Young Learner L2 Vocabulary Acquisition: Does the Revised Hierarchical Model Apply to Child Learners?

Vocabulary learning is a process requiring the connection of mental concepts to new word-labels. The Revised Hierarchical Model claims that beginning learners recognize the meaning of L2 words via a process of translation, needing considerable time and effort to forge direct connections between L2 words and mental concepts. However, might young children, as they are still rapidly acquiring L1 vocabulary, be able to bypass the L2-to-L1 translation required by adult L2 learners, and instead link new L2 words directly to pre-existing mental concepts? This study tested over 1,000 4th-6th graders in Japanese elementary schools on their ability to match newly learned L2 words with corresponding pictures or L1 translations. The results demonstrate that students connect L2 vocabulary to pictures more quickly, and this effect becomes more robust when students are taught via pictures, which suggests that young learners are indeed capable of accessing concepts without translating from their L1.