그림과 작업기억력이 영어어휘습득에 미치는 영향

The interplay of pictures and working memory capacity in vocabulary acquisition of Korean EFL children

Two experiments were conducted in order to explore the effects of pictures and working memory capacity on vocabulary learning of Korean children who learn English as a foreign language (EFL). In Experiment 1, one hundred and five 6th graders were assigned to two groups and were exposed four times to their corresponding experimental materials: (ⅰ) English words + meanings and (ⅱ) English words + meanings + congruent pictures. The results showed that the main effect of picture did not reach statistical significance and that the main effect of working memory capacity was statistically and practically significant (p ＜ .001, Cohen’s d = 1.699). No significant interaction between picture and working memory capacity was observed. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 with a different group of learners (eighty-eight 6th graders) and different exposure frequency (eight times). The results indicated significant interaction of picture and working memory capacity, meaning that only learners with high working memory capacity benefitted significantly from pictures with increasing exposure frequency, whereas those with low working memory span did not reap as much benefit. The findings have important bearings on EFL vocabulary pedagogy within the context of intentional vocabulary teaching and learning.