Fast‐Mapping and Deliberate Word‐Learning by EFL Children

Abstract

This study examined the abilities of young English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to identify quickly new words from a nonostensive, indirect teaching context (known as fast‐ mapping) and their ability to commit the words to memory. Seventy‐five fourth‐grade EFL learners heard novel words embedded in sentences. They were then tested for their ability to fast‐map the novel words to their referents and to recognize the new words. Six months later, the children were further tested for retention of the novel words and ability to commit the novel words to memory in a deliberate word‐learning task. These young EFL learners were able to fast‐map a novel word they had heard only once or twice and avoid mapping the novel word onto another new referent. They were also able to retain the mapping immediately after the exposure. However, the retention rate was low after 6 months when they were retested. Children's fast‐mapping and deliberate word‐learning performances related to phonological awareness of the native language and their existing English vocabulary.