Pixel International Conferences

Most language teachers accept that not all of what is taught in the classroom remains in the students long-term memory and that the situation is far from the ideal input=output analogy. Although CALL enthusiasts proclaimed that language learning would be enhanced by the introduction of the machine in the language classroom, results remain comparatively poor in vocabulary long-term retention particularly when all information is provided and executed on screen.

This systematic experimental study examines retainment of two vocabulary supportive feedback strategies in an on-line language learning set-up, following a typical pre treatment-treatment-after treatment pattern. The two strategies (dependent variables) tested were: a) a hypertext typical direct strategy (passive learning) over b) an experimental strategy that involved some off screen task (active learning). 48 subjects from the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade, varying from 9 to 12 years old participated in the study at the primary school of Kalymnos island in Greece. The participants were treated with the two strategies in learning 12 vocabulary items half of which were offered with the traditional method and the other half with the experimental. A few registered independent variables were: a) preferred strategy, b) strategy they think they learn better with, and c) strategy they think is better for learning in general.

Results show that the strategy which involved an off-screen task performed statistically better that the one by which all learning was to be executed on-screen. Findings also indicate that subjects do not know how they learn better as the strategy indicated by them as their preferred strategy for learning was not the one they actually learned better with. Finally, results seem to support a stance by which it is possible to claim that the human brain is not such a perfect organism as it is often portrait to be as there is a significant percentage of input that does not become output in both strategies.