Attention-direction versus retrieval practice: which fosters the productive recall of German formulaic sequences best?

Authors

  • Griet Boone
  • June Eyckmans Universiteit Gent

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35869/vial.v0i17.1463

Keywords:

formulaic sequences, foreign language acquisition, language teaching, attention-directing, retrieval practice

Abstract

This article reports on a classroom-based (quasi)-experiment with a pre-test post-test design that explored the effect of two types of activities on the productive recall of German formulaic sequences (FS): 1) attention-directing activities and 2) retrieval practice. Two intact classes of Dutch-speaking university students of German participated in the study. One class was randomly assigned to the attention-directing condition (n=18), the other one to the retrieval condition (n=11). Twenty-two target FS were selected as learning items. Each group processed the FS in a different condition. In the attention-directing condition, students had to 1) re-read a video transcript with the FS in bold typeface and 2) translate the targets into Dutch. In the retrieval condition, students had to 1) complete a transcript in which the FS were deleted and 2) translate the targets into German. Results indicate that the retrieval condition led to better productive phrase learning than the attention-directing condition.

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Published

2020-01-20

Issue

Section

Articles