceptions and experiences rather than directly measured vocabulary gains.