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The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics
[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 25, No. 0, pp.1335-1352
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Jan 2025
Received 18 Jul 2025 Revised 11 Sep 2025 Accepted 16 Sep 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.25..202509.1335

Copying Words: A Double-Edged Sword for Second Language Vocabulary Learning?

Yechan Lee ; Donghyun Kim
(First author) PhD student, Department of English Language and Literature Kyungpook National University dldpcks3082@gmail.com
(Corresponding author) Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature Kyungpook National University donghyun@knu.ac.kr


© 2025 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine whether repetitive writing, often favored by learners as a method of vocabulary memorization, facilitates second language vocabulary learning under supportive conditions. However, it is still unclear whether copying helps vocabulary learning when combined with helpful learning conditions, such as learning words in context and practicing them several times. This study compared copying and observation under controlled conditions that included clear example sentences, repeated exposure, and a follow-up meaning test. Forty participants were divided evenly into two groups and learned target words through either copying or observation. Both groups were exposed to the same example sentences, the same number of repetitions, and the same follow-up meaning test. Mixed-effects regression models showed that the copying group had a slight advantage in the delayed meaning recall test conducted one week after learning, while no significant differences were found between groups in form recognition or form recall. This suggests that copying may help support long-term meaning retention, but overall, observation was just as effective across most tasks. Receptive vocabulary size and working memory did not play a major role in predicting performance. Copying in context may provide temporary benefits for the initial encoding of word form and meaning, but its long-term learning effects may be task-dependent and limited.

Keywords:

vocabulary learning, copying strategy, context-based learning, second language acquisition, form recognition, meaning recall, form recall

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2023S1A5A8078806).

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