supporting multilingual learners is a top priority for teachers who want to help every student succeed. As language demands grow, teachers are always on the lookout for practical, research-backed strategies to support vocabulary and memory skills. A recent study by Butowska-Buczyńska et al. (2024) highlights two strategies that stand out: variable retrieval and spaced practice. Together, these strategies offer new ways to help students retain and apply what they’ve learned, giving teachers effective tools to boost vocabulary development and improve learning outcomes for multilingual students.
As you read through this blog, take a moment to reflect on the instructional strategies you’re currently using in your lessons. You may already be applying several of the strategies discussed here, but consider when you’re incorporating them into your lessons and units. Are there optimal times for these strategies to make the most impact? Also, think about one or two new strategies you might add to your toolkit to improve your teaching further. This post aims to provide practical ideas for integrating these strategies into your lesson and unit planning, along with EdTech tools to help bring these approaches into your daily practice.
Key Takeaways from the Research
The research, published in PNAS and conducted by Butowska-Buczyńska and her colleagues, emphasizes that learning is most effective when students engage in spaced retrieval practice—attempting to recall information over sessions separated by time. However, the game-changer in this study was the integration of variable cues during these retrieval attempts. Rather than using the same context for each practice session, the researchers varied the cues, which resulted in stronger memory retention for the participants.
For example, instead of asking students to recall a vocabulary word within the same sentence every time, they were presented with different sentences that provided new context clues. The study showed that this approach led to better long-term retention, even though learners often underestimated the effectiveness of varied cues and thought constant practice would be better. This metacognitive bias underscores why teachers need to be aware of what works best, even when students might not recognize it.
Citation: Butowska-Buczyńska, E., Kliś, P., Zawadzka, K., & Hanczakowski, M. (2024). The role of variable retrieval in effective learning. PNAS, 121(44), e2413511121. Link to article
Applying the Research in the Classroom to Support Multilingual Learners
Teachers can implement this research into their lessons by blending two strategies – varied retrieval and spaced practice. Furthermore, here are five engaging ways to put these strategies into action within your lessons
1. Vocabulary Building with Rotating Contexts
One powerful way to strengthen vocabulary retention is to introduce words through sentences that vary in context over time. For instance, when teaching a word like “journey,” you might begin by saying, “Her journey to the city took two days.” Later in the week, students could encounter, “The hero’s journey was filled with challenges,” followed by, “Every journey starts with a single step” in the following week. This approach exposes students to different uses of the word, encouraging deeper learning and improved recall.
2. Interactive Lecture with Varied Questioning
After presenting new material, engage students with varied questioning that revisits key concepts. For example, during a lesson on verb tenses, you could start with, “What did you do yesterday?” and then progress to, “Describe your morning routine in the present tense,” followed by, “How would you explain your weekend plans using the future tense?” These variations encourage students to apply their knowledge in different contexts, reinforcing their understanding and recall.
3. Rotating Practice Stations
Set up classroom stations that focus on different language skills such as reading comprehension, sentence building, and speaking practice during your independent practice time. Each station should have varied prompts that change over time. For instance, one station might include reading passages highlighting new vocabulary, another could focus on constructing sentences, and a third on oral practice with prompts that vary each day. This strategy keeps learning dynamic and ensures students experience different contexts for retrieval, boosting memory retention.
4. Weekly Writing and Reflection Journals
Incorporate weekly writing activities where students use new vocabulary and grammar structures. Each week, present them with a different prompt, such as, “Write about your favorite memory,” then move to, “Describe your weekend plans,” and later, “Imagine a perfect vacation and describe it.” This varied approach spaces out practice and allows students to use language in multiple scenarios, supporting long-term retention.
5. Simulated Role-Playing and Interviews
Engage students in role-playing activities where they must use target vocabulary and grammar in different scenarios. One day, they could act as journalists interviewing a classmate about their weekend plans; on another, they might role-play as travelers asking for directions. Role-playing exercises provide varied retrieval practice and prepare students for real-life language use by challenging them to adapt their language skills in diverse contexts.
What Spaced Practice Looks Like Over a Few Weeks
Spaced practice involves reviewing material across a longer timeline, which helps solidify the content in students’ memory. Here is a simple example of what this might look like over the course of a month for an ESL unit focusing on vocabulary, reading comprehension, and grammar.
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Introduce 10 new vocabulary words with varied sentences | Reading comprehension passage using the new words | Practice using words in writing prompts |
| Week 2 | Quick review using new sentences for the same words | Pair work: Speaking practice with the words | Short quiz on vocabulary in context |
| Week 3 | Focus on grammar related to vocabulary use | Create sentences using the vocabulary and specific grammar rules | Review sentences as a class and provide feedback |
| Week 4 | Practice retrieval with a fun game like “20 Questions” using the vocabulary | Group discussion using the vocabulary | Cumulative quiz covering all material from Weeks 1-3 |
Supporting Retrieval Practice with EdTech Tools
To make the implementation of these strategies easier, you can use various edtech tools designed to support retrieval practice:
- Quizlet: This tool is ideal for creating flashcards with varied prompts, such as definitions, sentences, and images, allowing students to review vocabulary in different ways.
- Quizizz: Use Quizizz to create interactive quizzes and formative assessments with varied questions. Its game mode keeps practice engaging and helps students test their knowledge in new contexts with the vocabulary they are learning.
- Curipod: This tool enables teachers to create interactive slides with embedded formative assessment questions, promoting active engagement and retrieval practice throughout a lesson during guided practice
- Speakable.io: Speakable.io helps students practice speaking by using vocabulary in diverse ways, enhancing their verbal retrieval skills.
Moving Forward
The research is clear: varied and spaced retrieval practice helps students not only learn but truly retain language skills. Implementing these practices allows students to build confidence and achieve deeper, longer-lasting mastery of the language, content, and skills you are covering in your classroom instruction.
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