RETRIEVAL INDUCED FORGETTING AND ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE VOCABULARY ACQUISITION: PRELIMINARY INSIGHTS FROM A WELSH LANGUAGE TRAINING STUDY

Abstract

The current investigation explored the role of retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF), a process whereby retrieval of information from memory perturbs access to related material, in second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. Prior research has indicated that retrieving words in one language may cause difficulties remembering equivalent words in another language. Here, subjects learned novel Welsh words, half of which were then retrieved in English. EEG was recorded throughout the experiment with a view to assess whether ERP components previously associated with RIF were present. Behavioural results showed that, at a final test of Welsh knowledge, subjects exhibited significantly longer RTs to items that had been retrieved in English, compared to those which had not. This is taken as preliminary evidence for a role of RIF during L2 acquisition. ERP components previously associated with RIF were not elicited, likely due to differences in experimental design between previous research and the current investigation.