Data from: The influence of evaluative right/wrong feedback on phonological and semantic processes in word learning

Feedback is typically incorporated in word learning paradigms, in both research studies and commercial language learning apps. While the common-sense view is that feedback is helpful during learning, relatively little empirical evidence about the role of feedback in spoken vocabulary learning exists. Some work has suggested that long-term word learning is not enhanced by the presence of feedback, and that words are best learned implicitly. It is also plausible that feedback might have differential effects when learners focus on learning semantic facts, or when they focus on learning a new phonological sequence of sounds. In this study, we assess how providing evaluative (right/wrong) feedback on a spoken response influences two different components of vocabulary learning, the learning of a new phonological form, and the learning of a semantic property of the phonological form. We find that receiving evaluative feedback improves retention of phonological forms, but not of semantic facts.

在词汇学习研究范式中，反馈机制普遍应用于学术研究实验与商业化语言学习应用程序内。尽管主流认知认为学习过程中反馈具有辅助作用，但针对口语词汇学习场景下反馈所扮演角色的实证研究证据却相对匮乏。已有研究表明，反馈的存在并不会提升词汇的长期学习效果，且词汇学习的最优方式为内隐学习。此外，当学习者聚焦于语义知识点的学习，或是专注掌握全新的语音序列时，反馈或许会产生差异化影响，这一推论具备合理性。本研究旨在探究：针对口语应答提供正误评估类反馈，会如何作用于词汇学习的两个核心维度——新语音形式的掌握，以及该语音形式所对应的语义属性的习得。研究结果显示：获取正误评估类反馈可提升学习者对语音形式的记忆留存效果，但对语义知识点的记忆留存无显著促进作用。