Retrieval frequency in vocabulary retention

Summary

Existing Knowledge:

·   Retrieving information previously learned can strengthen memory (benefits for memory)

·   However, repeatedly retrieving information can also make it susceptible to change (reconsolidation account).

New Insights from this Study:

·   This study examines how often we retrieve previously learned information (retrieval frequency) and the time between retrieving it and learning new information (temporal distance) affects memorizing the old information.

·   The study found that repeatedly retrieving information only benefits long-term memory if there is a significant delay (3 days in this study) before learning new information.

Putting Research into Practice:

·   Instructors can design learning activities that space out reviews of previously learned material with new information to optimize memorization.

Story Version: The Timing Game: When to Review Your Vocabulary

Picture yourself embarking on the exciting journey of learning a new language. You've just memorized a list of 20 new words. How often should you review them, and when should you learn new words?

This was the question that puzzled researchers. They wanted to know if reviewing words repeatedly helped you remember them better, and if learning new words right after reviewing the old ones interfered with your memory.

They divided a group of students into different groups. Some students reviewed the same list of words once, while others reviewed it multiple times. Then, some students learned a new list of words immediately after reviewing the old one, while others waited a few days.

After a while, all students were tested on how well they remembered the first list of words. Surprisingly, the students who reviewed the words multiple times remembered them better only when they learned the new words a few days later. But if they learned the new words right away, reviewing the old words didn't help as much.

So, it turns out that the timing of when you review and when you learn new things is important. Reviewing something multiple times can help you remember it better, but only if you give your brain some time to consolidate the memory before learning something new.

This means that for effective language learning, it might be better to space out your vocabulary reviews and avoid cramming new words right after revising old ones.

Reference: Article Title: Timing matters: The interplay of the retrieval frequency and temporal distance between retrieving a prior list and encoding a new list in vocabulary retention

Authors: Lin Guon

Publication Year: 2020

Journal: Learning and Motivation