Comparing the Effects of Different Post-Listening Output Tasks on Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition: Revisiting the Involvement Load Hypothesis

Based on the Involvement Load Hypothesis, the present study investigated the differential effects of three post-listening output tasks (gap-filling, translation, and sentence-making) on immediate acquisition and retention of such vocabulary dimensions as productive knowledge of orthography, receptive recall of meaning and form, and productive knowledge of grammatical functions. Ninety second-year English majors were divided into three groups to finish listening plus one of the post-listening tasks. The results showed that the post-listening output tasks had positive effects on immediate acquisition of productive vocabulary knowledge, partially in agreement with the Involvement Load Hypothesis. However, the effects on vocabulary knowledge retention were found to be largely inconsistent with the Involvement Load Hypothesis. The finding thus challenges this hypothesis in that involvement load is not the only determining factor and suggests that the theoretical construct of involvement load should be constructed with more caution.

INVOLVEMENT LOAD HYPOTHESIS PLUS

The present meta-analysis aimed to improve on Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH) by incorporating it into a broader framework that predicts incidental vocabulary learning. Studies testing the ILH were systematically collected and 42 studies meeting our inclusion criteria were analyzed. The model-selection approach was used to determine the optimal statistical model (i.e., a set of predictor variables) that best predicts learning gains. Following previous findings, we investigated whether the prediction of the ILH improved by (a) examining the influence of each level of individual ILH components (need, search, and evaluation), (b) adopting optimal operationalization of the ILH components and test format grouping, and (c) including other empirically motivated variables. Results showed that the resulting models explained a greater variance in learning gains. Based on the models, we created incidental vocabulary learning formulas. Using these formulas, one can calculate the effectiveness index of activities to predict their relative effectiveness more accurately on incidental vocabulary learning.

An empirical research on the adequacy of task-induced involvement load hypothesis: A case for intentional vocabulary learning

The present study aimed at examining the adequacy of the task-induced involvement load hypothesis in intentional learning. An investigation was carried out to find out whether proficiency level of learners had a role in the effectiveness of the vocabulary tasks with different involvement loads. One hundred and thirty-six university students were randomly assigned into four task groups, each of which included upper and lower intermediate learners. Reading comprehension and discussion, reading comprehension and gap filling, reading comprehension plus sentence-making and reading comprehension plus translation with different involvement loads were compared against each other in terms of the immediate and delayed retention of new words. The study partially supported the involvement load hypothesis in that the task with the highest involvement loads resulted in better immediate and delayed retention of new words. The results of the experiment also showed that tasks with similar involvement loads might not result in similar amounts of vocabulary learning. Keywords: Task-induced involvement, load hypothesis, vocabulary learning, word retention, task.

The Effect of Types of Dictionary Presentation on the Retention of Metaphorical Collocations: Involvement Load Hypothesis vs. Cognitive Load Theory

Although conceptual metaphor boxes were introduced in Macmillan English Dictionary over a decade ago, the effect of this innovative presentation on the retention of metaphorical collocations remains unclear. To fill this gap, this paper reports on a study involving 70 Chinese EFL learners, who were randomly assigned into three groups. They were exposed to three types of collocation presentation, varying in terms of availability and salience of conceptual metaphor information. The results show that the learners who were exposed to the accessible and salient presentation of metaphor information had the best retention of metaphorical collocations and the shortest lookup time. Two competing theoretical accounts, Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH) and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), were compared. It was found that CLT had greater explanatory power in predicting the research results, accounting for why conceptually grouping collocations facilitated the retention of metaphorical collocations.

“Digging Deep”: Using the Task Involvement Load Hypothesis to analyse textbooks for vocabulary learning potential

In the process of vocabulary acquisition, the extent to which tasks require depth of processing, termed ‘task-induced involvement’ by Laufer and Hulstijn (2001), and the potential effects of this on subsequent vocabulary retention, deserve greater attention. Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) claim that when ‘need’, ‘search’ and ‘evaluation’ are required in order to complete a task, learners engage with words more deeply, thus optimizing potential for successful vocabulary retention. This study was designed to ascertain the extent to which tasks, in commonly used reading textbooks and integrated skills course books, induce ‘deep’ involvement with vocabulary, thus facilitating vocabulary retention. Tasks in 10 reading textbooks and 10 integrated skills course books were analysed in terms of the elements identified by Laufer and Hulstijn (2001). The results were then compared between the two types of textbooks in order to determine whether one is more effective than the other for vocabulary retention. The study found that the frequency of exposure to target vocabulary was insufficient for vocabulary acquisition. It was also found that many of the vocabulary activities investigated required little task-induced involvement, and more specifically, very few productive activities were found. Keywords: task-induced involvement, depth of processing, vocabulary acquisition, vocabulary retention, vocabulary learning