Retention depends on spaced, effortful retrieval and on repeated encounters in varied contexts. Working memory limits how much is new per lesson.
Where the sources disagree
- How much new language per lesson: Conti gives explicit numbers, but they are his synthesis rather than study findings.
- Neuroscience claims vs behavioural evidence: cite the latter for DELTA.
Notes
- Spaced retrieval is the best-supported technique
- How many new words per lesson - working memory limits
- Output tasks after reading boost vocabulary retention
- Neuroscience of language processing - eleven claims and their limits
- MARS-EARS - the EPI instructional sequence
More notes (by source)
A Journey in TEFL
- Close lessons deliberately - a menu of closing routines
Adaptive Learning in ELT (Philip Kerr) - Word-card apps are a first stage - add generation, elaboration and hints
Barefoot TEFL Teacher (David Weller) - Elicit before you present - context, one-answer questions, wait time
Book - How to Take Smart Notes (Sönke Ahrens) - A well-defined task beats willpower
Book - Learn Like a Pro and Uncommon Sense Teaching (Barbara Oakley) - Phones and task-switching cut learning - protect attention
Book - You the Super Teacher (UzbTutors) - Present orally and visually - dual coding
EFL Magazine - Keyword method - sound-alike plus image for word retention
ELT-CATION (Svetlana Kandybovich) - Repetition without boredom - vary one task parameter at a time
Edutopia - Familiarity is not mastery - retrieve, explain, contrast, transfer
- Handwriting beats typing for encoding
- Spacing and interleaving beat massed practice
Gianfranco Conti (The Language Gym) - The full EPI cycle - sentence builders are only step one
Jamie Clayton - Recycle emergent language - board photos and upgraded learner texts
Larry Ferlazzo - Intrinsic motivation and deep strategies predict long-term growth
Leo Selivan (Leoxicon) - Ten paper activities for recycling vocabulary sets
Ljiljana Havran - Library-based extensive reading as implicit learning
Steve Smith (Language Teacher Toolkit) - Mnemonics build declarative knowledge, not proficiency
- Nation’s eight principles of learning as a task checklist
Teaching English with Oxford - Songs as varied repetition - useful ideas, shaky MI framing
From my books (highlights)
- Source - Book - Learn Like a Pro and Uncommon Sense Teaching (Barbara Oakley)
- Source - Book - You the Super Teacher (UzbTutors)
Key terms (DELTA M1)
retrieval practice · testing effect · spacing effect · interleaving · desirable difficulties (Bjork) · working memory (Baddeley; Cowan) · cognitive load · depth of processing · transfer-appropriate processing · declarative/procedural memory (Ullman)