Optimizing Vocabulary Acquisition Through Time-Pressured Practice: A Cognitive Load Perspective

Abstract

The current study examines the effects of time pressure on vocabulary learning from a cognitive load perspective. It investigated whether the imposition of time restrictions would facilitate automatization and subsequent vocabulary acquisition by managing cognitive resources. Sixty-two Japanese female junior college students were divided into a time-restricted (TR) group and a timeunrestricted (TU) group. Participants learned 20 new English vocabulary items via a computer-based program and were required to select the correct L1 meaning for each item from three options. The TR group was given a 3000-millisecond time limit per item, whereas the TU group was allowed to proceed at their own pace. Following a 15-minute training session, a computer-based test measured vocabulary meaning recognition speed (RTs), learning gains, and the number of practice attempts. A surprise delayed post-test was administered two weeks later to assess long-term retention. The findings suggest that time pressure did not directly improve immediate meaning recognition RTs or learning scores. However, the TR group showed a significantly higher number of practice attempts and a superior long-term retention score. This paradoxical outcome suggests that time pressure, by increasing extrinsic cognitive load, may have expedited the learning process, thereby enabling more practice attempts. These additional attempts, in turn, may have facilitated the automatization of lexical access, leading to enhanced long-term retention. These results indicate that, while not directly improving RTs, time-pressured practice can be a beneficial pedagogical tool for EFL vocabulary learning by increasing a learner’s engagement and practice opportunities.

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