Abstract
Some researchers have demonstrated that retrieval practices can facilitate foreign
vocabulary learning. Several have suggested that using example sentences is important
for learning vocabulary, and that using various sentences may be particularly useful.
However, the effects of sentential contexts on retrieval practice, regarding example
sentence availability and quantity, remain unexplored. Therefore, the author investigated
how sentential contexts affect intentional vocabulary learning through retrieval practice,
specifically focusing on three test formats: form recall, meaning recall, and meaning
recognition. For this study, 37 participants undertook a retrieval practice to recall the
meanings of target English words. They learned these words under three learning
conditions: no context, the same repeated context (1-context), and varied contexts (4-
context). They completed three tests for each learning condition. The results revealed that
the effects of the sentential contexts varied according to the vocabulary test formats. No
differences were observed between the conditions for the form and meaning recall tests;
however, there were differences in the meaning recognition test—scores for the 1-context
were significantly higher than for the no-context condition. These findings suggest that
sentential contexts are more related to vocabulary test formats than the number of
example sentences in intentional vocabulary learning.
