The Role of Frequency in the Elementary Foreign Language Classroom

Abstract

Researchers state that the number of times a learner encounters a word may contribute to its acquisition. The current study seeks to find out whether there is a relationship between specific frequency—the number of times a word occurs in a text—and vocabulary learning under classroom conditions. A group of fourteen nine-year-old EFL learners were tested on vocabulary from their coursebook. Both written and oral occurrences were taken into consideration, and receptive as well as productive knowledge was measured through immediate and delayed tests. The results indicate that specific frequency does not significantly affect immediate vocabulary acquisition but has a significant effect on delayed retention. The learning context also influences the results, as factors such as saliency may be more relevant in formal instruction. The study therefore recommends a combination of intensive and extensive repetition together with a focus on the meaning–form link to enhance vocabulary learning in the classroom.