ERIC Number: ED360831
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1993-Apr-14
Pages: 38
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Is Concurrent-Translation or Preview-Review More Effective in Promoting Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition?
Ulanoff, Sharon; Pucci, Sandra
This study investigated the effectiveness of two English second language (ESL) teaching methodologies commonly used in bilingual classrooms: concurrent translation, often criticized but widely practiced, and dual language preview-review, which combines introductory and follow-up exercises in the first language and lesson teaching in the second language. Subjects were 60 native Spanish-speaking third-grade students of mixed Spanish and English reading skills, divided into three groups. One (n=16) was a control group, one (n=21) was taught using concurrent translation, and one (n=23) was taught using the preview-review method. All had the same teacher. Pre- and posttests of vocabulary acquisition were administered and analyzed. Results indicate that the children learned and retained far more vocabulary with the preview-review method. However, students taught with the concurrent translation method who took a delayed posttest performed better than those with a posttest immediately after treatment; this difference was not statistically significant. The findings support the use of preview-review in the bilingual classroom. Further research on the possible negative effects of the concurrent translation method, on long-term treatment effects, and on methods building on student background knowledge is recommended. A 57-item bibliography and the vocabulary test used are appended. (MSE)
Descriptors: Advance Organizers, Bilingual Education, Classroom Techniques, Comparative Analysis, Elementary School Students, English (Second Language), Grade 3, Instructional Effectiveness, Learning Strategies, Limited English Speaking, Primary Education, Second Language Learning, Second Languages, Spanish Speaking, Translation, Vocabulary Development
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Atlanta, GA, April 12-16, 1993).