This study examines the effects of instrumental and vocal background music on the immediate and delayed recall of unfamiliar words, while also considering the roles of musical familiarity and prior musical experience. Fifty-seven participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: silence, instrumental music, or vocal music. A significant effect of auditory condition was observed for immediate recall, with post hoc comparisons showing significantly higher performance in the silence condition than in the instrumental music condition. Although the vocal condition obtained a higher descriptive mean than the instrumental condition, the difference between the two music conditions was not statistically significant. No significant differences among conditions were found for delayed recall. In addition, neither familiarity with the musical stimuli nor prior musical experience was significantly associated with immediate or delayed recall performance. These findings emphasize the complex interplay between environmental auditory input and cognitive functioning, highlighting how peripheral stimuli may influence attentional resources and memory performance, while contributing to a better understanding of how contextual factors shape cognitive performance.
Before the introduction of conceptual metaphors, traditional rote memorization tasks were the primary methods for teaching English phrasal verbs (PVs). Verb and particle combinations in idiomatic PVs were considered arbitrary, leaving learners with few options beyond memorizing lists. As a result, learners often avoided PVs in favor of single-word alternatives due to their perceived ambiguity. Research in EFL contexts later explored conceptual metaphors as a means of improving PV acquisition and reported greater effectiveness compared to rote memorization. However, subsequent reviews of the literature found that these results may reflect the inadequacy of traditional tasks rather than the superiority of conceptual metaphors. To address this issue, the present study replaced rote memorization with a more robust vocabulary learning technique: retrieval practice. Eighty-five non-English majors at a Japanese university participated in an online study during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Results revealed no statistically significant difference (p > .05) between the conceptual metaphor and retrieval groups, indicating that conceptual metaphors are not the only effective method for facilitating PV acquisition.
Even though textbooks are central to language teaching, linguistic research on how well some commercial textbook series support vocabulary acquisition is not comprehensive. As a result, many instructors lack both practical tools and empirical support regarding the choice of materials appropriate for their students' goals. This study presents a corpus-based analysis of the vocabulary coverage in the Outcomes textbook series, Third Edition, published by National Geographic. Using two vocabulary profiler tools (Compleat Lexical Tutor by Cobb, 1998; AntWordProfiler by Anthony, 2024), in combination with a qualitative analysis of the textbooks, this paper examines lexical coverage, frequency distribution, opportunities for vocabulary recycling, and the inclusion of vocabulary learning strategies across six proficiency levels. The analysis shows that lower-level books include a larger percentage of high-frequency vocabulary. As students progress through the course, they are expected to encounter a higher number of mid-frequency and low-frequency vocabulary. However, opportunities for vocabulary recycling vary considerably across the textbooks and specific vocabulary items. Even though the book is recommended for IELTS preparation, the findings indicate limited academic vocabulary coverage. This suggests that the textbook series might be more suitable for general English classrooms than for academic or test-focused contexts. Lastly, the series lacks explicit guidance on vocabulary learning strategies, which may limit learners' ability to independently consolidate lexical knowledge. The study highlights the value of corpus-informed textbook evaluation and offers pedagogically relevant insights for teachers, material developers, and curriculum designers.
This paper challenges the conventional atomistic approach to foreign language vocabulary acquisition, particularly within the context of formal schooling where many students encounter a new language through relatively isolated contact. While the prevailing view pushes explicit study of individual vocabulary items and extensive reading to drive L2 vocabulary growth, this perspective often overlooks the foundational cognitive skills that enable effective reading and the critical non-cognitive factors that sustain it. Drawing from cognitive science, educational psychology, and second language acquisition research, we propose an integrated model that addresses these understated elements, moving beyond the prevalent "whole-language-drip-feed" instructional methods.We argue that the Simple View of Reading (SVR) provides a necessary framework, positing that effective vocabulary uptake from text is contingent upon learners’ phonological processing and decoding abilities. Pedagogical approaches that bypass explicit phonics instruction create teacher dependency and may inadvertently undermine learners’ internal motivational resources. The proposed model emphasizes five core principles: systematic phoneme-grapheme instruction, integrated reading-listening development, fostering learner agency through autonomy-supportive practices, tailored high-dosage practice, and technology-enhanced personalized assessment. This integrated framework aims to improve educational outcomes by providing learners with the fundamental decoding skills necessary for independent vocabulary acquisition and sustained engagement with L2 texts, a critical goal given the social and economic value of foreign language skills.
Retrieval-based learning using word cards promotes durable vocabulary retention, yet few studies have explored how localized, bilingual materials can enhance engagement among lower-proficient EFL learners. This pilot study aimed to design and evaluate contextualized NGSL-based vocabulary cards for Japanese university students with limited English proficiency. A total of 437 bilingual cards, comprising 302 unique headwords (words), including 105 polysemous ones, from the first 700 headwords of the New General Service List (Browne, et al., 2013), were collaboratively developed to facilitate retrieval practice and strengthen form–meaning connections (Nation, 2013). Each card included familiar examples drawn from daily life and popular cultural to sustain motivation and deepen processing. The materials were piloted with 19 first-year students; those who attended multiple training sessions demonstrated improved recall on the end-of-quarter NGSL test, and observations suggested greater engagement during study sessions. The design framework, along with a shareable subset, offers a replicable model for integrating retrieval practice and cultural relevance into vocabulary instruction in similar EFL contexts.
