Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T15:18:47.679Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

COMBINING EXPLICIT AND SENSITIVE INDICES FOR MEASURING L2 VOCABULARY LEARNING THROUGH CONTEXTUALIZED INPUT AND WORD-FOCUSED INSTRUCTION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2021

Bert Vandenberghe*
Affiliation:
KU Leuven
Maribel Montero Perez
Affiliation:
Ghent University
Bert Reynvoet
Affiliation:
KU Leuven
Piet Desmet
Affiliation:
KU Leuven
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Bert Vandenberghe (itec, imec research group at KU Leuven), Etienne Sabbelaan 51, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract

This study combines explicit (pen-and-paper) and sensitive (time-pressured) measures to gauge the impact of three instructional interventions (contextualized input with meaning-focused activities, contextualized input with word-focused activities, and decontextualized input with word-focused exercises) on the learning of 20 L2 French target verbs. Participants (N = 313, L1 = Dutch) completed a combination of explicit (form recognition, meaning recall, grammatical preference) and time-pressured sensitive tests (lexical decision, semantic relatedness, grammaticality judgment) as immediate and delayed posttests. Explicit posttests show the beneficial effects of word-focused instruction, and underline the efficiency of context for meaning-related knowledge. Sensitive posttests generally confirm the explicit results, but reveal differences between both word-focused conditions related to lexical processing and strength of knowledge. This study suggests that combining explicit and sensitive measures can provide a more complete picture about the effects of L2 vocabulary instruction and shows that contextualized and decontextualized word-focused instruction benefit vocabulary learning in a complementary way.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This work was funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), grant G064116N.

References

Bates, D., Maechler, M., Bolker, B., & Walker, S. (2015). Fitting linear mixed models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software, 67, 148. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v067.i01.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bley-Vroman, R., & Masterson, D. (1989). Reaction time as a supplement to grammaticality judgements in the investigation of second language learners’ competence. University of Hawai’i Working Papers in ESL, 8, 207237.Google Scholar
Bolger, D. J., Balass, M., Landen, E., & Perfetti, C. A. (2008). Context variation and definitions in learning the meaning of words: An instance-based learning approach. Discourse Processes, 45, 122159. https://doi.org/10.1080/01638530701792826 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bretz, F., Hothorn, T., & Westfall, P. (2011). Multiple comparisons using R. Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Chen, C., & Truscott, J. (2010). The effects of repetition an L1 lexicalization on incidental vocabulary acquisition. Applied Linguistics, 31, 693713.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Coxhead, A. (2011). “What is the exactly word in English?”: Investigating second language vocabulary use in writing. English Australia Journal, 27, 316.Google Scholar
Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11, 671684. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(72)80001-X CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeKeyser, R. M. (2007). Situating the concept of practice. In DeKeyser, R. M. (Ed.), Practice in a Second language: Perspectives from applied linguistics and cognitive psychology (pp. 118). Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Fuente, M. (2006). Classroom L2 vocabulary acquisition: Investigating the role of pedagogical tasks and form-focused instruction. Language Teaching Research, 10, 263295. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168806lr196oa CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Neys, W., d’Ydewalle, G., Schaeken, W., & Vos, G. (2002). A Dutch, computerized, and group administrable adaptation of the operation span test. Psychologica Belgica, 42, 177190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elgort, I. (2011). Deliberate learning and vocabulary acquisition in a second language. Language Learning, 61, 367413. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00613.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elgort, I. (2018). Technology-mediated second language vocabulary development: A review of trends in research methodology. Calico Journal, 35, 129. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.34554 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elgort, I., Candry, S., Boutorwick, T., Eyckmans, J., & Brysbaert, M. (2018). Contextual word learning with form-focused and meaning-focused elaboration. Applied Linguistics, 39, 464667. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amw029 Google Scholar
Ellis, R. (2009). Task-based language teaching: Sorting out the misunderstandings. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 19, 221246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.2009.00231.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erlam, R. (2016). “I’m still not sure what a task is”: Teachers designing language tasks. Language Teaching Research, 20, 279299. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814566087 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
File, K., & Adams, R. (2010). Should vocabulary instruction be integrated or isolated? TESOL Quartlerly, 44, 222249. https://doi.org/10.5054/tq.2010.219943 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frishkoff, G., Perfetti, C., & Collins-Thompson, K. (2011). Predicting robust vocabulary growth from measures of incremental learning. Scientific Studies of Reading, 15, 7191. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2011.539076 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fukkink, R., Hulstijn, J. H., & Simis, A. (2005). Does training in second-language word recognition skills affect reading comprehension? An experimental study. The Modern Language Journal, 89, 5475. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0026-7902.2005.00265.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godfroid, A. (2020). Sensitive measures of vocabulary knowledge and processing: Expanding nation’s framework. In Webb, S. (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of vocabulary studies (pp. 433453). Routledge.Google Scholar
Godfroid, A., Loewen, S., Jung, S., Park, J. H, Gass, S., & Ellis, R. (2015). Timed and untimed grammaticality judgments measure distinct types of knowledge: Evidence from eye-movement patterns. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 37, 269297. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263114000850 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
González-Fernández, B., & Schmitt, N. (2019). Word knowledge: Exploring the relationship and order of acquisition of vocabulary knowledge components. Applied Linguistics, 41, 481505. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amy057 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hothorn, T., Bretz, F., & Westfall, P. (2008). Simultaneous inference in general parametric models. Biometrical Journal, 50, 346363. https://doi.org/10.1002/bimj.200810425 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hulstijn, J. H., & Laufer, B. (2001). Some empirical evidence for the involvement load hypothesis in vocabulary acquisition. Language Learning, 51, 539558. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00164 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hummel, K. (2010). Translation and short-term L2 vocabulary retention: Hindrance or help? Language Teaching Research, 14, 6174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168809346497 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ionin, T., & Zyzik, E. (2014). Judgment and interpretation tasks in second language research. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 34, 3764. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190514000026 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuznetsova, A., Brockhoff, P. B., & Christensen, R. H. B. (2017). lmerTest package: Tests in linear mixed effects models. Journal of Statistical Software, 82, 126. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v082.i13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laufer, B. (2006). Comparing focus on form and focus on forms in second-language vocabulary learning. The Canadian Modern Language Review/La revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 63, 149166. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.63.1.149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laufer, B. (2017). The three “I”s of second language vocabulary learning: Input, instruction, involvement. In Hinkel, E. (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning . Volume III (pp. 343354). Routledge.Google Scholar
Laufer, B. (2020). Evaluating exercises for learning vocabulary. In Webb, S. (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of vocabulary studies (pp. 351368). Routledge.Google Scholar
Laufer, B., & Girsai, N. (2008). Form-focused instruction in second language vocabulary learning: A case for contrastive analysis and translation. Applied Linguistics, 29, 694716. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amn018 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laufer, B., & Rozovski-Roitblat, B. (2015). Retention of new words: Quantity of encounters, quality of task, and degree of knowledge. Language Teaching Research, 19, 687711. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168814559797 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, S., & Pulido, D. (2017). The impact of topic interest, L2 proficiency, and gender on EFL incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading. Language Teaching Research, 21, 118135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168816637381 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Linck, J. A., & Cunnings, I. (2015). The utility and application of mixed-effects models in second language research. Language Learning, 65, 185207. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12117 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Littlewood, W. (2014). Communication-oriented language teaching: Where are we now? Where do we go from here? Language Teaching, 47, 349362. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444812000134 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Llach, M. P. A. (2009). The effect of reading only, reading and comprehension, and sentence writing in lexical learning in a foreign language: Some preliminary results. Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada, 22, 933.Google Scholar
Loewen, S. (2015). Introduction to instructed second language acquisition. Routledge.Google Scholar
Lonsdale, D., & Le Bras, Y. (2009). A frequency dictionary of French core vocabulary for learners. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, B., & Krashen, S. (2010). A reader response to File and Adams’s “The reality, robustness, and possible superiority of incidental vocabulary acquisition.” TESOL Quarterly, 44, 790793. https://doi.org/10.5054/tq.2010.238721 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nation, I. S. P., & Webb, S. (2011). Researching and analyzing vocabulary. Heinle.Google Scholar
Noreillie, A. S. (2019). It’s all about words. Three empirical studies into the role of lexical knowledge and use in French listening and speaking tasks (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). KU Leuven, Leuven.Google Scholar
Pellicer-Sánchez, A. (2015). Developing automaticity and speed of lexical access: The effects of incidental and explicit teaching approaches. Journal of Spanish Language Teaching, 2, 126139. https://doi.org/10.1080/23247797.2015.1104029 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Schmitt, N. (2010). Incidental vocabulary learning from an authentic novel: Do things fall apart? Reading in a Foreign Language, 22, 3155.Google Scholar
Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Schmitt, N. (2012). Scoring Yes-No vocabulary tests: Reaction time vs. nonword approaches. Language Testing, 29, 489509. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532212438053 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters, E. (2012). The differential effects of two vocabulary instruction methods on EFL word learning: A study into task effectiveness. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 50, 213238. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral-2012-0009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters, E., Hulstijn, J., Sercu, L., & Lutjeharms, M. (2009). Learning L2 German vocabulary through reading: The effect of three enhancement techniques compared. Language Learning, 59, 113151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2009.00502.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters, E., Velghe, T., & Van Rompaey, T. (2019). The development of an English and French vocabulary test. Internation Journal of Applied Linguistics, 170, 5378. https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.17029.pet CrossRefGoogle Scholar
R Core Team (2018) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.R-project.org Google Scholar
Rice, C. A., & Tokowicz, N. (2019). A review of laboratory studies of adult second language vocabulary training. Studies in Second Language Acquisition , 42, 439470. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000500 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rott, S. (2004). A comparison of output interventions and un-enhanced reading conditions on vocabulary acquisition and text comprehension. The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 61, 169202. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.61.2.169 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, N. (2008). Instructed second language vocabulary learning. Language Teaching Research, 12, 329363. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168808089921 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, N. (2010). Researching vocabulary . A vocabulary research manual. Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, N. (2019). Understanding vocabulary acquisition, instruction, and assessment: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 52, 261274. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444819000053 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, N., & Schmitt, D. (2014). A reassessment of frequency and vocabulary size in L2 vocabulary teaching. Language Teaching, 47, 484503. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444812000018 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sonbul, S., & Schmitt, N. (2013). Explicit and implicit lexical knowledge: Acquisition of collocations under different input conditions. Language Learning, 63, 121159. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2012.00730.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, C. H. (2017). The value of picture-book reading-based collaborative output activities for vocabulary retention. Language Teaching Research, 21, 96117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168816655364 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van den Branden, K. (2016). The role of teachers in task-based language education. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 164181. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190515000070 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, S. (2005). Receptive and productive vocabulary learning: The effects of reading and writing on word knowledge. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 27, 3352. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263105050023 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, S. (2007). Learning word pairs and glossed sentences: The effects of a single context on vocabulary knowledge. Language Teaching Research, 11, 6381. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168806072463 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, S. (2009). The effects of receptive and productive learning of word pairs on vocabulary knowledge. RELC Journal, 40, 360376. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44486803 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, S., & Nation, I. S. P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Webb, S., & Piasecki, A. (2018). Re-examining the effects of word writing on vocabulary learning. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 169, 7294. https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.00007.web CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zou, D. (2017). Vocabulary acquisition through cloze exercises, sentence-writing and composition-writing: Extending the evaluation component of the involvement load hypothesis. Language Teaching Research, 21, 5475. https://doi.org/10.1177/136216881665241 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material 1

Download Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 404.4 KB
Supplementary material: PDF

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material 2

Download Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 117.6 KB
Supplementary material: PDF

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material 3

Download Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 525.2 KB
Supplementary material: PDF

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material

Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material 4

Download Vandenberghe et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 48.2 KB