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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/172215
Digital flashcards for English grammar: A pilot study in rural Cambodia
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Abstract
Digital flashcards are widely used and studied for vocabulary memorisation, but there has been no
previous research into using this tool for grammar learning. This study aims to address this gap by
examining whether full-sentence flashcard training could cause learners to notice grammatical
patterns in their output and apply these inferred rules to novel sentences. The participants were
school-aged students in rural Cambodia, where English proficiency is highly valued but difficult to
obtain. In a pre-test / post-test design, students spent eight days typing translations from their L1
Khmer to English using the smartphone app Cram.com Flashcards, with each item repeating in a cycle
until answered without errors. Post-tests of trained and untrained items took place one day, two
weeks, and eighteen weeks after treatment. Results showed high relative gains for all students (M =
81%) and minimal losses at the final post-test. Equal results between trained and untrained items
demonstrated that participants had indeed inferred grammar rules from the training, and a refresher
session for one group fully mitigated losses. The findings are discussed in terms of the facilitating
effect of output on form acquisition, and it is recommended that further research into digital flashcards
for grammar is conducted under different conditions, to better understand which factors influence
gains. It is further recommended that apps be used in environments where trained teachers and other
resources are unavailable.
Description
Màster de Lingüística Aplicada i Adquisició de Llengües en Contextos Multilingües, Departament de Filologia Anglesa i Alemanya, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2019, Tutor: Raquel Serrano
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SERFATY, Jonathan. Digital flashcards for English grammar: A pilot study in rural Cambodia. [consulted: 7 of October of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/172215