Research On The Relation Between Lexical Information L2 Learners Select In CALL Dictionary And Word Retention

With the development of new technology, many scholars begin to pay great attention to the researches in the combination of second language acquisition (SLA) and new machine. Computer assisted language learning (CALL) has been put into focus. One of the CALL field is computer assisted vocabulary acquisition (CAVA). And in this CAVA, electronic dictionary has aroused many people's interests. Based on the former researches in CALL dictionary , in this paper the study investigates a relationship between what is looked up about new words when different kinds of information in electronic dictionary are available and how well these words are remembered.In this experiment, a CALL program was authored according to the program Words in your ear. The dictionary information has been incorporated into a CALL programme which was comprised of a text, highlighted unknown words to the students, and access to different lexical information about these words (explanation in English, translation into L1, picture and sound, extra information).In the study, the subjects were English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Chongqing University. Although they have learnt English for many years, their English levels are intermediate. The target words examined for incidental learning were 10 unknown words. Pre-tests have showed that the target words were unfamiliar to most subjects. The subjects were asked to read the text on the screen and understand it so that they could take a comprehension test after reading it. The unknown words could be looked up in the CALL dictionary built into the programme. During the task, log files registered every selection of dictionary information. After task completion, subjects were unexpectedly tested on meaning recall of the target words, and after one week they will have delayed test again without notice.Data were analyzed in two ways (ANOVAs, Linear Regression, and correlations) to establish possible connections between retention and lookup behaviors (type of lookup patterns selected, the number of lookups for each word, and the number of looked up and retained words in each pattern). One way is data classification and ANOVA; another is linear regression. Results suggest that the different effectiveness in various lookup patterns for incidental vocabulary learning, but for the different decline rate, long-term retention may differ between the types, and that the use of multiple dictionary information seems to reinforce retention. The teaching implication is, therefore, to provide a variety of lookup options catering to different lookup preferences in paper or CALL dictionaries when assigning tasks that involve reading comprehension and understanding of unfamiliar words.