The Influence Of Input Spacing On Pupils’ Vocabulary Learning In The Classroom Context

Since the implementation of the Double Reduction Policy in 2021,improving the quality of classroom teaching in compulsory education has become a hot topic.The Ministry of Education promulgated a new version of the English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education in 2022,which set higher requirements for vocabulary learning in primary schools.Therefore,it is important to improve the quality of classroom vocabulary teaching under current circumstances.In the fields of psychology and linguistics,it has been found that spacing input is beneficial for facilitating students’ vocabulary learning,and different spacing intervals have varying effects on learning.However,most previous research has been conducted in laboratories and with older participants,which differs from the primary English teaching context in the Chinese mainland.The present study aims to investigate whether the spacing effect influences pupils’ English vocabulary learning,as well as the effects of different intervals between spaced repetition on pupils’ vocabulary acquisition.Additionally,the study also explores possible differences in vocabulary learning outcomes between students of varying levels of proficiency.To address these questions,a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods is employed,including pre-and post-tests to assess vocabulary learning outcomes,followed by correlation analysis with final grades.Six students are selected for semi-structured interviews to gain insight into individual differences and characteristics in vocabulary learning.Results of the study indicate that:1)Spaced input affects the vocabulary learning of primary school students,and no significant difference was found between the two spaced groups in terms of total participants.2)Long spacing in a 3-day delay post-test is more effective for high-level students in terms of English proficiency,while there is no significant difference in a 14-day delay post-test.Moreover,long spacing proves to be beneficial to both highlevel and low-level students.There is also a tendency for students with different levels of pre-test to converge in post-test scores without extracurricular review.3)The cause of the two findings is that students of different proficiency levels adopt distinct vocabulary learning strategies.High-level students tend to utilize various techniques like association,memorization of word parts,images,Chinese explanations,and example sentences,while low-level students struggle with phonics and do not employ association as a memorization strategy.Based on these findings,the study recommends that 3-day input spacing is more beneficial than 1-day input spacing in primary English teaching.To facilitate the English language learning of low-level students,teachers should emphasize classroom instruction and teach them effective vocabulary learning strategies,such as association.