Investigating the Impact of Cognitive Load on English Vocabulary Retention among Adult L2 Learners

Abstract

The current research examines the influence of cognitive effect on all adult second-language (L2) English retention in spoken English institutes at Multan, Pakistan. Based on psycholinguistic theories of working memory and information processing, the research investigates how different levels of cognitive load affect learners' ability to remember newly learned words in an educational setting. This was done through a case study methodology with a purposive sample of 60 adult learners from three popular spoken English institutes in Multan. Participants were split into two groups and underwent vocabulary-learning tasks aimed at introducing different levels of cognitive load. Retention was assessed using immediate and delayed post-tests and then semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain an idea of perceived mental effort among learners and strategies. The results show that there is strong negative correlation between high cognitive load and Long-term retention of vocabulary in L2 classrooms and hence the need of the instructional design. The current study is relevant to the vast number of studies on language acquisition and learning and cognitive psychology because it provides pedagogical evidence to maximize vocabulary learning among adults in language teaching contexts, especially in the Pakistani context.