Journal article 58 views
Efficiency trumps aptitude: Individualizing computer-assisted second language vocabulary learning
,
Tatsuya Nakata ,
Xuehong (Stella) He
ReCALL, Pages: 1 - 18
Swansea University Author:
Xuehong (Stella) He
-
PDF | Version of Record
© The Author(s), 2024 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence.
Download (413.04KB)
DOI (Published version): 10.1017/s095834402400020x
Abstract
The aim of this study was to contribute to the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) by investigating the individualization of intentional vocabulary learning. A total of 118 Japanese-speaking university students studied 20 low-frequency English words using flashcard software over two...
| Published in: | ReCALL |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0958-3440 1474-0109 |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2024
|
| Online Access: |
Check full text
|
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67957 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Abstract: |
The aim of this study was to contribute to the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) by investigating the individualization of intentional vocabulary learning. A total of 118 Japanese-speaking university students studied 20 low-frequency English words using flashcard software over two learning sessions. The participants practiced retrieval of vocabulary under different learning schedules, with short or long time intervals between encounters of the same word in each learning session: Short–Short, Short–Long, Long–Short, and Long–Long. Two individual difference measures – learning efficiency and language aptitude – were examined as predictors of long-term second language (L2) vocabulary retention. Learning efficiency was operationalized as the number of trials needed to reach a learning criterion in each session, whereas a component of aptitude (rote memory ability) was measured by a subtest of Language Aptitude Battery for the Japanese. Multiple regression and dominance analyses were conducted to evaluate the relative importance of learning efficiency and language aptitude in predicting delayed vocabulary posttest scores. The results revealed that learning efficiency in the second learning session was the strongest predictor of vocabulary retention. Language aptitude, however, did not significantly predict vocabulary retention. Moreover, the predictive power of learning efficiency increased when the data were analyzed within each learning schedule, underscoring the need to assess learners’ abilities under specific learning conditions for optimizing their computer-assisted learning performance. These findings not only inform the development of more effective, individualized CALL systems for L2 acquisition but also emphasize the importance of gauging individuals’ abilities such as learning efficiency in a more flexible, context-sensitive manner. |
|---|---|
| Keywords: |
vocabulary learning; individualized CALL; language aptitude; learning efficiency; practice distribution |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Funders: |
This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant (23K20482), awarded to the first author, and JSPS KAKENHI grant (22K00743), awarded to the second author. We greatly appreciate the invaluable suggestions given by the editor and anonymous reviewers. We would also like to thank Dr Keiko Hanzawa for her help with data collection. |
| Start Page: |
1 |
| End Page: |
18 |