scholarly journals A Procedure for Determining Japanese Loanword Status for English Words

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-79
Author(s):  
David Allen ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Efficient Method ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
English Word ◽  
Frequency Data ◽  
Huge Number ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Learning And Instruction

Japanese loanwords are mainly derived from English. These loanwords provide a considerable first-language (L1) resource that may assist in second-language (L2) vocabulary learning and instruction. However, given the huge number of loanwords, it is often difficult to determine whether an English word has a loanword equivalent and whether the loanword is likely to be widely known among the Japanese. This article demonstrates an efficient method of answering these two questions. The method employs corpus frequency data from the Balanced Corpus of Contemporary Written Japanese, from which the existence and frequency of loanwords in Japanese can be determined. Following the guidelines presented herein, researchers will be able to use data from the corpus themselves to check cognate frequency, thereby determining the cognate status of items used in research.

scholarly journals Investigating The Effect Of Textualization On Learning Vocabularies Among Iranian EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
Nazal Allahmoradi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Incidental Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Explicit Learning ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Incidental Vocabulary ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

Both first language (L1) learners and second language (L2) learners may incidentally gain knowledge of meaning through reading. While researchers tend to agree that incidental learning is responsible for the vast majority of L1 vocabulary learning, there is some suggestion that explicit learning of vocabulary may be responsible for most L2 vocabulary learning However, researchers agree that incidental vocabulary learning should be encouraged and incorporated into L2 learning. - There is no relationship between textualization and learning vocabulary among Iranian EFL learners.

Effects of retrieval formats on second language vocabulary learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Nakata
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Paired Associate ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
English Word ◽  
Paired Associate Learning ◽  
Associate Learning ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Access Information ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

AbstractThe present study set out to examine how we can optimize paired-associate learning of second language (L2) vocabulary. In paired-associate learning, retrieval, where learners are required to access information about an L2 word from memory, is found to increase vocabulary learning. Retrieval can be categorized according to dichotomies of (a) recognition versus recall and (b) receptive versus productive. In order to identify the optimal retrieval format, the present study compared the effects of the following four conditions: recognition, recall, hybrid (combination of recall and recognition), and productive recall only. In this study, 64 English-speaking college students studied 60 Swahili-English word pairs using computer-based flashcard software. Results suggested that for paired-associate learning of L2 vocabulary, (a) recall formats are more effective than recognition for the acquisition of productive knowledge of orthography and (b) recognition formats are more desirable than recall when knowledge of spelling is not required.

An integrated account of the effects of acoustic variability in first language and second language: Evidence from amplitude, fundamental frequency, and speaking rate variability

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
MITCHELL S. SOMMERS ◽  
JOE BARCROFT
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Presentation Formats ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

This study examined how three different sources of stimulus variability—overall amplitude, fundamental frequency, and speaking rate—affect second language (L2) vocabulary learning. Native English speakers learned Spanish words in presentation formats with no variability, moderate variability, and high variability. Dependent measures were accuracy and latency of picture-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English recall. The findings indicated that variability sources that do not affect first language (L1) word identification (amplitude, fundamental frequency) do not affect L2 vocabulary learning. Conversely, variability in speaking rate, which negatively affects L1 word identification, positively affected L2 vocabulary learning. These findings are consistent with an integrated account in which sources of variability that affect phonetically relevant properties of speech impede L1 speech processing but improve L2 vocabulary learning.

scholarly journals L2 Vocabulary Learning and Testing: Student Proficiency and the Use of L1 Translations versus L2 Definitions

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 93-104
Author(s):  
Paul Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Word List ◽  
High Group ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Student Proficiency ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

This study examines the relationship between student proficiency and the use of first language (L1) translations versus second language (L2) definitions in the learning and testing of L2 vocabulary. For this study, 48 Japanese L2 learners of English studied 200 lexical items from the Academic Word List over a ten-week period. The language in which the meaning of the target vocabulary was presented and tested was manipulated such that the learners were given half in their L1 and half in their L2. The results showed that the low proficiency group learnt significantly more vocabulary than the high group. However, while student proficiency did not interact with study language, it was significantly related to testing language. That is, both overall and over time, the higher ability learners did relatively significantly better on the L2 definition tests and worse on the L1 translation tests, and vice-versa. Journal of NELTA, Vol. 21, No. 1-2, 2016, Page: 93-104

scholarly journals Context, word, and student predictors in second language vocabulary learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
EVELIEN MULDER ◽  
MARCO VAN DE VEN ◽  
ELIANE SEGERS ◽  
LUDO VERHOEVEN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Levenshtein Distance ◽  
Context Word ◽  
Learning Gain ◽  
English Sentence ◽  
Contextual Support ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

ABSTRACTWe examined to what extent the variation in vocabulary learning outcomes (vocabulary knowledge, learning gain, and rate of forgetting) in English as a second language (L2) in context can be predicted from semantic contextual support, word characteristics (cognate status, Levenshtein distance, word frequency, and word length), and student characteristics (prior vocabulary knowledge, reading ability, and exposure to English) in 197 Dutch adolescents. Students were taught cognates, false friends, and control words through judging sentences with varying degrees of semantic contextual support using a pretest/posttest between subjects design. Participants were presented with an English target word and its Dutch translation, followed by an English sentence. They were instructed to judge the plausibility of the sentence. Mixed-efffects models indicated that learning gains were higher for sentences with more semantic contextual support and in students with stronger reading comprehension skills. We were the first to show that Levenshtein distance is an important predictor for L2 vocabulary learning outcomes. Furthermore, more accurate as well as faster learning task performance lead to higher learning outcomes. It can thus be concluded that L2 study materials containing semantically supportive contexts and that focus on words with little L1-L2 overlap are most effective for L2 vocabulary learning.

scholarly journals The Effect of Word Type on the L1 Support for L2 Vocabulary Learning: The Case of Arab EFL Learners

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Dina Adel Salam El-Dakhs ◽  
Hind Elhajj ◽  
Jawaher Nasser Al-Haqbani
Keyword(s):  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Word Type ◽  
Special Treatment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
L1 Use ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Arabic Speaking

There is strong agreement in the literature that the first language (L1) supports second language (L2) vocabulary learning particularly at early stages of learning. The present study examines the influence of word type on the use of L1 language to support L2 vocabulary learning. To this end, 130 Arabic-speaking tertiary elementary female learners of English were taught 24 unfamiliar English words in 4 sessions over 4 weeks. The participants were divided into three groups; (1) a group where target words were taught with the use of translation equivalents, (2) a group taught with L2-only-definitions and (3) a control group who received no special treatment. Comparing the participants’ performance in pre-, immediate post- and delayed post-tests showed that the two experimental groups outperformed the control group, reflecting the benefit of the treatment. The results also showed greater vocabulary gains in terms of long-term retrieval for L1 use, but did not show consistent patterns for the special benefit of L1 in terms of specific word types. The results are interpreted in light of the existing literature and relevant bilingual lexicon models. Pedagogical implications and suggested research directions are also proposed.

Indexical information, encoding difficulty, and second language vocabulary learning

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
MITCHELL S. SOMMERS ◽  
JOE BARCROFT
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Information Encoding ◽  
Signal Noise ◽  
Acoustic Variability ◽  
Noise Ratio ◽  
The Difference ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Effort Hypothesis

ABSTRACTResearch has demonstrated that second language (L2) vocabulary learning improves when target words are presented in acoustically varied compared with acoustically consistent formats. The present study investigated the extent to which this benefit of acoustic variability is a consequence of difficult encoding demands (cognitive effort hypothesis) versus increased representational quality. Experiment 1 compared L2 vocabulary learning for words produced in normal (easier encoding) or nasal (more difficult encoding) voice. Vocabulary learning was superior in the normal-voice condition, arguing against a simple cognitive effort hypothesis as the basis for improved L2 vocabulary learning with increased acoustic variability. Experiment 2 assessed the resistance of newly acquired L2 word forms to the effects of acoustic degradation. Participants heard six repetitions of each item in either a single-talker or multiple-talker condition. The robustness of the new word-form representations was assessed by measuring the accuracy and latency of L2 to first language (L1) translation as a function of the signal/noise ratio. At all four signal/noise ratios, accuracy and latency of L2 to L1 translation were significantly better for words learned in the multiple-talker as opposed to the single-talker condition. Of particular importance, the difference between single talkers and multiple talkers increased systematically as signal/noise ratio decreased. These findings suggest that the benefits of acoustic variability are a consequence of learners' ability to retain and use indexical information during the earliest stages of word learning and provide support for the representation quality hypothesis.

Effects of first language processes and representations on second language perception: The case of vowel epenthesis by Japanese speakers

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Nomura ◽  
Keiichi Ishikawa
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
First Language ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
English Word ◽  
Consonant Cluster ◽  
Test Items ◽  
Vowel Epenthesis ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Language Perception

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: Japanese speakers are known to perceive “illusory vowels” within consonant clusters illicit in their language. The present study examines how this perceptual vowel epenthesis is affected by first language (L1) processes (restoration of vowels devoiced through Japanese high vowel devoicing), L1 representations (loanword representations in Japanese speakers’ lexicons), and proficiency in English. Design/methodology/approach: The participants judged the presence or absence of a mora (e.g., ム /mu/) in an auditorily presented English word (e.g., homesick). The 40 test items contained a heterosyllabic consonant cluster with four different voicing patterns to examine whether the vowel restoration process is related to vowel epenthesis. Twenty of the test items are frequently used as loanwords in Japanese, meaning that they are stored in the L1 lexicon with a vowel inserted inside the consonant cluster (e.g., /hoomusikku/). The other 20 are low-frequency items that are virtually nonwords for the non-native participants. Data and analysis: The vowel epenthesis rates and reaction times (RTs) were obtained from 14 introductory learners, 15 intermediate learners, and 19 native speakers. Findings/conclusions: The results show the main effects of Voice, Loanword Representation, and Proficiency, as well as the interaction among the three factors. Negative correlations between vowel epenthesis rates and RTs were also observed for the learners. The results indicate differential effects of vowel restoration and loanwords on perceptual epenthesis by learners of different proficiency levels. Originality: The present study was one of the first attempts to test the relation between proficiency and perceptual vowel epenthesis using real English words. Significance/implications: The findings demonstrate the robustness of L1 processes and representations in second language perception while substantiating the existing argument for early vowel epenthesis. They also raise questions regarding the effects of training and the role of native speaker input.

FORM–MEANING MAPPING IN VOCABULARY ACQUISITION IN A SECOND LANGUAGE

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Semantic Relatedness ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
English Word ◽  
Nonnative English Speakers ◽  
Semantic Judgment

The mapping of lexical form to meaning is an important part of vocabulary acquisition in a second language (L2). This study examines the proposition that L2 lexical forms are often mapped to the existing semantic content of their first language (L1) translations rather than to new semantic specifications of their own. Native and nonnative English speakers were asked to perform two semantic judgment tasks in which they had to determine the degree of semantic relatedness of English word pairs (experiment 1) or to decide whether two English words were related in meaning (experiment 2). The nonnative speakers, but not the native speakers, were found to provide higher rating scores on or responded faster to L2 word pairs sharing the same L1 translations than to L2 word pairs that do not. The finding is interpreted as strong evidence in support of the presence of L1 semantic content in L2 lexical entries.

The Effects of Corpus Use on Second Language Vocabulary Learning: A Multilevel Meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 721-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hansol Lee ◽  
Mark Warschauer ◽  
Jang Ho Lee
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

Abstract This study investigates the effects of corpus use on second language (L2) vocabulary learning as well as the influence of moderators on effectiveness. Based on 29 studies representing 38 unique samples, all of which met several criteria for inclusion (e.g. with control groups), we found an overall positive medium-sized effect of corpus use on L2 vocabulary learning for both short-term (77 posttest effect sizes; Hedges’ g = 0.74, SE = 0.09, p < .001) and long-term periods (34 follow-up effect sizes; Hedges’ g = 0.64, SE = 0.17, p < .001). Furthermore, large variation in adjusted mean effect sizes across moderators was revealed. Above all, for the different dimensions of L2 vocabulary knowledge, in-depth knowledge (i.e. referential meanings as well as syntactic features of vocabulary) was associated with a large effect size. Moreover, the results revealed that learners’ L2 proficiency and several features of corpus use (i.e. interaction types, corpus types, training, and duration) influence the magnitude of the effectiveness of corpus use in improving L2 vocabulary learning.

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