The effects of post-reading interactive tasks on Taiwanese EFL Junior high school students' vocabulary learning

第二語言學習的研究者指出，有效的單字加強練習活動可以增強學生的單字學習，然而過去相關研究的練習題形式偏重於個人學習，較缺乏同儕之間的互動學習。因此，本研究採用準實驗量化研究法，藉此探討比較閱讀後的單字互動式任務(interactive tasks)及傳統的單字練習題(vocabulary exercises)對國中生英語字彙習得(vocabulary learning)與單字學習態度(vocabulary learning attitudes)的影響。 本實驗的研究對象為桃園縣某公立國中的兩班八年級六十三位學生，所有受試者依其原本的班級被隨機指定為互動式任務組和傳統單字練習題組，兩組同學於每堂課都接受相同的閱讀文章和閱讀理解問題，並在閱讀之後進行不同的單字加強練習活動，每堂課合計為45分鐘，歷時六堂，一共練習25個單字。實驗前後，兩組受試者分別進行單字測驗及單字學習態度前後測，以瞭解學生的主要單字(target words)學習情形和學習態度轉變。資料分析採用SPSS 18.0版本，包含描述性統計、獨立樣本和成對樣本t檢定、及共變數分析。 研究結果顯示: (1)在單字學習成效方面，接受互動式任務的學生明顯優於接受傳統單字練習題的學生；(2)在辨識字彙的能力(receptive vocabulary knowledge)和應用字彙的能力(productive vocabulary knowledge)方面，互動式任務明顯地有助於提升受試者在以上下文為主的試題(選擇題和文意字彙)表現，但在無上下文的試題(中翻英和拼字)方面，兩組並無顯著差異；(3) 就受試者單字學習知識(vocabulary knowledge)質的改變而言，互動式任務組亦優於傳統單字練習題組；(4) 對於受試者的單字學習態度，兩組在認知、情意、行為及單字練習加強活動皆有某些方面的改變。 最後，本研究認為英語教師可以多設計以單字為主的互動式任務來增進學生的學習，並提出建議供未來研究為參考。Research into second language learning has pointed out that effective word- focused activities can facilitate students’ vocabulary learning. Yet, previous studies have been mainly focused on individual learning and on lack of interaction between peers. Therefore, the study adopted a quasi-experimental research design to compare the effects of specialized post-reading interactive vocabulary tasks and traditional vocabulary exercises on junior high school students’ vocabulary acquisition. Changes in learners’ attitudes to vocabulary learning were also investigated. Participants were 63 students from two eighth-grade classes in a junior high school in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The two classes were randomly assigned to the IT (interactive tasks) group and the VE (vocabulary exercises) group. Both groups received the same reading texts and reading comprehension questions, but they completed different vocabulary enhancing activities. Each class session was 45 minutes, and there were six class sessions, with a total of 25 target words for practice. To assess learners’ vocabulary knowledge of the target words, the two groups took pre- and post-vocabulary tests and a vocabulary learning attitude questionnaire before and after the experiment, to see if there were any attitude changes among learners throughout the study. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 18.0, including descriptive statistics, Independent Samples t-test and Paired Samples t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results are summarized as follows. First, in terms of vocabulary growth, students completing interactive tasks significantly outperformed those who received vocabulary exercises. Second, concerning receptive and productive word knowledge, interactive tasks were helpful in elevating learners’ performance on contextualized assessments like multiple-choice questions and filling-in blanks. However, in decontextualized assessments like L1 translation and spelling, there was no significant difference between the groups. Third, interactive tasks led to better performance on learners’ qualitative changes in vocabulary knowledge than did vocabulary exercises. Finally, for participants’ vocabulary learning attitudes, both groups had some changes in their cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning, and in perceptions of word-focused activities. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that English teachers design and apply more word-focused interactive tasks to enhance students’ vocabulary acquisition, and provides suggestions for future research