The effect of noticing, retrieval, and generation on vocabulary learning and retention among high School students

The present study is an attempt to examine the psychological processes of noticing, retrieval, and generation and their possible contribution to the process of vocabulary learning and retention among intermediate students. The research method was experimental. Ninety intermediate students were randomly assigned to three groups, namely Noticing through Input enhancement (n=30), Input Enhancement plus Input-Based Reviewing (n=30), and Input Enhancement plus Output-Based Reviewing (n=30). The target Academic Words were contextualized in Focus on Vocabulary 2: Mastering the Academic Word List (Schmitt, Schmitt, & Mann, 2011). A pretest composed of the VKS items was administered to the participants. The first group encountered the target words that have been already highlighted to absorb their attention. Encountering the already highlighted words, the second group reviewed the words through researcher-made word cards. The third group, besides encountering the already highlighted words, reviewed the words through paraphrasing the sentences including the target words. One week after the last treatment session, an immediate posttest, and after two weeks, a delayed posttest were administered. Based on the results of Friedman’s ANOVAs, subsequent Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests, and Kruskal Wallis Tests, it was revealed that noticing without any intervention has no significant effect on vocabulary learning and retention. It was also found that both types of input-based and output-based reviewing have positive effect on vocabulary learning and retention and their effects are not significantly different.