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.

Abstract

One key tenet of Global Englishes for Language Teaching (GELT) is that the native English speaker should no longer serve as the role model for second language (L2) English users. Such a view does not discount that some degree of linguistic knowledge is necessary for successful global communication. However, GELT scholarship has remained relatively silent on the process and product of L2 acquisition. In this paper, we propose integrating L2 acquisition theory into GELT pedagogical practices without relying on theoretical perspectives steeped in some form of native speakerism. At the heart of our discussion is the concept of linguistic knowledge–implicit (unconscious) and explicit (conscious)–emphasizing the role of explicit learning processes in GELT classrooms rather than adhering solely to the idealistic goal of implicit competence. Because L2 learners need to reflect on linguistic knowledge (repertoire) and strategies for effective global communication, we propose that their learning should aim to develop skill sets of using explicit and implicit knowledge dynamically and efficiently in varied communicative contexts. We argue that skill acquisition theory offers a useful framework for GELT, as it can account for the development of automatized explicit knowledge alongside implicit knowledge, aligning with GELT objectives of fostering multicompetent English users. We illustrate how this perspective can inform classroom activities such as shadowing and task repetition. These activities not only promote deliberate, explicit learning processes but also integrate seamlessly with awareness–raising activities commonly employed in GELT, enhancing learners' communication strategies and capacity for effective English use in global contexts.

Abstract

In order to understand the development of automatization in second language (L2) acquisition and its role in speaking fluency development, 39 English as foreign language (EFL) learners performed a speaking task (subsequently analyzed for utterance fluency) as well as semantic classification (lexical processing measure) and maze (grammar processing measure) tasks at two time points (Time 1 and Time 2) over six months. The findings indicate that learners significantly speeded up their lexical and grammar processing, as reflected in faster reaction time (RT). However, only lexical processing showed a propensity for more stable processing at Time 1, as indicated by coefficient of variance (CV). Furthermore, multiple regression analyses revealed that more automatized grammar processing (faster RT and smaller CV) at Time 1 significantly predicted a larger reduction in mid-clause pause duration and frequency, respectively. These findings underscore the importance of automatization in grammar processing for developing fluency in an EFL context.

Abstract

The present study examines the optimal schedule of second language (L2) grammar practice. Fifty‐four English‐as‐a‐foreign language learners practiced using hypothetical conditionals through written production‐based dictogloss tasks, accompanied by an explicit grammatical explanation, in three learning sessions over several weeks. Learners in the longer spaced group engaged in dictogloss tasks at intervals of 7 days (Day 1, 8, and 15), while those in the shorter spaced group did so at intervals of 3.5 days (Day 1, 4, and 8). Results showed that shorter spaced and longer spaced learning led to equally accurate use of the hypothetical conditionals on both 3‐week and 6‐week delayed posttests. The effects of practice condition on 6‐week delayed posttest performance were moderated by L2 proficiency. Specifically, the retention rate after 6 weeks was greater for more proficient learners than for less proficient learners, but only in the shorter spaced group. Due to the exploratory nature of this study with small sample size, we call for more empirical research that explores the interaction between practice distribution and individual differences, including but not limited to L2 proficiency.

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>Extending the paradigm in L1 acquisition, scholars have begun to investigate whether participants’ domain-general ability to represent, encode, and integrate spectral and temporal dimensions of sounds (i.e., auditory processing) could be a potential determinant of the outcomes of post-pubertal L2 speech learning. The current study set out to test the hypothesis that auditory processing makes a <jats:sc>unique</jats:sc> contribution to L2 speech acquisition, for 70 Japanese classroom learners of English with different levels of L2 proficiency when biographical backgrounds (length of instruction and immersion) <jats:sc>and</jats:sc> memory abilities (working, declarative, and procedural memory) are controlled for. Auditory processing loaded onto modality-general capacities to represent and incorporate anchor stimuli (relative to target stimuli) into long-term memory in an implicit fashion, but dissociated from explicit abilities to remember, associate, and elaborate sensory information. Auditory processing explained a small-to-medium amount of variance in L2 speech learning, even after the other potentially confounding variables were statistically factored out.</jats:p>

<jats:p> Shadowing is the act of vocalizing the speech one is listening to as simultaneously as possible. The primary function of shadowing is learners’ listening skill and pronunciation skill development. Despite the importance of second language (L2) listening skills, this pedagogical technique has not received focal attention in the field. In this paper, shadowing is situated in the framework of systematic and deliberate practice, which is supported by an L2 acquisition theory called the skill acquisition theory. Based on this framework, a total of 16 different primary types of shadowing are classified into shadowing for phonological processing and shadowing for intake through meaning-focused processing. The proposed classification and guideline will be useful for teachers to adapt a variety of shadowing techniques for their teaching context and learners as well as highlighting shadowing as an important pedagogical tool of teaching bottom-up listening skills. </jats:p>

Abstract

To examine the effects of task repetition with different schedules, English-as-a-foreign-language classroom learners performed the same oral narrative task six times under three different schedules. They narrated the same six-frame cartoon story (a) six times consecutively in one class (massed practice), (b) three times at the beginning and at the end of a class (short-spaced practice), and (c) three times as a part of two classes 1 week apart (long-spaced practice). The results yielded by an immediate posttest using a novel cartoon showed that massed practice reduced breakdown fluency (mid-clause and clause-final pauses) the most. However, the participants in the massed-practice group showed degraded speed (slower articulation rate) and repair fluency (more verbatim repetition). The effects of repetition schedule seem limited on a 1-week delayed posttest involving a novel cartoon. Yet, when participants narrated the same practiced cartoon 1 week later, massed practice also resulted in more verbatim repetition.

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This study investigated the constructs underlying second language (L2) word association (WA) with regard to three dimensions of lexical competence—size, organization, and accessibility—and the lexical performance of speech. One-hundred and thirteen Japanese learners of English completed a computer-delivered oral WA task along with three vocabulary tasks: a form-recall gap-filling task (size), a primed lexical decision task (organization and accessibility), and an oral cartoon narrative (lexical richness). Regression analyses explored how well these lexical competence and performance scores predicted two WA outcome variables: response profiles and response times. Form-recall vocabulary knowledge, (collocational) priming, and lexical richness explained a large amount of variance in WA response type profiles (<jats:italic>Nagelkerke’s pseudo R<jats:sup>2</jats:sup></jats:italic> = .901). Form-recall vocabulary knowledge and lexical decision time explained 28.5% of the variance of WA response times. A three-stage model of L2 WA task performance is proposed to account for the constructs underlying WA performance.</jats:p>

The main purpose of the current study was to examine the relative significance of vocabulary knowledge (VK) and syntactic knowledge (SK) in second language (L2) listening ability, while accounting for the effect of several cognitive and affective factors. A total of 263 English-as-a-foreign-language learners took a standardized listening test (IELTS), as well as a battery of nine linguistic (two aural SK tests and two aural VK tests-covering both breadth and depth of VK), cognitive (two working memory tests and a metacognitive knowledge questionnaire), and affective measures (two L2 listening anxiety questionnaires). Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that both VK and SK were significant predictors of L2 listening ability; however, VK was a stronger predictor with an effect size being almost twice as much as the one for SK (.55 vs. .28). The results also showed that metacognitive knowledge, working memory, and L2 listening anxiety are significant predictors of L2 listening ability.

Prior research showed that interleaved practice (studying multiple skills at once) is more effective than blocked practice (studying only one skill at a time). This study aims to replicate the benefits of interleaved practice on the proceduralization of second language (L2) syntax and further examines the role of working memory (WM) in different practice schedules. Sixty English learners studied five types of relative-clause constructions under either blocked- or interleaved-practice conditions. The blocked-practice group engaged in systematic form-focused speaking practice with exemplars blocked by syntactic category, while the interleaved-practice group received mixed exemplars from the different categories. The proceduralization of grammatical knowledge was measured by analysing the accuracy and speed indices from a picture description test, which was administered immediately and one week after the training session. Learners' WM capacity was measured using a listening-span task. Results showed that interleaved practice led to more accurate performance on both immediate and delayed posttests than blocked practice. The advantage of interleaved practice was less pronounced for the speed dimension of performance. Furthermore, interleaved practice facilitated skill development regardless of learners' WM capacity, whereas in the blocked-practice condition, learners with higher WM capacity benefited more than those with lower WM capacity in speeding up of relative clause use, which presumably reflects the proceduralization-automatization stage.

In the coda chapter of the special issue on second language (L2) practice and cognitive psychology, we proposed a theoretical framework for optimizing and researching L2 practice (Suzuki, Nakata, & DeKeyser, 2019). Rogers and Leow's commentary (this issue) raised three potential issues regarding this framework, and the present response article aims at addressing them. First, we introduce two recent studies to illustrate the importance of expounding on learning processes during L2 practice. Second, we argue that our framework can guide researchers to systematically investigate multiple key factors toward a more comprehensive picture of L2 learning. Last, we expect that L2 practice research can potentially lead to broader pedagogical implications beyond classroom teaching (material development and technology-mediated learning).

To investigate the skill transfer and the effects of practice schedules in the learning of second language syntax, 129 intermediate-level English learners were divided into six groups, based on practice format (input vs. output practice) and practice schedule (blocked vs. interleaved vs. hybrid [blocked + interleaved]). Analyses revealed that the learners tested on the skill they had practiced outperformed those who were tested on the nonpracticed skill. This pattern was particularly pronounced in comprehension processing speed and production accuracy. Moreover, hybrid practice facilitated skill development more than blocked or interleaved practice alone. Furthermore, a dynamic interplay was detected among practice format, schedule, and learners' prior knowledge. Hybrid practice led to the least transfer from receptive skills (gained through input practice) to productive skills. Unlike interleaved practice effects, the effects of blocked practice on comprehension speed were more susceptible to learners' prior processing speed.

The current exploratory study aimed at investigating the role of cognitive aptitudes in determining the effect of practice distribution on second language learning. The study investigated to what extent language-analytic ability and working-memory capacity predicted the acquisition of grammar under two learning conditions that differ in the interval between the two training sessions. Learners of Japanese as a second language were trained on an element of Japanese morphosyntax under either distributed practice (7-day interval) or massed practice (1-day interval). The results revealed that language-analytic ability was only related to performance after distributed practice, whereas working-memory capacity was only related to performance after massed practice. These AptitudexTreatment interaction findings can help establish the learning processes operating under distributed/massed practice conditions.

In construction of Sentence Repetition Test (hereafter, SR), both sentence length and pause between the presentation of the target sentence and its repetition, have been found to play an important role in SR performance. The present study investigated how these two factors influence the task difficulty and the concurrent validity of SR with TOEIC scores. In order to achieve these aims, 79 Japanese high school students participated in this study and undertook the English SR under two conditions-with and without a pause. The SR sentences were varying lengths. The results showed that, while long sentences were more difficult to recall correctly than short ones, the pause made the short sentences more difficult and long sentences easier to repeat. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the performance under the most difficult condition, where the test-takers repeated long sentences without any pause, showed the highest concurrent validity with TOEIC. The implications of the present findings, along with some suggestions for further research, will be discussed to calibrate SR for second language test-takers.