The Effects of Participation Structure on Incidental and Intentional L2-English Vocabulary Acquisition During a Reading Task

Abstract

Participation structure can affect how language learners approach different aspects of a language, such as vocabulary acquisition. Collaboration is often regarded as being more beneficial than working alone, as it allows a learner to gain new ideas and knowledge from others. However, previous research has shown mixed results. Additionally, there appears to be a gap in knowledge of both participation structure and L2 vocabulary acquisition from a Swedish school context. This study investigates if participation structure (pairs and alone) can influence Swedish pupils in the acquisition of L2-English in the form of cockney rhyming slang in both incidental and intentional vocabulary learning. Participants were tested on their knowledge of the target expressions after two separate reading tasks, as well as two weeks after the initial testing day. Results found that there were no significant differences between working alone and in pairs in all three tests. Additionally, more vocabulary was acquired with intentional learning than incidental learning for both participation structures. Participants achieved their highest scores in the two-week delayed tests. One possible explanation is a lack of effective communication between the participants who worked in pairs during the reading tasks. Pedagogical implications for both collaborative tasks and L2-English vocabulary are discussed, and suggestions are made for further research with collaborative work.