Vocabulary Retention and Concordance-based Learning in L3 Acquisition

Year 2017, , 313 - 324, 25.09.2017

İrina Rets

https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.461029

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Vocabulary knowledge is considered to be key to language comprehension and speech production.
Although there is considerable research literature on vocabulary learning, there is no consensus on which
vocabulary teaching / learning strategy is the most successful. The article describes the findings of an
experimental research study aimed at analysing the effect of concordance-based learning on L3
vocabulary acquisition and retention. L3 is understood in the present research as a chronologically third
language acquired by a speaker (Mayo, 2012). The study features 48 participants learning German as a
second foreign language subsequently to English who were divided randomly into experimental and
control groups. While the experimental group learnt words with the help of online concordance, the
control group worked with conventional vocabulary worksheets. A pre-test, a post test, and a delayed
vocabulary recall test were conducted with both groups. The study showed that the experimental group
outperformed the control group in both post- and delayed tests. The aspect of vocabulary knowledge that
was acquired and retained more successfully with concordance-based activities was making up sentences
and building collocations with the given key words. The study also demonstrated the usability of
concordance-based learning with A1 language level students within the framework of L3 acquisition. 

Keywords

Concordance, corpus linguistics, vocabulary learning, L3 acquisition, data-driven learning

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