Boundary Conditions of Retrieval-Enhanced Learning: Evidence from Contextual Learning and Retention of Second Language Multi-Word Expressions

Previous research has demonstrated that retrieval practice and contextual inference are equally effective in learning and retention of first language words from reading, but their effectiveness for contextual learning of second language words has yet to be established. This study extends this line of inquiry, investigating the comparative effects of retrieval and contextual inference on contextual learning and retention of second language multi-word expressions. Eighty-five Iranian learners of English as a foreign language were randomly assigned to retrieval and contextual inference groups. The retrieval group read 28 neutral texts and were required to retrieve and write the target items while the contextual inference group read the informative texts which triggered contextual inference. Learning was measured by immediate and delayed form and meaning recall post-tests. Results of the mixed-effects regression analysis showed that contextual inference was significantly more effective than retrieval in both post-tests, suggesting potential boundary conditions of retrieval-enhanced learning from reading.