What is it about?
The spacing effect is a ubiquitous phenomenon, whereby memory is enhanced for the information that is learned across different points in time rather than being learned at once. A considerable amount of research has focused on the nature of the spacing effect, and there is general acceptance that spacing learning events out in time promotes learning. However, fewer studies have been conducted in educational settings. The aim of this study is to explore learners’ perceptions of different spacing schedules (massed vs. spaced). To achieve the purpose of the study, we taught 30 children 24 English–Farsi word pairs utilizing different spacing schedules. Later, we administered a questionnaire to explore leaarners’ perceptions of both massed and spaced schedules. The results revealed that the children percieved spaced practice to be more effective than massed practice.
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Why is it important?
The spacing effect is a ubiquitous phenomenon, whereby memory is enhanced for the information that is learned across different points in time rather than being learned at once. A considerable amount of research has focused on the nature of the spacing effect, and there is general acceptance that spacing learning events out in time promotes learning. However, fewer studies have been conducted in educational settings. The aim of this study is to explore learners’ perceptions of different spacing schedules (massed vs. spaced). To achieve the purpose of the study, we taught 30 children 24 English–Farsi word pairs utilizing different spacing schedules. Later, we administered a questionnaire to explore leaarners’ perceptions of both massed and spaced schedules. The results revealed that the children percieved spaced practice to be more effective than massed practice.
Perspectives
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This page is a summary of: Learners’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Spaced Learning Schedule in L2 Vocabulary Learning, SAGE Open, April 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/2158244016646148.
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Resources
Apologies as Politeness Strategies Expressed by Characters in "Revolutionary Road" Movie
This research aimed to investigate kinds of offences that motivate the characters in the movie "Revolutionary Road" to deliver their apology and to describe the way the characters express their apologies. The study used Trosborg's apology strategies and Holmes' social dimensions of communication and kinds of offences finding, Hymes' ethnography of communication with SPEAKING formula. The data of the research were taken from apology expressions employed in the movie entitled "Revolutionary Road". The corpus included the sentences containing apology expressions following an offence, and other supporting expressions employed by the characters in the movie "Revolutionary Road". The dialogues containing apology expressions and the types of offenses from the apology expressions were transcribed. The result showed that the kinds of offenses were infringement on space, infringement on talk, infringement on time, infringement on possession and social behavior offence. The characters in the movie “Revolutionary Road” expressed their apologies with the simple and complex form of apology strategies both directly and indirectly. They also delivered their apologies in high tone and low tone. They also showed nonverbal expressions in apologizing. The apology strategies were influenced by the degree of severity of the offence and the response given by the addressee. The employing of apology strategy in apologizing was influenced by the social distance, the formality of the situation, and the social status of the participants. It is implied that the speech act of apology in different contexts including movies should be regarded and considered by sociolinguistics.
Effects of Using Tenets of Genre Analysis on Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension
Genre - based approach has been the focus of interest in the teaching of language since the mid1980s. Genre is defined in terms of the use of language in conventionalized communicative settings. The present study made an attempt to scrutinize the effects of genre - based pedagogy on Iranian Pre -intermediate EFL leaners' reading comprehension as well as the interaction between their reading comprehension achievement and their general English proficiency. To examine the formulated hypothesis, a sample of 80 pre-intermediate EFL learners attending a language institute was selected. Then, the participants were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The instructional procedures went on six sessions before the posttest was administered. The results of an independent samples t test revealed that genre - based pedagogy had a significant effect on Iranian pre -intermediate EFL learners' reading comprehension. Implications of the study can include, among other things, the incorporation of genre - based pedagogy in the EFL language teaching curriculum in Iran
Impact of WhatsApp on Learning and Retention of Collocation Knowledge among Iranian EFL Learners
During the recent technological years, language learning has been attempted to transform its path from the conventional methods to instrumental applications. Mobile phone provides people to reach and exchange information through chats (WhatsApp). It is a tool or mode that means the facilities are used for main purposes. The unique features of the application are its compatibility to exchange information, enhance communication and relationship. A mobile phone provides to download, upload and store learning materials and information files. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the use and effect of mobile applications such as WhatsApp on school work and out of school work. In this way, Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was conducted among 80 learners in order to select intermediate EFL learners. In total, 60 participants whose scores were 70 or higher were elected as the intermediate level and were divided into experimental and control groups. In order to control the reliability of the collocation pretest, the test was pilot studied on 15 learners. Then, the pretest was conducted to measure the learner’s collocation knowledge in both of the groups. The experimental group frequently installed WhatsApp application in order to learning and practicing new collocations in order to learning and practicing new collocations, while the control group did not use any tool for learning them. An immediate posttest after the treatment was administered. The results in each group were statistically evaluated and the findings manifested that the experimental group who used WhatsApp application in learning collocation significantly outperformed the control group in posttest. Thus usage of WhatsApp application to acquire collocations can reinforce and enhance the process of collocations acquisition and it can guarantee retention of collocations. This study also prepares pedagogical implications for utilizing mobile application as an influential instrument in learning a second language.
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