Second language (L2) research on input manipulation has focused mainly on increasing the salience of target structures, but presentation formats of L2 input can be another important aspect for manipulation. This study compared the horizontal, vertical, and adjacent formats for presenting the characters, pinyin, and English meaning of L2 Chinese vocabulary, by recruiting 69 English native speakers to study 30 Chinese words in these formats. Learning outcomes were indexed with vocabulary gain scores from pretest to posttest. Learner perceptions of the learning process were recorded with ratings and reasons for preference among these formats. The quantitative results showed the adjacent format generally led to higher gain scores than the other two formats and that L2 proficiency also contributed positively. To learners, the adjacent format was the least preferred, but preference ratings were not associated with gain scores. The qualitative findings suggested format familiarity and layout features as main factors of learner preference.

关于输入操作的第二语言 (L2) 研究主要集中在增加目标结构的显着性，但 L2 输入的表示格式可能是操作的另一个重要方面。本研究通过招募 69 名以英语为母语的人来研究这些格式中的 30 个中文单词，比较了呈现第二语言词汇的字符、拼音和英语含义的水平、垂直和相邻格式。学习成果与从前测到后测的词汇增益分数挂钩。学习者对学习过程的看法被记录为评分以及偏好这些格式的原因。定量结果表明，相邻格式通常比其他两种格式带来更高的增益分数，并且 L2 熟练程度也有积极贡献。对于学习者来说，相邻格式是最不喜欢的，但偏好评级与增益分数无关。定性研究结果表明格式熟悉度和布局特征是学习者偏好的主要因素。