The Effects of Task Involvement Load on L2 Incidental Vocabulary Learning: A Meta‐Analytic Study

Abstract

This meta‐analytic study provides a systematic statistical synthesis of the effects of output tasks on second or foreign incidental vocabulary learning. A total of 12 studies were included in this meta‐analysis. Five mediator variables were examined: design quality, types of output task, time on task, genres of text, and text–target word ratios. Results show that language learners who completed an output task outperformed those who only read a text. Results also support the involvement load hypothesis: Language learners who performed a task with a higher degree of involvement load, gained more vocabulary. Studies with high and medium levels of design quality were more likely to detect statistically significant differences among groups with different output tasks, compared to studies with a low level of design quality. Furthermore, results indicate that time on task had positive effects on vocabulary learning. Learners who read a combination of expository and narrative text gained more vocabulary than those who only read either an expository or narrative text. Learners who read a text with text–target word ratios of less than or equal to 2% did not learn significantly more vocabulary than those who read a text with a ratio of 2% to 5%.

Motivation and Gender Effect in Receptive Vocabulary Learning: An Exploratory Analysis in CLIL Primary Education

“…Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) discuss the Involvement Load Hypothesis, which refers to the cognitive and motivational weight of vocabulary tasks. Based on this hypothesis, Kim (2008) concludes that there is a connection between motivation and lexical performance; a meta-analysis conducted by Huang, Eslami, and Wilson (2012) confirms this finding. For example, these authors found that language learners who completed an output task outperformed those who only read a text, and language learners who performed a task with a higher degree of involvement load gained more vocabulary.…”

A Meta‐Analysis and Meta‐Regression of Incidental Second Language Word Learning from Spoken Input

“…Different L2 learning activities require different amounts of these motivational (need) and cognitive (search, evaluation) constructs, and activities that require a higher involvement from the learner are expected to lead to more learning. A meta-analysis by Huang, Willson, and Eslami (2012) found support for this hypothesis: Participants who completed an output task (which supposedly was high in involvement) acquired more vocabulary than those who only read a text (which supposedly was low in involvement).…”

The Effects of Task-induced Involvement Load on Word Learning and Confidence Judgments Mediated by Knowledge and Regulation of Cognition

“…However, when the same tasks were repeated, taskinduced involvement load is not related to further improvement. Independently, Huang, Eslami, and Willson (2012) revealed that word leaning is better in the learners who read a combination of expository and narrative texts than those who read either of an expository or narrative text. However, when time spent on the tasks is considered, the benefits connected to a higher degree of task-induced involvement load faded.…”