Effect Of Two Annotation Modes On L2 Vocabulary Retention

In these two decades,second language teaching via computer has received more and more attention from the language researchers and teachers. Among the attention,the impact of glossing vocabulary words through different modes is one aspect that people are interested in. This paper examines which glossing modes-picture or non-picture-is more effective in helping vocabulary acquisition and retention. The participants of 30 English ESL students were selected to take part in the study. The experiments provide participants reading some passages with glosses or annotations for words in the form of printed definitions,with or without pictures,and pronunciations,all of which are intended to aid in learning unknown words. A within-subject design was employed in the study with 30 participants being measured under two conditions:words with definitions and pronunciations,and words with definitions,pictures and pronunciations. In order to access the efficacy of each mode,four vocabulary tests were designed,two for words acquisition and two for retention. In addition,a face-to-face interview was also carried out to get the direct response from the participants as to the experiments. Results of the vocabulary tests were analyzed using analysis of variance procedures. Through the study,the researcher got the conclusion that a picture mode is more effective in teaching unknown vocabulary words than the mode only with printed definitions and sounds. Among the suggested factors that explain such a result are that pictures build a mental image,arouse the notice and attention,and create curiosity leading to increased concentration on the target words. There are five chapters in the paper. Chapter one is the brief introduction to the tendency of new technology used in language teaching. Chapter two mainly reviews the related studies on the impact of pictures,multimedia glossing and L2 vocabulary teaching. Chapter three mainly deals with the study,which includes the hypothesis,participants and material selection,and the experiment. Chapter four is the discussion about the results of the study. The last chapter is my conclusion towards the experiment.