L2 Learners’ Retrieval of Pre-learned Word Meanings While Reading in a New Context

Abstract

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.