Concurrent and consecutive modes of learning two vocabularies.
Grace H. Yeni–Komshian, Wallace E. Lambert · Journal of Educational Psychology · 1969
CONCURRENT AND CONSECUTIVE MODES OF LEARNING TWO VOCABULARIES Grace H. Yeni-Komshian and Wallace E. Lambert The Johns Hopkins University McGill University Various manners of presenting 2 vocabularies were compared in terms of rate of learning and amount of immediate and delayed retention. Four concurrent and two consecutive conditions were used, each comprising 2 sets of symbols (nonsense syllables distinguished by a color cue) associated with a common set of referents (nonsense forms). Twenty Ss were used in each of the 6 learning conditions. The most effective condition was a concurrent procedure (Glosses-RBBR) which presented contrasting items in sequences of glosses in such a way that Ss were alerted to the cue which differentiated the vocabularies. Ss in this group were intermediate in rate of learning, but superior in immediate and delayed retention. The results also suggest that interference during learning is not necessarily detrimental if the learning conditions permit and encourage one to overcome interference while learning.