Barcroft, Joe. "Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition: A Lexical Input Processing
Approach."Foreign Language Annals 37.2 (2004): 200-08.
“…the primary purpose of this article is to present and discuss a series of current research
findings on L2 vocabulary acquisition and how learners process new L2 words as input.”
(p.200)
The Importance of Vocabulary Acquisition in SLA:
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Argues that lack of vocabulary “impedes” communication more often than lack of
grammar. He gives the following two examples:
o Someone wants to say “he wants a spoon” – the message is more clear if they
say “he want spoon” (grammatical error) than it is if they say “he wants a
fork” (vocabulary error)
o Someone wants to say “it snows” – clearer message if they say “it snow”
(grammatical error) than “it nevs” (vocabulary error)
Students say their ability to function in an L2 can be attributed to their knowledge of
L2 vocabulary
Among advanced L2 learners, “restricted vocabulary” can keep them from a “nativelike performance”
“…the ability to use language correctly and fluently, with regard to what one knows
to be ‘grammatical’ in nature, depends on processing individual words and
combinations of words repeatedly over long periods of time.”
Overview of Research:
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Incidental vocabulary learning – acquiring new words through context without
meaning to
Intentional vocabulary learning – intending to acquire new words by studying vocab
list, completing workbook activities, etc.
Lexical input processing – “how learners process words and lexical phrases to which
they are exposed”
Five Principles of Effective L2 Vocabulary Instruction:
1. Present New Words Frequently and Repeatedly in the Input
a. Learners must process new vocab as input before they can produce output with
new words in vocabulary-oriented activities
b. present new words as input frequently and often
2. Use Meaning-Bearing Comprehensible Input When Presenting New Words
a. “Input needs to convey meaning and be sufficiently comprehensible so that
learners are able to attach form to meaning, and in the case of vocabulary
acquisition, in order to attach new word forms to appropriate word meanings.”
b. i + 1
c. The example he gives deals with the word “wax” – “candles are made of wax”
is easier for a learner than “wax is an unctuous and viscous substance”.
d. Speak at a slower pace when first introducing words
e. Use visuals and gestures to convey meaning
f. Comprehension checks (e.g. yes or no questions) are helpful
3. Limit Forced Output During the Initial Stages of Learning New Words
a. “Requiring learners to exhaust processing resources for output tasks may
inhibit their ability to [encode new L2 word forms and encode form-meaning
mappings]”
b. Barcroft argues that having students write sentences with new L2 words
exhausted their processing resources. In other words, Sam and Mary Andrews
shouldn’t have students write dictionaries when they’re still processing the
news words as input.
4. Limit Forced Semantic Elaboration During the Initial Stages of Learning New Words
a. “…limit forced semantic elaboration during the initial stages of L2 word
meaning.”
b. Transfer appropriate processing (TAP) – “memory is better if the task
performed when learning an item is similar to the task performed when
attempting to remember the item at a later time.”
c. Memory for L2 words depends more on memory of word form.
d. When performing a semantic task, semantic processing and learning increase
while form-oriented processing and learning decreases.
e. Manzana means “apple” and “block” in Spanish – he argues it is not a
question of whether or not learners should learn this, but when they should
learn this.
5. Progress From Less Demanding to More Demanding Vocabulary-Related Activities
a. Early stages – use real-world items, present words with pictures, include and
clarify meaning in the “context of larger discussions”
b. Later stages – elaboration of meaning and production of words
c. Over time – as they build on their knowledge of these words they can be used
in communicative and task-based activities
My Conclusion: I recognize that this article does not deal with circumlocution, but there are
some concepts, namely the timetable of sorts for teaching vocabulary, that may be useful
when we create our research proposal. In other words, vocabulary and circumlocution
strategies are not taught in a way they can be processed then our study will not be effective.