Investigating the effectiveness of biofeedback techniques in improving English vocabulary learning in ESL learners

• Published in: Journal of commercial biotechnology Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 54 - 61
• Main Author: Xiuli, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London thinkBiotech LLC 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Biofeedback; English as a second language; External stimuli; Feedback; Foreign language learning; Language; Learning; Physiology; Vocabulary development
• ISSN: 1462-8732; 1478-565X
• DOI: 10.5912/jcb1290

This study investigated the effectiveness of bio-feedback techniques in improving English vocabulary learning in ESL learners. Bio-feedback is a technique that provides real-time information about an individual's physiological responses to external stimuli. In this study, bio-feedback was used to measure changes in skin conductance level (SCL) in response to English vocabulary learning tasks. The participants were 30 ESL learners from a language center at a university in China. They were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which received bio-feedback during English vocabulary learning tasks, or a control group, which did not receive bio-feedback. Both groups received the same vocabulary learning tasks and were evaluated based on a pre-test and post-test design. The results showed that the experimental group had significantly higher improvement in English vocabulary learning than the control group. The findings suggest that bio-feedback techniques can be an effective tool in improving English vocabulary learning in ESL learners. Future studies could investigate the underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms of bio-feedback in English vocabulary learning and explore the potential of integrating bio-feedback into language learning technology.