L2 Vocabulary Acquisition in Children: Effects of Learning Method and Cognate Status I-Pei Tsai NA1C0004

Introduction In this study, we investigated the effects of two learning methods (picture or word mediated learning) and of word status (cognates vs. non-cognates) on the vocabulary acquisition of two foreign languages: English and German.

Introduction We compared two teaching/learning methods in four experimental sessions with different temporal features. We evaluated the vocabulary acquisition of two foreign languages by leaners of two age groups. We assessed the role of words’ cognate status in the learning process.

Literature review Chen (1990) compared two groups of Cantonese-speaking college students who were instructed to learn words in a novel language (French) using two different learning methods. Chen found the word-learning group was faster in translating in L2, whereas the picture- learning group was faster in naming pictures in L2. However, a main effect of learning method was not found.

Literature Review The same two learning methods were contrasted by Lotto and De Groot (1998). Interestingly, in contrast with Chen’s results, a main effect of learning method was found, showing that the word- learning method led to better performance than the picture-learning method.

Methodology- Materials The 40 pictures selected on the basis of the two pretests and the corresponding names in Italian, English, and German were used throughout the study.

Cognate Words

Non-cognate Words

Methodology-Participants Two groups of participants were involved in the study: 123 (65 female) fourth graders and 106 (48 male) eighth graders. They were recruited from eight schools in the district of Trevison (Italy). All of them were native Italian speakers. Forth graders had not learned any foreign language, whereas eighth graders had learned some English in the sixth and seventh grades.

Methodology- Procedure Each child participated in four English sessions and four German sessions. Each child participated in four English preceded German, and for other half, the order was reversed. Half of the classes involved were exposed to the “word-learning method”, in which each Italian word was paired with the corresponding words in English (Italian-English set) and in German (Italian-German set).

Methodology- Procedure The other half were exposed to the “picture-learning method” in which each picture was paired with the corresponding English and German words. For both methods, the learning phases included two learning sessions for English and two learning sessions for German held 1 week apart.

Methodology- Procedure The learning took place in the classroom during regular L2 learning time, and during the experimental sessions, the experimenter was present in the class together with the teacher. In each learning phases, the 40 pairs (word-word or picture-word) of stimuli were presented three times, each time in a different randomized order.

Instruments In order to quantify learning, participants performed four test sessions for each language. The end of the first learning session -> Test 1 The end of the second learning session - > Test 2 A week after Test 1 -> Delayed Test 1 A month after Test 2 -> Delayed Test 2

Results and discussion

As can be seen, the learning method showed a consistent effect, with the picture-learning method being more effective than the word-learning method. As expected, there was an effect of cognate status, with cognates being processed more accurately than noncognates.

Results and discussion In addition, we found an effect of school grade, with eighth graders performing above fourth graders, and an effect of language, with English being processed better than German.

4 th Grade Summary

4 th Grade English

Participants performed better in the picture-word than in the word-word condition, and they were more accurate with cognates than noncognates.

4 th Grade English Both cognates and noncognates, the picture-word condition is always better than the word-word condition. The effect between the two methods in stronger for noncognates in the second immediate test and in the two delayed tests.

4 th Grade German

Performance with noncognate stimuli was particularly low for this group of participants, probably due to the unfamiliarity with the language.

8 th Grade Summary

8 th Grade English

Participants were more accurate in the picture-word than in the word-word condition and more accurate in responding to cognates than to noncognates.

8 th Grade German

Participants produced a higher proportion of correct responses in the picture-word than in the word-word condition and a higher proportion of correct responses to cognates than to noncognates.

Conclusion Remarks The three factors manipulated- learning/teaching method, test session and cognate status- were all significant. The picture-learning method produced a better performance than the word- learning method.

Conclusion Remarks The cognate status of the stimulus material mediated the acquisition process, in both forth and eighth grade participants. It has shown that words with a cognate translation in the foreign language were learned far better than those with a noncognate translation.

Conclusion Remarks The effect of cognates was present both in the verbal and picture method. The effect of cognate status was greater when the language was less familiar. Interestingly, performance after 1 week didn’t differ from performance on the first test.