The Impact of Integrated and Split-attention Online Reading Formats on Building Adult EAP Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge

Abstract

Cognitive load theory has been used by second language acquisition researchers to explain differences in learners’ performance when they are exposed to different instructional formats. The cognitive load related to second language online reading can be affected by many factors. One of the factors is the L2 proficiency of the readers. A second factor is the amount of text displayed on screen. A third factor is the effectiveness of instructional formats. Various instructional formats have been found to affect the learners’ cognitive load and working memory differently. None of the studies which looked at the effect of certain instructional formats on students’ cognitive load and their building of vocabulary knowledge have considered the influence of the online split-attention and integrated instructional formats on EAP learners’ vocabulary acquisition in particular. This study is designed to investigate whether there is a relation between cognitive load and building vocabulary knowledge; thus, whether word meaning knowledge, word family knowledge, or collocation knowledge among EAP students can be learnt more effectively depending on the different instructional formats of the online reading texts. The two different instructional formats are split-attention and integrated instructional formats. Moreover, the study investigates whether different proficiency levels among learners or their first languages may affect building their vocabulary knowledge in both split-attention or integrated instructional formats. A quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted to collect quantitative data needed to answer the research questions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of split-attention and integrated reading formats on EAP learners’ vocabulary knowledge. Specifically, are reading tasks in the integrated format more effective than in the split-attention format in helping adult EAP learners build their word meaning, word families and collocations knowledge? Do adult EAP learners at different proficiency levels, or with different first languages acquire new vocabulary items differently with the different formats? To answer the research questions, sixty participants (35 Arabic speakers, 25 Chinese speakers) who were a group of adult learners studying English for University Studies at a language centre in a UK university, were assigned into low proficiency level learners and high proficiency level groups according to their IELTS scores. Participants were divided into a group exposed to split-attention reading instructional format and a group exposed to integrated reading instructional format. Data was collected using a pre-test, treatment, and a post-test. The results showed that there was an increase in the number of participants who answered the vocabulary questions correctly after the experiment in both split-attention and integrated groups. This increase was mainly in word meaning and word family questions. A (paired-samples t-test) showed a statistically significant increase in the test scores from pre-test to post-test, and the results showed that the increase was statistically significant in word meaning and collocation knowledge, but not in word family knowledge; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the results of the split-attention and the integrated group in the post-test although the scores of the integrated group were higher than those of the split-attention group. While participants of higher proficiency level gave significantly more correct answers than those of lower proficiency level in the split-attention group, the difference in the integrated group was not statistically significant. L1 did not have any statistically significant effect on acquiring new vocabulary items in either split-attention or integrated groups.