How Can Cumulative Tests Be Applicable to Effective L2 Vocabulary Instruction?

Abstract

Research has revealed that students who take cumulative tests, which target both recently and previously learned items, show a superior retention of those items in comparison to those who take noncumulative tests. In this study, a modified version of cumulative tests, which was tentatively named Random-Selection Tests (RST), was designed and the effects of RST on L2 vocabulary learning were examined. In Week 1, first-year university students in Japan took a pretest that comprised 50 target words. Subsequently, they were given a word list that comprised 50 English and Japanese word pairs and asked to memorize as many words as possible outside class time. In Week 2, they took a small test that contained 10 words chosen randomly from among the 50 words. For five consecutive weeks, they took small tests on the 50 words (Weeks 2 to 6). In Week 7, the students took a posttest that contained all 50 words. The results revealed that increases in the total amount of study time and number of times a certain word appeared in small tests were directly proportional to an increase in posttest scores. The study also found that when the students had high scores, they tended to decrease their study time. However, RST benefited from spaced retrieval practice. The way in which English teachers can apply these results to L2 vocabulary instruction is discussed.