UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE LOAD ON VOCABULARY RETENTION IN EFL: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
Keywords:
Cognitive load, vocabulary retention, EFLAbstract
Vocabulary acquisition plays an important role in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, significantly affecting communication, comprehension and academic performance. However, many EFL learners struggle to retain new vocabulary due to cognitive load. This study aims to investigate the impact of cognitive load on vocabulary retention in EFL learners, drawing from Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and insights from neuroscience. The research emphasizes the importance of managing cognitive load effectively, as cognitive load plays a critical role in improving vocabulary retention. The findings suggest that reducing cognitive load in the classroom can significantly improve vocabulary retention and provide valuable insights for EFL teachers in designing more effective learning strategies. The research contributes to existing knowledge in language learning and neuroscience, offering practical recommendations for language learning practice.
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References
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Al-Dersi, Z. E. M. (2013). The use of short-stories for developing vocabulary of EFL learners. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 1(1), 72-86.
Asyiah, D. N. (2017). The Vocabulary Teaching and Vocabulary Learning: Perception, Strategies, and Influences on Students' Vocabulary Mastery. Jurnal Bahasa Lingua Scientia, 9(2), 293-318.
Baddeley, A. (1992). Working memory. Science, 255(5044), 556-559.
Bai, Z. (2018). An analysis of English vocabulary learning strategies. Journal of language Teaching and Research, 9(4), 849-855.
Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (1991). Cognitive load theory and the format of instruction. Cognition and instruction, 8(4), 293-332.
Chen, M. H., Tseng, W. T., & Hsiao, T. Y. (2018). The effectiveness of digital game‐based vocabulary learning: A framework‐based view of meta‐analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(1), 69-77.
Chew, S. L., & Cerbin, W. J. (2021). The cognitive challenges of effective teaching. The Journal of Economic Education, 52(1), 17-40.
Cowan, N. (2008). What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory?. Progress in brain research, 169, 323-338.
De Jong, T. (2010). Cognitive load theory, educational research, and instructional design: Some food for thought. Instructional science, 38(2), 105-134.
D'Esposito, M., & Postle, B. R. (2015). The cognitive neuroscience of working memory. Annual review of psychology, 66(1), 115-142.
Di Carlo, S. (2017). Understanding cognitive language learning strategies. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 6(2), 114-126.
Feldon, D. F. (2007). Cognitive load and classroom teaching: The double-edged sword of automaticity. Educational psychologist, 42(3), 123-137.
Fong, M. C. M., Ma, M. K. H., Chui, J. Y. T., Law, T. S. T., Hui, N. Y., Au, A., & Wang, W. S. (2022). Foreign language learning in older adults: Anatomical and cognitive markers of vocabulary learning success. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 16, 787413.
Hashemzadeh, M. (2012). The effect of exercise types on EFL learners’ vocabulary retention. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(8), 1716-1727.
Hornay, P. M. A. (2021). Cognitive load theory and the English language instruction. ACCENTIA: Journal of English Language and Education, 1(1), 43-55.
Hultberg, P., Calonge, D. S., & Lee, A. E. S. (2018). Promoting long-lasting learning through instructional design. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(3).
Jaeger, A. J., Shipley, T. F., & Reynolds, S. J. (2017). The roles of working memory and cognitive load in geoscience learning. Journal of Geoscience Education, 65(4), 506-518.
Jamaludin, D. N. (2022). Information Processing and Memory in Learning. JEID: Journal of Educational Integration and Development, 2(2), 88-102.
Kirschner, P. A. (2002). Cognitive load theory: Implications of cognitive load theory on the design of learning. Learning and instruction, 12(1), 1-10.
Lee, S. M. (2023). Factors affecting incidental L2 vocabulary acquisition and retention in a game-enhanced learning environment. ReCALL, 35(3), 274-289.
Leong, L. M., & Ahmadi, S. M. (2017). An Analysis ff Factors Influencing Learners’english Speaking Skill.
Lin, C. C., & Yu, Y. C. (2017). Effects of presentation modes on mobile-assisted vocabulary learning and cognitive load. Interactive Learning Environments, 25(4), 528-542.
Liu, D. (2024). The effects of segmentation on cognitive load, vocabulary learning and retention, and reading comprehension in a multimedia learning environment. BMC psychology, 12(1), 4.
Miller, G. (1956). Human memory and the storage of information. IRE Transactions on Information Theory, 2(3), 129-137.
Min, Y. K. (2013). Vocabulary acquisition: Practical strategies for ESL students. Journal of International students, 3(1), 64-69.
Nation, P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Indonesian JELT: Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, 12(1), 1-14.
Nordlund, M., & Norberg, C. (2020). Vocabulary in EFL teaching materials for young learners. International Journal of Language Studies, 14(1), 89-116.
Norris, D. (2017). Short-term memory and long-term memory are still different. Psychological bulletin, 143(9), 992.
Ofen, N., Yu, Q., & Chen, Z. (2016). Memory and the developing brain: are insights from cognitive neuroscience applicable to education?. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 10, 81-88.
Paas, F., Renkl, A., & Sweller, J. (2003). Cognitive load theory and instructional design: Recent developments. Educational psychologist, 38(1), 1-4.
Paas, F., Renkl, A., & Sweller, J. (2004). Cognitive load theory: Instructional implications of the interaction between information structures and cognitive architecture. Instructional science, 32(1/2), 1-8.
Petitto, L. A., & Dunbar, K. N. (2009). Educational neuroscience: new discoveries from bilingual brains, scientific brains, and the educated mind. Mind, brain and education: the official journal of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society, 3(4), 185.
Plass, J. L., & Kalyuga, S. (2019). Four ways of considering emotion in cognitive load theory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 339-359
Rosyada-AS, A., & Apoko, T. W. (2023). Investigating English vocabulary difficulties and its learning strategies of lower secondary school students. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(3), 489-501.
Schlichting, M. L., & Preston, A. R. (2015). Memory integration: neural mechanisms and implications for behavior. Current opinion in behavioral sciences, 1, 1-8.
Schmitt, N. (2019). Understanding vocabulary acquisition, instruction, and assessment: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 52(2), 261-274.
Sepp, S., Howard, S. J., Tindall-Ford, S., Agostinho, S., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive load theory and human movement: Towards an integrated model of working memory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 293-317.
Shams, L., & Seitz, A. R. (2008). Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in cognitive sciences, 12(11), 411-417.
Sisakhti, M., Sachdev, P. S., & Batouli, S. A. H. (2021). The effect of cognitive load on the retrieval of long-term memory: An fMRI study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 700146.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257-285.
Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and instruction, 4(4), 295-312.
Sweller, J. (2016). Working memory, long-term memory, and instructional design. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 5(4), 360-367.
Sweller, J., Ayres, P., Kalyuga, S., Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Altering element interactivity and intrinsic cognitive load. Cognitive Load Theory, 203-218.
Sweller, J., Van Merrienboer, J. J., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational psychology review, 31, 261-292.
Tahir, M. H. M., Shah, D. S. M., Shak, M. S. Y., Albakri, I. S. M. A., & Adnan, A. H. M. (2021). Explicit vocabulary instruction: Effects of vocabulary learning on form two ESL learners. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(3), 1227-1247.
Ullman, M. T. (2004). Contributions of memory circuits to language: The declarative/procedural model. Cognition, 92(1-2), 231-270.
Van Merrienboer, J. J., & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational psychology review, 17, 147-177.
Voss, P., Thomas, M. E., Cisneros-Franco, J. M., & de Villers-Sidani, É. (2017). Dynamic brains and the changing rules of neuroplasticity: implications for learning and recovery. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 274878.
WM Van Gerven, Fred GWC Paas, Jeroen JG Van Merriënboer, Henk G. Schmidt, P. (2000). Cognitive load theory and the acquisition of complex cognitive skills in the elderly: Towards an integrative framework. Educational gerontology, 26(6), 503-521.
Ye, W. (2018). Best Teaching strategies of English vocabulary based on cognitive neuroscience. NeuroQuantology, 16(5).
Zarfsaz, E., & Yeganehpour, P. (2021). The Impact of Different Context Levels on Vocabulary Learning and Retention. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(4), 24-34.
Al-Dersi, Z. E. M. (2013). The use of short-stories for developing vocabulary of EFL learners. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies, 1(1), 72-86.
Asyiah, D. N. (2017). The Vocabulary Teaching and Vocabulary Learning: Perception, Strategies, and Influences on Students' Vocabulary Mastery. Jurnal Bahasa Lingua Scientia, 9(2), 293-318.
Baddeley, A. (1992). Working memory. Science, 255(5044), 556-559.
Bai, Z. (2018). An analysis of English vocabulary learning strategies. Journal of language Teaching and Research, 9(4), 849-855.
Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (1991). Cognitive load theory and the format of instruction. Cognition and instruction, 8(4), 293-332.
Chen, M. H., Tseng, W. T., & Hsiao, T. Y. (2018). The effectiveness of digital game‐based vocabulary learning: A framework‐based view of meta‐analysis. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(1), 69-77.
Chew, S. L., & Cerbin, W. J. (2021). The cognitive challenges of effective teaching. The Journal of Economic Education, 52(1), 17-40.
Cowan, N. (2008). What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory?. Progress in brain research, 169, 323-338.
De Jong, T. (2010). Cognitive load theory, educational research, and instructional design: Some food for thought. Instructional science, 38(2), 105-134.
D'Esposito, M., & Postle, B. R. (2015). The cognitive neuroscience of working memory. Annual review of psychology, 66(1), 115-142.
Di Carlo, S. (2017). Understanding cognitive language learning strategies. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 6(2), 114-126.
Feldon, D. F. (2007). Cognitive load and classroom teaching: The double-edged sword of automaticity. Educational psychologist, 42(3), 123-137.
Fong, M. C. M., Ma, M. K. H., Chui, J. Y. T., Law, T. S. T., Hui, N. Y., Au, A., & Wang, W. S. (2022). Foreign language learning in older adults: Anatomical and cognitive markers of vocabulary learning success. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 16, 787413.
Hashemzadeh, M. (2012). The effect of exercise types on EFL learners’ vocabulary retention. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(8), 1716-1727.
Hornay, P. M. A. (2021). Cognitive load theory and the English language instruction. ACCENTIA: Journal of English Language and Education, 1(1), 43-55.
Hultberg, P., Calonge, D. S., & Lee, A. E. S. (2018). Promoting long-lasting learning through instructional design. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(3).
Jaeger, A. J., Shipley, T. F., & Reynolds, S. J. (2017). The roles of working memory and cognitive load in geoscience learning. Journal of Geoscience Education, 65(4), 506-518.
Jamaludin, D. N. (2022). Information Processing and Memory in Learning. JEID: Journal of Educational Integration and Development, 2(2), 88-102.
Kirschner, P. A. (2002). Cognitive load theory: Implications of cognitive load theory on the design of learning. Learning and instruction, 12(1), 1-10.
Lee, S. M. (2023). Factors affecting incidental L2 vocabulary acquisition and retention in a game-enhanced learning environment. ReCALL, 35(3), 274-289.
Leong, L. M., & Ahmadi, S. M. (2017). An Analysis ff Factors Influencing Learners’english Speaking Skill.
Lin, C. C., & Yu, Y. C. (2017). Effects of presentation modes on mobile-assisted vocabulary learning and cognitive load. Interactive Learning Environments, 25(4), 528-542.
Liu, D. (2024). The effects of segmentation on cognitive load, vocabulary learning and retention, and reading comprehension in a multimedia learning environment. BMC psychology, 12(1), 4.
Miller, G. (1956). Human memory and the storage of information. IRE Transactions on Information Theory, 2(3), 129-137.
Min, Y. K. (2013). Vocabulary acquisition: Practical strategies for ESL students. Journal of International students, 3(1), 64-69.
Nation, P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Indonesian JELT: Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, 12(1), 1-14.
Nordlund, M., & Norberg, C. (2020). Vocabulary in EFL teaching materials for young learners. International Journal of Language Studies, 14(1), 89-116.
Norris, D. (2017). Short-term memory and long-term memory are still different. Psychological bulletin, 143(9), 992.
Ofen, N., Yu, Q., & Chen, Z. (2016). Memory and the developing brain: are insights from cognitive neuroscience applicable to education?. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 10, 81-88.
Paas, F., Renkl, A., & Sweller, J. (2003). Cognitive load theory and instructional design: Recent developments. Educational psychologist, 38(1), 1-4.
Paas, F., Renkl, A., & Sweller, J. (2004). Cognitive load theory: Instructional implications of the interaction between information structures and cognitive architecture. Instructional science, 32(1/2), 1-8.
Petitto, L. A., & Dunbar, K. N. (2009). Educational neuroscience: new discoveries from bilingual brains, scientific brains, and the educated mind. Mind, brain and education: the official journal of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society, 3(4), 185.
Plass, J. L., & Kalyuga, S. (2019). Four ways of considering emotion in cognitive load theory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 339-359
Rosyada-AS, A., & Apoko, T. W. (2023). Investigating English vocabulary difficulties and its learning strategies of lower secondary school students. Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(3), 489-501.
Schlichting, M. L., & Preston, A. R. (2015). Memory integration: neural mechanisms and implications for behavior. Current opinion in behavioral sciences, 1, 1-8.
Schmitt, N. (2019). Understanding vocabulary acquisition, instruction, and assessment: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 52(2), 261-274.
Sepp, S., Howard, S. J., Tindall-Ford, S., Agostinho, S., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive load theory and human movement: Towards an integrated model of working memory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 293-317.
Shams, L., & Seitz, A. R. (2008). Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in cognitive sciences, 12(11), 411-417.
Sisakhti, M., Sachdev, P. S., & Batouli, S. A. H. (2021). The effect of cognitive load on the retrieval of long-term memory: An fMRI study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 15, 700146.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257-285.
Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and instruction, 4(4), 295-312.
Sweller, J. (2016). Working memory, long-term memory, and instructional design. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 5(4), 360-367.
Sweller, J., Ayres, P., Kalyuga, S., Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Altering element interactivity and intrinsic cognitive load. Cognitive Load Theory, 203-218.
Sweller, J., Van Merrienboer, J. J., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational psychology review, 31, 261-292.
Tahir, M. H. M., Shah, D. S. M., Shak, M. S. Y., Albakri, I. S. M. A., & Adnan, A. H. M. (2021). Explicit vocabulary instruction: Effects of vocabulary learning on form two ESL learners. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(3), 1227-1247.
Ullman, M. T. (2004). Contributions of memory circuits to language: The declarative/procedural model. Cognition, 92(1-2), 231-270.
Van Merrienboer, J. J., & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational psychology review, 17, 147-177.
Voss, P., Thomas, M. E., Cisneros-Franco, J. M., & de Villers-Sidani, É. (2017). Dynamic brains and the changing rules of neuroplasticity: implications for learning and recovery. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 274878.
WM Van Gerven, Fred GWC Paas, Jeroen JG Van Merriënboer, Henk G. Schmidt, P. (2000). Cognitive load theory and the acquisition of complex cognitive skills in the elderly: Towards an integrative framework. Educational gerontology, 26(6), 503-521.
Ye, W. (2018). Best Teaching strategies of English vocabulary based on cognitive neuroscience. NeuroQuantology, 16(5).
Zarfsaz, E., & Yeganehpour, P. (2021). The Impact of Different Context Levels on Vocabulary Learning and Retention. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(4), 24-34.
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Published
2024-12-25
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UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE LOAD ON VOCABULARY RETENTION IN EFL: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS. (2024). INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR, 6, 651-664. https://conference.unita.ac.id/index.php/conference/article/view/246
