@article{ART003233115},
author={Kang Hae Ran},
title={The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective},
journal={Modern English Education},
issn={1598-0782},
year={2025},
volume={26},
pages={364-382}
TY - JOUR
AU - Kang Hae Ran
TI - The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective
JO - Modern English Education
PY - 2025
VL - 26
IS - null
PB - The Modern English Education Society
SP - 364
EP - 382
SN - 1598-0782
AB - This study examines how learners’ proficiency levels influence the concreteness effect in vocabulary learning within the context availability theory. A total of 178 Korean EFL university students were divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups. Participants completed vocabulary tasks under two conditions—isolated word and contextualized sentence—to assess the role of context. Immediate and delayed post-tests measured short- and long-term retention. Target words were categorized as concrete or abstract based on concreteness ratings, and a repeated-measures ANOVA tested main effects and interactions. Results showed a strong concreteness effect in both testing sessions, influenced by proficiency level. However, sentence-level contextual information did not significantly enhance learning, and even appeared to hinder performance in the immediate post-test, offering limited support for context availability theory in short-term memory. In the delayed post-test, a weak three-way interaction emerged: beginner and intermediate learners displayed reduced concreteness effects under the contextual condition, suggesting that context aided abstract word learning and partially supported the theory in long-term memory. Overall, the findings indicate that the concreteness effect is moderated by learner proficiency and that the benefits of contextual information depend on both lexical properties and individual learner characteristics.
KW - concreteness effect;context availability theory;context;proficiency level;vocabulary learning;word concreteness
DO -
UR -
ER -
Kang Hae Ran. (2025). The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective. Modern English Education, 26, 364-382.
Kang Hae Ran. 2025, "The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective", Modern English Education, vol.26, pp.364-382.
Kang Hae Ran "The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective" Modern English Education 26 pp.364-382 (2025) : 364.
Kang Hae Ran. The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective. 2025; 26 364-382.
Kang Hae Ran. "The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective" Modern English Education 26(2025) : 364-382.
Kang Hae Ran. The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective. Modern English Education, 26, 364-382.
Kang Hae Ran. The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective. Modern English Education. 2025; 26 364-382.
Kang Hae Ran. The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective. 2025; 26 364-382.
Kang Hae Ran. "The concreteness effects across proficiency levels: A context availability theory perspective" Modern English Education 26(2025) : 364-382.
