Effects Of Retrieval Modes And Retrieval Cue On L2 Testing Effect

Hitherto,a considerable body of research has confirmed that test or retrieval is not only a way of evaluating learning performance but an effective measure of improving learning.Test is more beneficial to long-term memory relative to restudy,which is called testing effect or retrieval practice effect.Currently,the hot topic has centered on how to obtain the best learning results.Retrieval modes of initial retrieval refer to retrieval with overt production or retrieval in mind.Retrieval cue of initial retrieval in this study can be explained as recall with or without a cue.Whether retrieval modes and retrieval cue have different influences on testing effect is worth exploring.However,the number of research on these two retrieval means respectively is limited and research results are not consistent.Moreover,few studies focus on the interactive effects between retrieval modes and retrieval cue.This study aims to explore the effect of retrieval modes and retrieval cue on SLA testing effect with English vocabulary as learning material,providing reasonable suggestions for second language teaching and students' autonomic learning.Research questions are shown as follows:1)How do retrieval modes(overt retrieval / overt retrieval)affect the acquisition of L2 vocabulary?2)How does retrieval cue(cued recall / free recall)affect the acquisition of L2 vocabulary?3)How do retrieval modes and retrieval cue interactively affect the acquisition of L2 vocabulary?The participants in this study were 155 freshmen at WUXI XXX College of Vocational Technology.Subjects were randomly divided into one of the 5 groups: restudy,overt retrieval + cued recall,overt retrieval + free recall,covert retrieval + cued recall,and covert retrieval + free recall.Pretest showed that there were no significant differences among these five groups.In the main experiment,all subjects learned words firstly,and then in initial restudy or retrieval subjects in different groups used different methods to consolidate target words.Subjects in restudy condition restudied all words again;those in overt retrieval + cued recall condition wrote down English words based on Chinese meanings;subjects in overt retrieval + free recall condition wrote down Chinese meanings and English forms of target words freely;subjects in the covert retrieval + cued recall group recalled English in mind according to Chinese,and those in the covert retrieval + free recall group recalled word pairs freely.5 minutes later,all subjects completed immediate free recall and cued recall tests.After immediate tests,2 students in each group were randomly selected to have an in-depth interview and other students filled in questionnaires.1 week later,participants took part in delayed free recall test and cued recall test.The results are shown as follows:Firstly,effects of retrieval modes on L2 vocabulary acquisition in immediate tests and delayed tests were different.In immediate tests,retrieval modes had no significant effect on two recall tests.In delayed tests,participants in covert retrieval performed better compared with those in overt retrieval.Covert retrieval requires subjects to recall merely in mind,which involves more efforts thus benefiting memory retention in the long run.The results are consistent with the significant testing effect in delayed tests.According to Elaborative retrieval hypothesis and Episodic context account,recalling in mind may form more relative semantic information or create more context recall which is more effective in determining retrieval targets.Secondly,effects of retrieval cue on L2 vocabulary acquisition in immediate tests and delayed tests were similar.Initial cued recall enhanced better memory than free recall.For second language learners,it is difficult for them to match Chinese meaning with English form of a word without any cue in free recall.On the contrary,Chinese meaning of a word as the cue provides routes for creating useful contexts which may connect Chinese to English.In this way,memory trace of target words in memory can be strengthened.Thirdly,results of interaction between retrieval modes and retrieval cue on L2 vocabulary acquisition were complicated.In immediate tests,there was no interaction.In other words,effect of retrieval modes on L2 vocabulary acquisition changed without interference of retrieval cues.Subjects in the initial cued recall condition had higher grades than those in the free recall condition regardless of experiencing overt retrieval or covert retrieval.Sores in the overt retrieval condition were higher than those in the covert condition.In the delayed free recall test,covert retrieval improved memory retention better than overt retrieval and initial cued recall was more beneficial than free recall to memory.However,in the delayed cued recall test,there was an interaction between retrieval modes and retrieval cue on L2 vocabulary acquisition.In the covert retrieval condition,initial free recall was more effective;in the overt retrieval condition,initial cued recall was better in retaining memory.In addition,there are some similarities between processing of covert retrieval and free recall.Both methods allow students to think freely and such coherent retrieval can form semantically related information or recall contexts for many times,which is helpful to locate and retrieve targets accurately and quickly.Similarly,overt retrieval and initial cued recall share some cognitive features.Information written down in initial cued recall can also be cues,which is similar to cued recall in processing.According to the study,covert retrieval and cued recall can enhance L2 vocabulary memory and can benefit L2 vocabulary learning.In addition,the combination of covert retrieval and free recall,and combination of overt retrieval and cued recall produce better learning performance.Therefore,teachers should not only apply tests to L2 teaching but select proper methods to upgrade teaching achievements.Students can get the most suitable learning technique in view of characteristics of different tests.