Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners

This study examines the effects of teachers' language use-first language Korean (L1) or second language English (L2)-on the vocabulary acquisition and retention of two age groups: elementary school children after only a few years of English study (n=443) and adults at university with demonstrab...

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Main Authors: Lee, J, Macaro, E
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
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author Lee, J
Macaro, E
author_facet Lee, J
Macaro, E
author_sort Lee, J
collection OXFORD
description This study examines the effects of teachers' language use-first language Korean (L1) or second language English (L2)-on the vocabulary acquisition and retention of two age groups: elementary school children after only a few years of English study (n=443) and adults at university with demonstrably higher levels of proficiency (n=286). Its context is the frequent recommendation by policy makers that L2 teachers should maximize the use of the target language and do so from the very beginning of instruction. We focused on the effects of language use on vocabulary learning because vocabulary teaching frequently involves L1 use even in an otherwise L2 communicative classroom. Our findings suggest that both age groups benefit from links being made with the L1, but that young learners benefit more and that differences in L2 proficiency levels, which often accompany age differences of L2 instructed learners, are a possible contributing, though not a deciding, factor in this conclusion. © 2013 The Modern Language Journal.
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spelling oxford-uuid:16911ed3-4560-49c8-8e6e-3aa0d72eaa042022-03-26T10:31:57ZInvestigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL LearnersJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:16911ed3-4560-49c8-8e6e-3aa0d72eaa04EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2013Lee, JMacaro, EThis study examines the effects of teachers' language use-first language Korean (L1) or second language English (L2)-on the vocabulary acquisition and retention of two age groups: elementary school children after only a few years of English study (n=443) and adults at university with demonstrably higher levels of proficiency (n=286). Its context is the frequent recommendation by policy makers that L2 teachers should maximize the use of the target language and do so from the very beginning of instruction. We focused on the effects of language use on vocabulary learning because vocabulary teaching frequently involves L1 use even in an otherwise L2 communicative classroom. Our findings suggest that both age groups benefit from links being made with the L1, but that young learners benefit more and that differences in L2 proficiency levels, which often accompany age differences of L2 instructed learners, are a possible contributing, though not a deciding, factor in this conclusion. © 2013 The Modern Language Journal.
spellingShingle Lee, J
Macaro, E
Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners
title Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners
title_full Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners
title_fullStr Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners
title_full_unstemmed Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners
title_short Investigating Age in the Use of L1 or English-Only Instruction: Vocabulary Acquisition by Korean EFL Learners
title_sort investigating age in the use of l1 or english only instruction vocabulary acquisition by korean efl learners
work_keys_str_mv AT leej investigatingageintheuseofl1orenglishonlyinstructionvocabularyacquisitionbykoreanefllearners
AT macaroe investigatingageintheuseofl1orenglishonlyinstructionvocabularyacquisitionbykoreanefllearners