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What works better for the learning of concrete and abstract words: teachers' L 1 use or L 2‐only explanations?
Author(s) -
Zhao Ting,
Macaro Ernesto
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of applied linguistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.712
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1473-4192
pISSN - 0802-6106
DOI - 10.1111/ijal.12080
Subject(s) - psychology , test (biology) , recall , vocabulary , second language , differential effects , vocabulary learning , cognitive psychology , linguistics , social psychology , medicine , paleontology , philosophy , biology
This study examined the differential effects of teachers' first language ( L 1) use and second language ( L 2)‐only explanations on C hinese‐speaking adults' acquisition of concrete and abstract E nglish words. A quasi‐experimental research design was used, in which 50 participants were assigned to an L 1‐use condition, 50 participants were assigned to an L 2‐only use condition, and another 48 participants served as a comparison group. Assessed with a pre‐test, immediate post‐test, and delayed post‐test, each group's knowledge of the target words was compared with that of the other groups over time. The results suggest that teachers' L 1 use, compared to L 2‐only explanations, might lead to greater vocabulary gains in immediate and delayed recall. Possible explanations for these findings are proposed.