Manipulation of the Involvement Load of L2 Reading Tasks: A Useful Heuristic for Enhanced L2 Vocabulary Development

Ehsan Namaziandost,Arin Arianti,Yolvi Ocaña-Fernández,Doris Fuster-Guillén,Ronald M Hernández,Meisam Ziafar,Jessica Palacios Garay,Shouket Ahmad Tilwani,Oleg Anatolevich Razzhivin,Murad Hassan Mohammed Sawalmeh

doi:10.1177/21582440211051723

Abstract

Ensuring second language (L2) learners have an adequate breadth and depth of L2 vocabulary knowledge is a key pedagogical objective in L2 learning contexts. For this reason, establishing guiding principles that successfully enhance the efficacy of L2 vocabulary knowledge development is of strong importance. The current study investigated the value of applying principles from the Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH) as part of a reading comprehension task among 40 intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) students. Half of the group undertook a high involvement reading task, whereas the other half undertook a low involvement reading task. After the reading task, an unannounced Vocabulary Knowledge Scale test was administered to measure incidental vocabulary gains. Results showed the high involvement group remarkably outflanked the low involvement groups in terms of the target words learned from the reading task. A delayed post-test indicated that the retention of target word knowledge was more robust among the high involvement group, but that this difference did not maintain a level of statistical significance after 2 weeks. We conclude with suggestions about how EFL/ESL instructors can apply the principles of the ILH in efforts to systematically enhance learners’ L2 vocabulary knowledge.

Highlights

The importance of second language vocabulary is so selfaxiomatic that it makes learning and teaching a must
The findings of this study indicated that activities with a greater level of involvement load (IL) resulted in greater vocabulary development and retention
This study included 40 male and female students who were chosen from two intermediate intact BA classes majoring in translation studies at Payam Noor University of Ahvaz, Iran. They were divided into two equal experimental groups namely the high involvement load group (HILG) and the lack of involvement load group (LILG)

Summary

Introduction

The importance of second language vocabulary is so selfaxiomatic that it makes learning and teaching a must. Vocabularies never stop being coined in languages and the process of acquisition is a non-stop process. Even in their native language, language users are always grappling with the continuity of coinage, acquisition, and learning (Anova et al, 2015; Thornbury, 2002). When it comes to learning a second language, the importance doubles. The language learner perceives himself or herself as being enveloped by a massive pile of unknown lexemes and their many features to learn. It appears paradoxical that research into vocabulary acquisition is not nearly as extensive as research into other aspects of second language learning (Khabiri & Charmgar, 2012; Nasri et al, 2018; Nation, 2002)

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