L2 Learners' Retrieval of Pre learned Word Meanings While Reading in a New Context
This study investigated how L2 learners comprehend newly learned words in a sentential context. Theoretically, learners' experiences of recalling pre learned word meanings and applying this knowledge to new contexts may enhance future lexical performance. In the experiment, 84 undergraduate students learned low frequency words in English with example sentences; half were highly imageable (i.e. it was easy to evoke a mental image while reading) for learners. After the learning phase, the participants were presented with a list of new sentences and asked to interpret the pre learned words in context. After a one week delay, the participants were given a recall task that tested their memory of both the target words and example sentences. The results suggested some difficulty in meaning retrieval when learners encountered words in a new context. Further analysis showed that correctly interpreted words were retained better. In addition, the retention of pre learned word meanings was affected by memory of example sentences, suggesting the effectiveness of giving more easily remembered imageable example sentences. Research findings are discussed in terms of transfer appropriate processing and other related theoretical frameworks.