Vocabulary learning at first exposure: Replication of Gullberg et al. (2012) and Shoemaker and Rast (2013)

Abstract

This article puts forward several proposals for replicating two well-known FIRST EXPOSURE studies dealing with the earliest stages of adult second language acquisition. Both of them enquire into the word-level knowledge that complete beginners are able to extract from minimal input when exposed to a new language for the first time. They also focus on several input variables that may enhance learning from minimal input. However, the first, by Gullberg et al. (2012), uses audiovisual input in Dutch learners of Chinese to assess word recognition and word meaning after watching a short video; while the second, by Shoemaker and Rast (2013), uses oral input with French learners of Polish to measure word recognition before and after 6.5 hours of intensive classroom exposure. Close and approximate replications of these studies can help to re-evaluate and generalise the findings, as well as contributing additional relevant data to the field.