Learning L2 collocations incidentally from reading

Previous studies have shown that intentional learning through explicit instruction is effective for the acquisition of collocations in a second language (L2) (e.g. Peters, 2014, 2015), but relatively little is known about the effectiveness of incidental approaches for the acquisition of L2 collocations. The present study examined the incidental acquisition of collocational knowledge when learners encounter adjective–pseudoword collocations while reading. Forty-one L2 learners read a story containing six target collocations in a classroom setting. One week after the reading they were interviewed about their knowledge of the form, meaning and collocation of the target items (at recall and recognition levels). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups, i.e. the 4-repetition group and the 8-repetition group. Results showed that collocational knowledge can be learnt incidentally from reading; that it is learnt at a similar rate to other lexical components such as form and meaning of individual words; and that the frequency manipulation in this study did not seem to have a significant effect on the acquisition of any of the aspects examined

Expanding English vocabulary knowledge through reading: Insights from eye-tracking studies

Students in academic contexts are expected to engage with large amounts of reading and they frequently meet unknown words and phrases in those reading materials. Previous research has shown that second and foreign language learners can acquire some of the unknown vocabulary that they encounter during reading. However, these previous findings were mainly based on scores in off-line, post-reading tests and thus, our understanding of the cognitive processes involved during learning from reading has been rather limited. Technological advancements have made it easier for researchers to explore learners’ online processing behaviour. One of such advancements is eye-tracking, which provides a rich record of online reading behaviour. The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of eye-tracking studies conducted in second/foreign language learning research, with a particular focus on vocabulary learning from reading. This article illustrates how the use of eye-tracking has helped researchers gain a better understanding of the process of vocabulary learning from reading and of the relationship between eye-movements and performance measures. This article discusses recent research findings and identifies directions for future research

Exploring the learning burden and decay of foreign language vocabulary knowledge: The effect of part of speech and word length

Research has shown that several intralexical factors affect the learning burden of foreign language vocabulary (e.g., Laufer, 1997 ) and that some accrued lexical knowledge is forgotten. It is often assumed that the lexical items most difficult to acquire are those easiest to forget. However, few studies have provided empirical evidence to support this claim. This study examined the effect of two intralexical factors, part of speech and word length, on the learning burden and decay of intentionally learned foreign language lexical knowledge, as well as the role that learning burden played in the decay process. Forty-eight learners of English studied words of various parts of speech and lengths using flashcard software. Knowledge (form recall and recognition) of target items was assessed immediately after learning and four weeks later. Results of mixed-effects models showed that part of speech and word length have differential impacts on learning burden and decay and that increased burden mitigated loss of form recognition knowledge

The invisible reality: English teaching materials and the formation of gender and sexually oriented stereotypes (with a focus on primary education)

Gender stereotypes, understood as those structured sets of beliefs about personal attributes of women and men, have a great influence over self-perspective and the social interaction and organisation. However, their effects are sometimes invisible, and a great effort should be made to develop awareness of their influence in the population. Our main claim is that School has an essential role to teach gender and sexual equality through the curricula, using teaching materials that are free of these stereotypes. The main aim of this study is to examine the presence of gender and sexually oriented stereotypes in various English teaching materials within the context of the Spanish Primary School, focusing on its last stage. This research carries out a qualitative and quantitative analysis of three English textbooks together with the students' and teachers' perceptions of gender stereotypes. The analysis is done thanks to the review of key concepts, such as gender awareness and sexual identity, as well as the presentation of various examination tools that have allowed us to evaluate the sexist content in the textbooks selected and offer some guidelines to avoid them in the English classroom

Teaching formulaic sequences in an English-language class: The effects of explicit instruction versus coursebook instruction

This study investigates the relative effectiveness of different teaching approaches on the learning of formulaic sequences. Three comparisons were made in this study: the effects of explicit teaching of formulaic sequences versus teaching embedded in traditional coursebook instruction, the effects of the degree of salience of the sequences in the coursebook on learning, and the effects of explicit teaching of formulaic sequences with context versus teaching without context. Sixtynine formulaic sequences occurring in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) coursebook were selected for the study. The participants were 60 low-proficiency university students majoring in technology in Vietnam. Participants were quasirandomly assigned to one of three groups: control, no-context learning, and sentence-context learning. Learning was measured by two multiple-choice tests of receptive knowledge of form and meaning. Findings indicated that although explicit instruction was effective, the degree of salience in traditional coursebook instruction had no significant effects on learning formulaic sequences. Explicit teaching combined with incidental exposure to formulaic sequences in the coursebook was superior to the traditional coursebook instruction approach in the classroom setting. Furthermore, the results from explicit instruction with context sentences did not differ significantly from those of instruction without context. Explanations for the findings and pedagogical applications are offered