The L1 Context Embedding Method in Foreign Language Vocabulary Instruction: A Comparative Study with the Keyword Method

Abstract

The L1 Context Embedding Method that has been proposed and tested by Zi-Gang (2015), consists of inserting target L2 vocabulary, with translations in brackets, into an L1 story text. It has been demonstrated by Zi-Gang (2015) to be more effective than rote memorization. This current study tested the L1 Context Embedding Method against the Keyword Method (Atkinson, 1975) to see if the two methods are comparable. Sixteen university students from an Elementary Spanish class were taught 10 novel Spanish words using each method in a counterbalanced presentation order. They were administered an immediate posttest for each set of 10 words according to each method, then a combined delayed posttest a week later. The test scores showed that the two methods are comparable, since outside factors affected the scores more than the methods themselves. The results also indicated that the L1 Context Embedding Method was slightly more effective in the immediate posttest, but the Keyword Method was moderately more effective in the delayed posttest.