Second Language Vocabulary Learning Research Articles

Working Memory and Vocabulary Learning

The importance of cognitive factors, in particular, working memory, stands out as a crucial thread that connects the learning and retention processes in the complex web of second language acquisition. The limited capacity mechanism known as working memory, which is in charge of temporarily storing and manipulating information, is essential to the acquisition of vocabulary. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between working memory and vocabulary learning in adult second language (L2) learners. The investigation engaged 40 adult participants who undertook a series of tasks designed to probe their working memory capabilities and assess their vocabulary learning outcomes. These tasks included a comprehensive questionnaire to gather demographic and linguistic background data, a Corsi block tapping task to measure working memory span, a targeted vocabulary learning session, and a subsequent word test to evaluate retention and application. The result showed a strikingly strong correlation between working memory capacity and vocabulary learning efficiency among L2 learners.

The Inclusion of Polysemes in Non-native English Textbooks: A Corpus-based Study

Despite the large number of studies conducted on polysemy, they mostly compare the different methods and techniques to learn a language and establish the extent to which particular sense relations facilitate the learning of second language vocabulary. To our best knowledge, no research has been conducted to determine whether or not polysemy is emphasized in non-native English textbooks. The objective of the present research was to determine the degree to which polysemy is incorporated in English textbooks. Thus, the research question guiding the current study is: To what extent is polysemy incorporated in non-native English textbooks? The study is a corpus-based research that used a data set of 500 words, i.e., 250 words from each of the two books, utilizing the Sketch Engine word list tool and concordance. The polysemy of the resulting words in the concordance lines generated was semantically annotated manually using WordNet and English dictionaries. The results indicated that polysemy is barely stressed in the textbooks under investigation. The study’s results have substantial implications for polysemy in particular and second or foreign language teaching in general

The Design of Technology-Enhanced Second-Language Vocabulary Learning: A Research Synthesis

The Design of Technology-Enhanced Second-Language Vocabulary Learning: A Research Synthesis

Translation norms for Malay and English words: The effects of word class, semantic variability, lexical characteristics, and language proficiency on translation.

Translation equivalents are widely used in bilingual research concerning word processing (e.g., Eddington & Tokowicz, 2013; Jouravlev & Jared, 2020) and second-language vocabulary learning (e.g., Bracken et al., 2017; Degani et al., 2014). Although translation norms exist in several languages, to date there are no Malay-English translation norms. This study presents the first Malay-English translation norms collected with highly proficient Malay-English bilinguals. Furthermore, the study investigates the impact of lexical characteristics on translation ambiguity. The forward translation (FT) task (N = 30) collected English translations for 1004 Malay words selected from the Malay Lexicon Project (Yap et al., 2010), and subsequently the backward translation (BT) task (N = 30) gathered Malay translations for 845 English words obtained from the FT phase. The data revealed a high prevalence of translation ambiguity in both translation directions. Specifically, verbs, adjectives, and class-ambiguous words were more translation-ambiguous than nouns. Furthermore, within-language semantic variability and word length were positively correlated with translation ambiguity, whereas word frequency only correlated with translation ambiguity in FT. Word length and word frequency of the source words and their translations were positively correlated. Intriguingly, only in FT were bilinguals with higher Malay proficiency more likely to provide accurate and dominant translations for the Malay words. These findings contrast with those reported in translation norming studies involving other language pairs. The translation norms provide a useful resource for bilingual language studies involving Malay-English bilinguals.

A Contrastive Lexicology of Greeting and Food Terms of English and Ogu Language: Its Pedagogical Implications

This paper is a contrastive study of two semantic fields of English and Ogu language namely greeting terms and food terms with the aim of identifying how lexical variations in the two semantic fields affect the learning of English by Ogu second language (L2) learner. The paper observed that the internal differentiation of human societies is reflected in the two languages, and responsible for some learning difficulties of Ogu English learner, especially in the lexis, which is considered as more culturally generated. The theoretical framework for the study is anchored on structural semantics, Sapir-whorf hypothesis and contrastive analysis principles. Twenty (20) subjects, who are Ogu/English bilinguals were purposively selected and interviewed with specific questions from the two semantic fields under study. The findings revealed that the socio-cultural and geographical realities of each speech community accounts for their vocabulary and naming of words. The paper thus recommended proper understanding of the learner’s culture for proper translation of texts, design appropriate module for teaching and learning English, and a practical classroom approach to learning of second language vocabulary as some of the ways of resolving the learning problems confronted by Ogu learners of English.

Adoption of social robots as pedagogical aids for efficient learning of second language vocabulary to children

Adoption of social robots as pedagogical aids for efficient learning of second language vocabulary to children

Phonological Memory and L2 Vocabulary Learning in a Narrated Story Task.

The objective of this study was to explore the role played by phonological memory (PM) in the learning of new second language (L2) vocabulary presented in a narrated story. The proposal was that individuals with a strong PM would do better on this largely auditory task than those with poor PM capacity, since fewer visual/written cues could make remembering vocabulary a more challenging task. Participants were French native speakers, advanced learners of English (N = 55). The results revealed that PM, measured by a nonword repetition task and a serial recognition task, did not predict vocabulary retention scores in the group as a whole. However, when low and high PM subgroups were formed, a significant association between PM and vocabulary retention was found in the low PM group only, suggesting the contribution of PM to short-term vocabulary learning in advanced learners is outweighed by other factors, except when PM is quite weak.

The role of maintenance and disengagement in predicting reading comprehension and vocabulary learning.

This study uses a novel framework based on work by Shipstead, Harrison, and Engle (2016) that includes measures of both working memory capacity and fluid intelligence in an attempt to better understand the processes that influence successful reading comprehension at the latent level. Further, we extend this framework to a second educationally relevant ability: second-language vocabulary learning. A large sample of young adults received a battery of working memory, fluid intelligence, language comprehension, and memory updating tasks. The results indicate that individual differences in reading comprehension and vocabulary learning benefit from the ability to maintain active information, as well as to disengage from no longer relevant information. Subsequently, we provide an interpretation of our results based on the maintenance and disengagement framework proposed by Shipstead et al. (2016). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

A procedure for determining Japanese loanword status for English words

Japanese loanwords are mainly derived from English. These loanwords provide a considerable first-language (L1) resource that may assist in second-language (L2) vocabulary learning and instruction. However, given the huge number of loanwords, it is often difficult to determine whether an English word has a loanword equivalent and whether the loanword is likely to be widely known among the Japanese. This article demonstrates an efficient method of answering these two questions. The method employs corpus frequency data from the Balanced Corpus of Contemporary Written Japanese, from which the existence and frequency of loanwords in Japanese can be determined. Following the guidelines presented herein, researchers will be able to use data from the corpus themselves to check cognate frequency, thereby determining the cognate status of items used in research.

Digital game-based second-language vocabulary learning and conditions of research designs: A meta-analysis study

Second language (L2) vocabulary learning has been deemed a daunting task for many students. This meta-analysis study aimed to explore the effectiveness of applying digital games for L2 vocabulary learning. A total of 26 published studies (2001–2017) conformed with the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Due to diverse findings of previous meta-analysis research in the field, we propose a framework of four-condition research designs to differentiate the empirical studies in an attempt to disclose possible expositions for the diversity and to connect the specific learning mechanisms with the research evidence. The overall effect sizes of the studies in the four conditions are reported as follows: A large overall effect size for Condition 1 (10 studies) (experimental groups playing digital games versus control groups receiving alternative activities), medium for Condition 2 (experimental groups playing digital games with a feature added or changed versus control groups playing base-version games) (10 studies), medium to large for Condition 3 (experimental groups playing digital games and control/comparison groups receiving identical content via conventional means) (two studies), and non-significant for Condition 4 (all participants playing the same digital games but being grouped by a non-game related variable) (four studies). Next, a structure diagram is developed in which the four conditions of the research design are connected with their respective game-related factors based on their locality. Further, we conducted moderator analyses to examine how the eight potential moderator variables (game design, educational level, L2 proficiency level, linguistic distance, intervention setting, assessment type, game source and intervention length) influenced the effect sizes in Conditions 1 and 2 to illustrate various digital game-based L2 vocabulary learning scenarios. Finally, suggestions and implications are provided for game designers, educational practitioners, and researchers in the field.

Effects of retrieval formats on second language vocabulary learning

Abstract The present study set out to examine how we can optimize paired-associate learning of second language (L2) vocabulary. In paired-associate learning, retrieval, where learners are required to access information about an L2 word from memory, is found to increase vocabulary learning. Retrieval can be categorized according to dichotomies of (a) recognition versus recall and (b) receptive versus productive. In order to identify the optimal retrieval format, the present study compared the effects of the following four conditions: recognition, recall, hybrid (combination of recall and recognition), and productive recall only. In this study, 64 English-speaking college students studied 60 Swahili-English word pairs using computer-based flashcard software. Results suggested that for paired-associate learning of L2 vocabulary, (a) recall formats are more effective than recognition for the acquisition of productive knowledge of orthography and (b) recognition formats are more desirable than recall when knowledge of spelling is not required.

Together or apart: Learning of translation-ambiguous words

In a multiple-session training study, native English speakers learned foreign Dutch vocabulary items that mapped to English either in a one-to-one way (translation-unambiguous) or in a one-to-many way (translation-ambiguous), such that two Dutch words corresponded to a single English translation. Critically, these two translation-ambiguous Dutch words were taught on consecutive trials in the same session, or were presented separately, such that each word was taught in a separate session. Translation-ambiguous words were produced and recognized substantially less accurately than translation-unambiguous words on tests administered one and three weeks after training. An ambiguity advantage emerged, however, in a free-recall test. Interestingly, teaching both translations together led to superior performance over teaching them in separate sessions, in which case the translation learned first enjoyed a considerable advantage over that learned second. These findings underscore the importance of order of acquisition in second-language vocabulary learning, and have practical implications for language instruction.

Semantic and Thematic List Learning of Second Language Vocabulary

Semantic and Thematic List Learning of Second Language Vocabulary

Dynamic Neural Network Reorganization Associated with Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: A Multimodal Imaging Study

It remains unsettled whether human language relies exclusively on innately privileged brain structure in the left hemisphere or is more flexibly shaped through experiences, which induce neuroplastic changes in potentially relevant neural circuits. Here we show that learning of second language (L2) vocabulary and its cessation can induce bidirectional changes in the mirror-reverse of the traditional language areas. A cross-sectional study identified that gray matter volume in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis (IFGop) and connectivity of the IFGop with the caudate nucleus and the superior temporal gyrus/supramarginal (STG/SMG), predominantly in the right hemisphere, were positively correlated with L2 vocabulary competence. We then implemented a cohort study involving 16 weeks of L2 training in university students. Brain structure before training did not predict the later gain in L2 ability. However, training intervention did increase IFGop volume and reorganization of white matter including the IFGop-caudate and IFGop-STG/SMG pathways in the right hemisphere. These "positive" plastic changes were correlated with the gain in L2 ability in the trained group but were not observed in the control group. We propose that the right hemispheric network can be reorganized into language-related areas through use-dependent plasticity in young adults, reflecting a repertoire of flexible reorganization of the neural substrates responding to linguistic experiences.

Associations Between Key Language-Related Measures in Typically Developing School-Age Children

Associations Between Key Language-Related Measures in Typically Developing School-Age Children

Elementary School EFL Learners' Vocabulary Learning: The Effects of Post-Reading Activities

Abstract:As language learning involves the acquisition of thousands of words, teachers and learners alike would like to know how vocabulary learning can be fostered, especially in EFL settings where learners frequently acquire impoverished lexicons, despite years of formal study. Research indicates that reading is important but not sufficient for second-language vocabulary learning, and that it should be supplemented by post-reading activities to enhance students' vocabulary knowledge. The present study investigates the effects of two types of post-reading activities: discrete written tasks on their own and a combination of written tasks along with interactive tasks on the vocabulary acquisition of young learners in an EFL setting. A total of 62 Grade 6 students in two classes in a public school in Turkey participated in the study. Data were collected by the Cambridge English Test (CYLET) and Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS). Results showed that the experimental group students outperformed the control group students in acquisition of both selected and unselected vocabulary items. The use of interactive tasks as post-reading activities proved to be an effective way of enhancing the L2 vocabulary knowledge of young learners.

Comparing Focus on Form and Focus on FormS in Second-Language Vocabulary Learning

The study compares the effectiveness of Focus on Form (FonF) and Focus on FormS (FonFs) approaches in learning new L2 words by 158 high-school learners of English as L2. In phase 1 of the study, the FonF group read a text containing the target words, discussed it in small groups, and answered comprehension questions. The FonFs group studied the target words as discrete items with their meanings and examples of usage. In phase 2 of the study, all learners received the target words with their meanings and studied them for 15 minutes for a quiz. They were tested immediately after each phase, and two weeks later. Results revealed significantly higher scores for FonFs group after phase 1, but the difference disappeared after phase 2. As learners cannot be expected to study all vocabulary for tests, form-focused instruction – and particularly FonFs – is claimed to be indispensable for L2 vocabulary learning. L'efficacité des approches centrées sur la forme (CF) a été comparée à celle des approches centrées sur les formeS (CFS) pour l'apprentissage de nouveaux mots dans une langue seconde, au cours d'une étude comptant 158 étudiants de niveau secondaire apprenant l'anglais comme langue seconde. Pour la phase 1, le groupe CF a lu un texte contenant les mots ciblés, en a discuté en petits groupes et a répondu à des questions de compréhension. Le groupe CFS a étudié les mots ciblés en tant qu'éléments distincts avec leurs significations et des exemples d'usage. Pour la phase 2, tous les apprenants ont reçu les mots ciblés et leurs significations, et ils les ont étudiés pendant 15 minutes pour un examen. Ils ont été évalués immédiatement après chaque phase, puis deux semaines plus tard. Les résultats ont révélé des scores notablement plus élevés dans le groupe CFS après la phase 1, mais cette différence avait disparu après la phase 2. Comme on ne peut s'attendre à ce que les apprenants étudient tout le vocabulaire pour les examens, une approche centrée sur la forme, en particulier CFS, serait indispensable aux personnes qui apprennent le vocabulaire d'une langue seconde.

Comparing Focus on Form and Focus on FormS in Second-Language Vocabulary Learning

Abstract:The study compares the effectiveness of Focus on Form (FonF) and Focus on FormS (FonFs) approaches in learning new L2 words by 158 high-school learners of English as L2. In phase 1 of the study, the FonF group read a text containing the target words, discussed it in small groups, and answered comprehension questions. The FonFs group studied the target words as discrete items with their meanings and examples of usage. In phase 2 of the study, all learners received the target words with their meanings and studied them for 15 minutes for a quiz. They were tested immediately after each phase, and two weeks later.Results revealed significantly higher scores for FonFs group after phase 1, but the difference disappeared after phase 2. As learners cannot be expected to study all vocabulary for tests, form-focused instruction - and particularly FonFs - is claimed to be indispensable for L2 vocabulary learning.

Activity Theory and the Incidental Learning of Second-language Vocabulary

(2001). Activity Theory and the Incidental Learning of Second-language Vocabulary. Language Awareness: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 289-294.

The effects of semantic and thematic clustering on the learning of second language vocabulary

ESL students are often presented much of their new English vocabulary preorganized for them in ‘semantic clusters’, sets of semantically and syntactically similar words, e.g., eye, nose, ear, mouth, chin. Although clustering of this sort facilitates the activities which serve current approaches to language teaching and would seem,at first glance, to facilitate vocabulary learning as well, little or no empirical justification is offered by researchers in support of its employment. In fact, research that might apply, psychological research generated by interference theory, would predict that such clustering of similar items impedes rather than enhances learning. On a more positive note, a more ‘thematic’ manner of organizing new L2 vocabulary is suggested by more recent psychological research which would predict that clusters like frog, green,hop, pond,slippery, croak would be more easily learnt than groups of unassociated words. With these predictions in mind,the reported research explored the effects upon L2 vocabulary learning of both ‘semantic’ and ‘thematic’ clustering. The results provide a wide range of evidence that suggests that semantic clustering does indeed serve as a hindrance while thematic clustering serves as a facilitator of new language vocabulary learning.