Abstract
This study investigates the effects of spoken and written retelling as a vocabulary learning task on the development of productive vocabulary knowledge based on the Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH) and the Incidental Vocabulary Learning (IVL) formulas. Seventy-nine Japanese high school students participated, with 56 included in the final analysis. Participants were assigned to either a spoken or written retelling group and were exposed to 20 target words. Vocabulary gains were assessed through pretests, posttests, and delayed tests measuring both spoken and written recall. Results showed that the written group produced significantly more words and used more target vocabulary, while the spoken group was substantially more time-efficient. Despite these differences in task performance, no significant differences were found between the groups in overall vocabulary gains or retention. These findings suggest that integrating both retelling modalities is effective for promoting productive vocabulary learning and can be used to support the integration of the four language skills in the Japanese English classroom.
