This study aimed to test the findings of earlier research indicating that EFL students could better learn new vocabulary via translation from L1 rather than by encountering it in the context of L2 sentences. Over one thousand Thai freshmen students were allocated to one of three groups to learn 30 unfamiliar English words. One group studied translation pairs, a second studied the words in the context of English sentences with graphic illustrations and the third had English sentences, illustrations and Thai translation. After a brief delay participants were given a posttest involving gapped sentences and translations. Results showed the students who learned via translation did not do better than the two groups who learned contextually. The findings do not support the contention that switching to L1 in EFL classes to introduce new vocabulary is justified.

Various studies have shown intentional learning of L2 vocabulary to be more efficient than incidental learning from exposure to comprehensible input. Some have argued that such learning may be further enhanced by recourse to L1 translation, particularly for weaker learners. The present study aims to determine if intentional learning of new vocabulary through L1 does indeed confer an advantage over intentional learning from an L2 context. To this end, 403 Thai freshmen students were pre-tested on thirty vocabulary items set for study on their English course. They were then randomly allocated to either a translation or context group to learn those items. Time on task was controlled. A delayed post-test showed that while the translation group was better at matching the thirty English words with Thai translations, albeit marginally so, there was no benefit conferred on the translation group when it came to using the words in a contextual gap-filling exercise. This finding held for both advanced and weaker learners. Affiliations