L2 vocabulary learning and testing: the use of L1 translation versus L2 definition

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of using L1 translations versus L2 definitions on the learning and testing of L2 vocabulary recognition knowledge. For this study, 48 Japanese L2 learners of English studied 200 lexical items from the academic word list (AWL) over a 10-week period. To support their learning, the participants were provided with the meaning of the target language. The language in which the meanings were presented was manipulated such that the learners received half of them in their L1 and half in their L2. Similarly, at pre-and post-test stages, the participants were tested on their receptive knowledge of the vocabulary equally in both languages. Through a factorial repeated measures analysis of variance, the results showed that the students' recognition of the L2 vocabulary was significantly higher when asked to match the target vocabulary to L1 translations than L2 definitions. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between study language and testing language, such that when study and testing language matched, the participants scored significantly higher. However, overall, the language in which the target vocabulary was studied did not matter for test scores. The implications of these results for learning, teaching, and test taking are discussed. IntroductionVocabulary development is an integral part of second language (L2) acquisition. While there are many different facets to vocabulary learning, 'the form-meaning link is the first and most essential lexical aspect which must be acquired' (Schmitt 2008: 333). The reason for the tremendous value attributed to this feature of vocabulary knowledge pertains to its importance in successful language processing. Vocabulary size has been found to be one of the greatest predictors of both first language (L1) and L2 reading comprehension (Anderson and Freebody 1981;Daneman 1991;Laufer 1992) and to correlate highly with writing quality (Astika 1993). Thus, the acquisition of a large vocabulary is an extremely important aspect of L2 learning. In order to comprehend a range of authentic texts, it has been estimated that L2 learners require an understanding of 8000-9000 word families (Nation 2006) with each word family containing several word forms. To succeed in acquiring a vocabulary size of that order, it is vital that students are able to quickly and efficiently broaden their target language vocabulary knowledge. Yet, the most effective means of achieving this goal remains unclear.

Promises and Obstacles of L1 Use in Language Classrooms: A State-of-the-Art Review

“…Ramachandran and Abdul Rahim (2004) vividly show that translation is a very effective tool for teaching and learning L2 vocabulary. Ramachandran and Abdul Rahim's findings have been supported by a recent study conducted by Joyce (2015) who also found that translation techniques would boost the acquisition and retention of L2 lexical items. Kern (1994) is another study that investigated the role of translation in L2 acquisition and processing.…”

Socio-Environmental Factors Impacting on Teachers' Attitudes Towards Code-Switching in ESL Classrooms in a Rural District in Malaysia

“…They found that the translation method, i.e., the pedagogy of utilising the first language word equivalents in teaching new English vocabulary had positive effects on the students' vocabulary recall and retention. A similar outcome was found by Joyce (2015) in a study which involved English as Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduate students in Japan. These empirical evidences supported the notion that classroom code-switching could contribute to knowledge construction and transmission in the ESL and EFL classrooms (refer to a review by Ghobadi and Ghasemi, 2015).…”

An Error Analysis on Student’s Translation Text

“…In translating a written text, there are intralinguistic and extralinguistic factors that must be understood before the ideas of a writer are transferred to the target language. Language -as an object of translation-is part of culture, therefore translating from one language to another cannot be done adequately without having a good knowledge of the culture and structure of those two languages (Longinovic, 2002;Joyce, 2018;Ying et all., 2018;Mohammad et all., 2018).…”