Research School Network: “We don’t need no (foreign language) education!” How can we better engage students in MFL and simply make those words stick?

What is the problem? 

I recently completed my Masters dissertation, which focused on the (lack of) engagement in learning a foreign language. One of my findings was that many students do not feel they are capable of achieving highly, as they consider their ​‘academic value’ too low to be a successful language learner. Therefore, they showed low resilience to challenge and did not enjoy the learning experience. Amidst this cycle, disengaging and dismissing its importance often becomes the easier option. However, as teachers, we are in the best position to break this cycle and re-engage students. The only question remaining now is, how?

To address the disengagement, we have to address their perceived ​‘academic value’ and help them realise that it is achievable. One of the problems we face is the extreme breadth of vocabulary and the fact that too much of it is forgotten along the way, which impacts on a student’s perceived ​‘academic value’ because they feel ​“they just don’t know any words”. Therefore, the focus needs to be on effectively helping our students to transfer vocabulary to their long-term memory, so that they can recall it and later retrieve it in a test or exam, leading to a feeling of achievement and success. 

Memory theory

Our memory is broken down into short-term memory and long-term memory. We are guilty of throwing a significant number of new words at students in just one lesson. However, memory theory suggests that most of these will be lost within 30 seconds and students only hold approximately seven of these words in their short-term memory. However, rehearsal helps to transfer this vocabulary to their long-term memory, with limitless capacity, enabling them to retrieve it.

Practice Testing

Our KS3 homework focuses solely on vocabulary rehearsal, whereby students use Quizlet on a weekly basis for practice testing and self-quizzing. Dunlosky (2013) argues that practice tests are an effective way of transferring information to long-term memory and Quizlet requires students to recall the correct answer from memory which, based on evidence, has a greater effect long term than simply recognising the correct answer. The competitive element to Quizlet encourages students to complete practice tests against the clock, competing with their peers online. I have found that this motivates my students to spend more time practising, as they become determined to beat their friends. In addition, students continue to test themselves until they correctly recall each concept at least once from their memory. Dunlosky (2013) also advocates that teachers should support independent practice testing with practice testing in lessons. In light of this, at the start of all our lessons we begin with a Quizlet vocabulary test, testing students on the same ten terms they have learnt that week. In agreement with Dunlosky (2013), I have found that students take this practising process more seriously, knowing there will be a test in class. I have also found that testing them on the same ten words they have been practising enhances their confidence and increases their perceived ​‘academic value’.

Distributed Practice

The use of Quizlet also allows for distributed practice, another effective strategy for strengthening long-term memory (Dunlosky, 2013). A student can learn words one of two ways: massed practice or distributed practice. Massed practice involves practising the same word multiple times before moving on to the next one. However, Dunlosky (2013) argues that distributed practice is more effective, involving practising each word only once and, after practising the final word, going back to practise each one again. This is how all the learning activities on Quizlet work, encouraging pupils to retrieve information from their memory as they complete distributed practice.

However, distributed practice also involves students distributing their learning sessions over the week, rather than doing it the night before in a panic. This is proving more of a challenge to overcome. Although this requires more effort from students, distributing their practice across the week will help transfer the vocabulary to their long-term memory. If anyone has been successful in encouraging students to work this way, then please share your strategies.

For us, Quizlet has been successful, both from the perspective of engaging students to learn vocabulary in an interactive way, but also helping students to recall and retrieve vocabulary from their memory, therefore increasing their confidence in our subject.

My next query lies with low-stakes testing. Evidence argues that this is a more effective way of testing in class, but my concern is that we are sacrificing the opportunity to praise pupils for their learning efforts and to support them with their revision strategies if they are not quite getting it right. I am interested in hearing your thoughts before I write another blog on this.

I would recommend reading Dunlosky’s (2013) work on Study Strategies in more detail.

Dunlosky, J. (2013). Strengthening the student toolbox: Study strategies to boost learning, American Educator, 37(3), 12 – 21.