Papers

Peer-reviewed Lead author Corresponding author
Dec, 2015

Effects of expanding and equal spacing on second language vocabulary learning: Does gradually increasing spacing increase vocabulary learning?

Studies in Second Language Acquisition (Cambridge University Press)
  • Nakata Tatsuya

Volume
37
Number
4
First page
677
Last page
711
Language
English
Publishing type
Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI
10.1017/S0272263114000825
Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Although expanding spacing is often regarded as the most effective practice schedule, studies comparing equal and expanding spacing have yielded mixed results. The present study set out to examine whether the amount of spacing and the retention interval may influence the effects of expanding and equal spacing on second language (L2) vocabulary learning. One hundred and twenty-eight Japanese college students studied 20 English-Japanese word pairs. The type of spacing (expanding and equal) and the amount of spacing (massed, short, medium, and long) were manipulated. Results demonstrated a limited, yet statistically significant, advantage of expanding spacing. The finding is significant because this is the first L2 study to find the superiority of expanding over equal spacing. The main effect of the amount of spacing was also significant, producing large effect sizes. Taken together, the results suggest that expanding spacing may facilitate vocabulary learning, although introducing spacing may have a larger effect.

Link information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263114000825
Web of Science
https://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=JSTA_CEL&SrcApp=J_Gate_JST&DestLinkType=FullRecord&KeyUT=WOS:000366656300004&DestApp=WOS_CPL
ID information
  • DOI : 10.1017/S0272263114000825
  • ISSN : 0272-2631
  • eISSN : 1470-1545
  • Web of Science ID : WOS:000366656300004

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