Direct teaching of vocabulary after listening: is it worth the effort and what method is best?

Abstract

This paper reports a study comparing the effects of vocabulary instruction on recognition and recall through provision of either an L1 equivalent or an L2 (French) definition. Instruction was in the context of a focus-on-meaning listening activity. The study employed a quasi-experimental design, involving 262 Year 9 learners of French in seven intact classes. Results indicate that brief vocabulary instruction after the listening activity led to more effective recall than a listening-only condition. Gains were found in favour of the L1 equivalent condition over the L2 definition condition for higher and lower proficiency students. Pedagogical implications for this type of lexical focus in the context of a meaning-focused activity are discussed.

Notes

1 While the RHM has been critiqued for suggesting too strongly the presence of separate mental lexicons (Dijkstra and Van Heuven 2002), for the purposes of our paper and in the foreign language context the model seems an appropriate one to act as a theoretical base.

2 These are available from the first author on request.

3 This task is used as part of the University of Hawaii's assessment for non-native speakers of English and has been commonly used as a measure of general proficiency in L2 English research.