No Frequency Effect but Spacing Effect in Words-Writing

Abstract

Learners frequently write L2 words down to learn words. There is frequency effect in incidental vocabulary acquisition and spacing effect in word pair study, but there is no study about whether the above results can be generalized to words-writing. This study aimed to explore frequency effect and spacing effect in words-writing. Ninety-one subjects were divided into three groups to write 16 words down with form and meaning. Group one wrote 16 words down 3 times in one learning episode without any spacing, group two wrote 16 words down 6 times in one learning episode without any spacing, but group 3 wrote 16 words down 3 times in 2 learning episodes with 20 minutes interval. The results showed that frequency effect did not promote L2 words learning; but spacing effect did. In other words, spacing effect in word pair study can but frequency effect in incidental vocabulary acquisition can not be generalized to words-writing. It is suggested that learners do not write words down for many times without spacing, but spaced their words-writing.