Conti ranks ten techniques by research strength. Spaced retrieval practice comes first, then interaction with corrective feedback, input flood + FonF, pushed output, task repetition, structured input, text reconstruction, chunks, guided revision, metalinguistic tasks.
The ranking (Conti’s own reading of the literature)
- Spaced retrieval practice (“very strong”): Roediger & Karpicke 2006; Pavlik & Anderson 2005; Karpicke & Blunt 2011
- Interaction with corrective feedback: Long 1996; Lyster & Ranta 1997; Mackey & Goo 2007
- Input flood + focus on form: Schmidt 2001; Doughty & Williams 1998
- Pushed output: Swain 1995, 2005
- Task repetition with variation: Bygate 2001
- Structured input: VanPatten & Cadierno 1993
- Text reconstruction (dictogloss) / sentence processing
- Lexical chunks: Nation; Ellis 2002
- Editing and guided revision
- Metalinguistic awareness tasks
How to do spaced retrieval (classroom)
- Warm-ups that revisit earlier weeks (transformations, oral recall, closed-book dictation).
- Systematic rotation: old items recur alongside new ones.
- Peer quizzing games (Oral Ping-Pong, No Snakes No Ladders, Pyramid Translation).
- Spaced flashcards (Anki); revisit in varied social configurations.
- Key idea: retrieval “recurs after learners have begun to forget.”
Limits & critique
- Self-described as “my own reading and interpretation”. Ratings are judgements, not meta-analytic effect sizes.
- Some support is self-citation (Conti 2004 thesis).
- Much of the evidence base is lab-based or vocabulary-specific. (Claude)
Apply in my context (Claude)
- Build a lag schedule into the Prepare 2e ladder: every lesson’s warmer retrieves from 1 lesson, 1 week and 1 unit ago. Your homework-check decks are already the right vehicle.
- Gamification link: Tanga rewards for delayed recall (week-old items), not same-day recall. That rewards what predicts retention.