LCD790, Spring 2009
Prof. De Jong
Example annotation
Note: This document consists of two parts. The first shows how I gathered important
information from the paper in preparation for writing the annotation. The second is the
annotation itself.
Part 1: Preparation
Reference:
Barcroft, J. (2004). Effects of sentence writing in second language lexical acquisition.
Second Language Research, 20(4), 303-334.
The following information is summarized:
A. RQ/Hypothesis
B. Key terms or ideas
C. Theory to interpret the data
D. Method
E. Results
F. Discussion
A. RQs:
1) Does writing new words in sentences affect L2 lexical acquisition?
2) If the answer to Question 1 is ‘yes’, does sentence writing decrease L2 lexical
acquisition?
3) If the answer to Question 1 is ‘yes’, are the effects of sentence writing both short
term and long term?
B. Key terms (from introduction, mostly from first—sometimes last—sentences):
 sentence writing
 semantic elaboration: “situation in which a learner’s processing resources are
directed at the semantic (referential, meaning-related) properties of a stimulus
item in the input, that is, 304 Sentence writing in lexical acquisition a situation in
which a learner is focused on semantic properties than would otherwise be the
case.”; “Previous studies have found that semantic elaboration positively affects
memory for known words”
 levels of processing (LOP): this term doesn’t reappear after the introduction
 transfer appropriate processing (TAP) theory: “which maintains that memorial
effects depend upon the nature of tasks to be performed at study and test”. This
theory is referred to several times.
o “According to TAP, memory performance depends upon the extent to
which processes engaged at the time of learning are the same as those
engaged during a test of memory.”

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
“‘type of processing-resource allocation’ (TOPRA) model for the relationship
between semantic vs. structural processing and lexical learning (Barcroft, 2000).”
This theory is referred to several times.
o “According to the TOPRA model, when processing demands are
sufficiently high …, semantic elaboration can increase processing and
learning of the semantic (conceptual) properties of words while
simultaneously decreasing processing and learning of the structural
properties of words …” [my emphasis]
“Although the predictions of TAP and TOPRA are consistent at a general level,
the TOPRA model focuses directly on the dissociation between different types of
processing (e.g., semantic, structural) and the gradated relationship between types
of processing and their learning counterparts.”
initial stages of learning new L2 words
output
“Overall, these findings on the relationship between different types of output and
lexical learning suggest that the effect of output may depend heavily on the nature
of the lexical learning task and the type of dependent measure in question”
C. Theory to interpret the data:
 transfer-appropriate processing (TAP)
 type of processing-resource allocation (TOPRA)
D. Method
 Two experiments
 Experiment 1:
o Participants: 44 second-semester university-level L2 Spanish students
(monolingual English L1)
o Design: Within-group, sentence writing vs. no sentence writing
(independent variable) [note: presentation order is not relevant for an AB
annotation]
o Materials: concrete nouns
o Procedures: pre-test – exposure – posttest 1-2-3
o [Note: Assessment (~analysis) is too much detail for an AB annotation]
 Experiment 2 (controlling for number of repetitions and overall time on task))
o Participants: 14 English-speaking second-semester L2 Spanish students
(monolingual English L1)
o Same design, method and procedures as Experiment 1
E. Results
 Experiment 1
o Results (actually from the Discussion section): There was a strong and
lasting negative effect of sentence writing on L2 lexical acquisition of new
words
 Experiment 2
o Again: writing new L2 words in sentences negatively affected L2 lexical
learning for those words based on the productively oriented measure of L2
vocabulary knowledge examined. (controlled for number of repetitions
and overall time on task)
F. Discussion
 semantic elaboration: “In short, semantic elaboration can function like a doubleedged sword during word-level input processing: When processing resources are
being utilized at maximum levels, increased semantic processing can facilitate
semantic learning while concurrently inhibiting form processing and form
learning”
 output: “the proposition that output can inhibit new word learning is consistent
with TAP theory, the TOPRA model and the general finding that divided attention
during time-sharing activities can inhibit learner performance given learners’
limited processing capacities (Wickens, 1984). Although output may be necessary
or useful for the development of certain components of L2 competence (Swain,
1985), it can potentially inhibit other areas of linguistic development, such as
learners’ ability to encode and retain new word forms when they initially
encounter new L2 words.”
 L2 word-level input processing: “Therefore, because both the semantic
elaboration and elicited output components of sentence writing utilize processing
resources that could otherwise be used to encode the new word form being
presented as input, the strong inhibitory effects observed for sentence writing in
the present study make sense.”
Part 2: The annotation
Barcroft, J. (2004). Effects of sentence writing in second language lexical acquisition.
Second Language Research, 20(4), 303-334.
This paper shows that sentence writing has a strong and lasting negative effect on the
acquisition of new words, even when number of repetitions and overall time on task are
controlled for. This finding is consistent with two theories of learning: transferappropriate processing (TAP) and type of processing-resource allocation (TOPRA). It is
argued that processing resources are limited, so when semantic processing is at maximum
level, form processing, and thus form learning, is inhibited. This applies to both the
semantic elaboration and output components of the sentence writing task.
This was a carefully designed study consisting of two experiments. Prior
knowledge of the target and other languages was controlled for. A weak point is that the
study doesn’t distinguish between the two theories, TAP and TOPRA. This paper is
relevant to my research study because it investigates learning new vocabulary, showing
the importance of keeping processing demands low initially. [149 words]