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Mapping novel L2 words into the mental
lexicon: Evidence from early L2 learners
Greg Poarch English Linguistics
WWU Münster
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Introduction
2
Models of L2 word representation and bilingual memory
organization
Testing models experimentally
Factors of influence during novel L2 word learning
Discussion / Summary
Introduction Testing
models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Why learn new L2 words?
3
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Introduction Testing
models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Models of L2 word representation
Weinreich (1953)
Potter et al. (1984)
Kroll & Stewart (1994)
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Introduction Testing
models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Model of bilingualism (Weinreich, 1953)
concept
word
L1 L2
coordinate
L1 L2
compound
L1 L2
subordinate
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Introduction Testing
models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Model of lexical representation (Potter et al., 1984)
Word association model
concept
L2
word form
Fenster window
L1
word form
Concept mediation model
concept
L2
word form
Fenster window
L1
word form
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models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Revised Hierarchical Model (Kroll & Stewart, 1994)
language-
specific
word forms
language non-
specific conceptual
store
L1 L2
concepts
conceptua
l links conceptual
links
lexical links
RHM (adapted from Kroll & Stewart, 1994)
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models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Testing the RHM
Lexical decision task
(comprehension)
Translation task
(production)
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Influence
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Research considerations
experimental variables:
stimuli length, frequency, orthographic neighborhood
size etc.
participant variables:
age, sex, IQ, AoA, length of instruction, language
proficiency, SES etc.
Specific factors/variables have been found to influence the
performance of participants and …
… failing to control these may lead to confounds.
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Introduction Testing
models Discussion Factors of
Influence
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Poarch, Van Hell, & Kroll (2015)
Participants
60 Dutch beginning learners of L2 English (5th grade)
Mean Age =10.6 (SD = 0.5)
Length of English instruction = 8 months / 2h per week
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Experiment 1: conditions
Translation Recognition Task
duck
eend
translation
condition
button press = YES
duck
zwaan
semantically-related
condition
button press = NO
duck
klant
unrelated
condition
button press = NO
The different word pairs allow testing the predictions made by the RHM
regarding lexical and conceptual links during translation.
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Predictions by the RHM
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L1 L2
concepts
conceptua
l links
conceptu
al links
lexical links
beginning L2 learners
If L2 word-to-concept link is weak, then
performances on semantically-related and
unrelated pairs will not differ.
L1 L2
concepts
conceptua
l links
conceptu
al links
lexical links
advanced L2 learners
If L2 word-to-concept link is stronger,
then performances on semantically-
related and unrelated pairs will differ.
Introduction Testing
models Discussion Factors of
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Experiment 2: conditions
eend ???
forward
translation
backward
translation
L1 L2
duck ???
L2 L1
Translation Production Task
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Predictions by the RHM
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L1 L2
concepts
conceptua
l links
conceptu
al links
lexical links
backward translation
L2 word-to-concept link is still weak: thus
(direct) lexical mediation.
L1 L2
concepts
conceptua
l links
conceptu
al links
lexical links
forward translation
L1 words automatically active their
concepts: thus concept mediation.
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Results
Supplemented version of the RHM
L1 L2
concepts
conceptual
links
conceptu
al links
lexical links
Exp. 1
Exp. 2
Task demands
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Learning context/method
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Factors of influence in L2 word learning
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Which factors influence word learning?
Learning method:
picture-based vs. word-based method
Word status
cognates vs. non-cognates / abstract vs.
concrete
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models Discussion Factors of
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Learning method
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Which learning method leads to better word learning?
window bicycle Fahrrad
picture-based method word-based method
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Word status
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Which word status leads to superior word retention?
armadillo Gürteltier
cognates non-cognates
cat Katze
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Research with adults
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Lotto & De Groot (1998):
tested learning method & word status in young adults (L1
Dutch–L2 English, learnt Italian words)
Results:
word-based method more effective than picture-
based method in these experienced L2 learners
cognates easier to learn than non-cognates
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Research with children
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Tonzar et al. (2009): tested learning method & word
status in 9 and 13 year-old children (L1 Italian, learnt
German & English words)
Results:
picture-based method more effective than word-
based method in these inexperienced L2
learners
cognates facilitated learning more for older kids
see Comesaña et al. (2009) for similar results
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Why this discrepancy?
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? Is age the only relevant factor here?
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What else has an influence?
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Which other factors may influence word learning?
concreteness
valence (emotional content)
time intervals between learning
imitation vs. retrieval practice
gestures
learner types/learning styles
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Concreteness and valence
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Concreteness (concrete vs. abstract)
Valence (emotional content: positive, negative, neutral)
Ferré et al. (2015) found that:
emotional content facilitated the acquisition of
abstract, but not concrete words
abstract neutral words are hardest to learn
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Time intervals between learning
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Carpenter et al. (2012): Re-exposing students to
previously learnt vocabulary in cumulative quizzes at
intervals of several weeks facilitates retention.
Time intervals between learning to maximize long-
term memory retention
Does the syllabus allow for this approach?
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Imitation vs. retrieval practice
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Discussion
The experiments reported here contrasted two different
ways of learning L2 vocabulary. The first was the retrieval
practice procedure, modeled after traditional flashcard-type
drills, which required the learner to produce (say aloud) the
L2 word when cued by theconcept (presented in the form of
a picture), followed by presentation of the correct answer.
The second was the imitation procedure modeled after prac-
tice drills commonly found in language instruction pro-
grams; here, the learner viewed a picture of the referent of
the word and repeated aloud a native speaker’s pronuncia-
tion of the word. In two experiments, the retrieval practice
procedureproved robustly superior to theimitation procedure.
Although prior research has demonstrated the advantage
of retrieval practice in learning L2 vocabulary, those studies
almost exclusively used a (passive) rereading control con-
dition and assessed learners’ ability to recall the English
translations (presumably due to the ease of scoring English
responses). Our study is the first to have examined the
effects of retrieval practice on learning of L2 phonological
word forms. Focusing on learning of these unfamiliar sound
sequences(asopposed to learning familiar English responses)
providesapowerful demonstration of theversatility of retriev-
al practice and has significant theoretical and practical impli-
cations(discussed below). Furthermore, onecould reasonably
expect when learning difficult, unfamiliar responses that imi-
tation practicewould beadvantageous, especially in theearly
(a) Imitation
4 seconds
2 secondsShow picture
Play L2
word
Learner repeats aloud L2 word
(b) Retrieval Practice
4 seconds
2 secondsShow picture
Play L2
word
Learner tries to produce L2
word
4 s – duration of L2 soundfile
Fig. 1 Sequences of events in a
single training trial of the (a)
imitation and (b) retrieval
practice conditions
Fig. 2 Final test performance
as a function of training
condition and test type. Error
bars indicate standard errors of
the means
Psychon Bull Rev
Kang et al. (2013):
Retrieval practice
more effective than
imitation
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Using gestures in vocabulary learning
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Linking novel L2 words to pre-existing embodied
L1 representations (in form of gestures) can
assist in word recall and retention. (Macedonia,
2014)
Challenge: Finding gestures to fit…
…action words (“to go”)
…abstract, non-action words (“thought”)
…function words (“already”)
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Learning styles & learner types
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Learner types (aural, visual, haptic…)
No substantiating scientific evidence that catering to
learner types facilitates vocabulary learning.
“Impoverished linguistic input by allowing only one
modality, for example only acoustic or visual input,
reduces the chances of acquiring L2 words.“
(Macedonia, 2015, p. 1)
“In fact, (...) inclusion of multiple modalities leads to
best results.” (Macedonia, 2015, p. 1)
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General limitations for research?
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Do learners only learn nouns?
German words that may be difficult to translate:
Fremdschämen, Schadenfreude, Fernweh
Do concepts thus always fully overlap across languages?
Do these words have shared conceptual representation for
German-English bilinguals or for German L2 learners of
English?
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Revising the RHM some more…
Joint lexicon?
concepts
L1 L2
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Summary
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L1 L2
concepts
conceptua
l links
lexical links
beginning L2 learners picture-method strengthens L2
word-to-concept link
importance of context when
learning abstract, neutral L2
words
gestures to access pre-existing
embodied cognition
Factors that facilitate learning L2 words:
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Summary
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Further factors that facilitate learning L2 words:
cumulative revision at intervals of several weeks
retrieval practice better than imitation
And…
catering to learner types may be
counterproductive
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Finally
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In teaching, placing less stress on translating L1 words
into English via paired associate learning (which would
strengthen L2 word to L1 word form connections) and
more stress on the integration of L2 words into meaningful
contexts, will foster the development of L2 word form-to-
concept connections.
This is the long-term goal of L2 vocabulary acquisition
anyway.
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References Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H. K., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse
forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24,
369–378.
Comesaña, M., Perea, M., Piñeiro, A., & Fraga, I. (2009). Vocabulary teaching strategies and conceptual
representations of words in L2 in children: Evidence with novice learners. Journal of Experimental Child
Psychology, 104, 22–33.
Lotto & De Groot, A. M. D. (1998). Effects of Learning method and word type on acquiring vocabulary in an unfamiliar
language. Language Learning, 48, 31–69.
Kang, J. F., & Stewart, E. (1994). Don’t just repeat after me: Retrieval practice is better than imitation for foreign
vocabulary learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 20, 1259–1265.
Kroll, J. F., & Stewart, E. (1994). Category interference in translation and picture naming: Evidence for asymmetric
connections between bilingual memory representations. Journal of Memory and Language, 33, 149–74.
Macedonia, M. (2014). Bringing back the body into the mind: gestures enhance word learning in foreign language.
Frontiers in Psychology, 5:1467.
Macedonia M (2015) Learning Styles and Vocabulary Acquisition in Second Language: How the Brain Learns. Frontiers
in Psychology, 6:1800.
Poarch, G. J., Van Hell, J. G., & Kroll, J. F. (2015). Accessing word meaning in beginning second language learners:
Lexical or conceptual mediation? Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 18, 357–371.
Potter, M. C., So, K-F., Von Eckhardt, B., & Feldman, L. B. (1984). Lexical and conceptual representation in beginning
and more proficient bilinguals. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 23, 23–38.
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