Finding lost words: The ‘savings effect’ in the Irish language context

Abstract

Aims: By applying the savings paradigm to determine the presence of residual Irish language knowledge, this study seeks to investigate the relearning advantage for the acquisition of words likely to have been acquired during the second language acquisition of Irish compared with newly acquired Irish words. Furthermore, self-efficacy will be assessed as a robust self-assessed predictor of performance. Methodology: Using a corpus of Irish language, low- and high-frequency nouns were used to create a list of ‘old’ and ‘new’ words. Thirty-six participants were tested over 2 months, across three phases. Each participant was provided with a relearning session before being tested on their individualised list of 40 words. Participants were asked to rate their self-efficacy confidence levels before each testing session. Data and analysis: An online survey platform was used at each phase to test residual knowledge and to gather self-efficacy and attitudinal data. Correlation analyses and independent t-tests were carried out to measure the effect sizes over the 2-month time period of testing. Findings: The data provide evidence that Irish nouns likely to have been previously encountered, but since forgotten, are recalled more efficiently than newly encountered Irish nouns. Furthermore, evidence of cognateness as a retrieval strategy reveals an active Irish language residual knowledge base. Originality: This paper is the first effort in applying the savings paradigm methodology, as demonstrated in de Bot et al., to the Irish language context, and is the first attempt at measuring perceived pre-test Irish language abilities using self-efficacy. Implications: With Irish language as a compulsory school subject in Ireland, and so few daily users of the language, the identification of residual Irish knowledge in a population that has not used the language in decades may encourage reactivation of a language presumed to be forgotten.