Teaching Foreign Language (FL)vocabulary is normally reduced to introducing words before or after tasks or to explaining the items included in course books units. In the case of lower-frequency words, much more attention and work is needed for long-term retention to take place. Findings in the field of cognitive science provide guidelines for effective learning practices. However, most of these findings have had little impact on education. The aim of this article is to raise awareness of the importance of promoting conditions that nurture the items in the vocabulary component the teacher has decided to explicitly teach and those which students set out to learn on their own. Unfortunately, lack of vocabulary development hinders the students’ proficiency development. This paper, then, reviews findings in the field of language loss and maintenance and suggests effective practices for the consolidation of less frequent words. It also provides guidelines regarding self-study activities.

It seems logical to assume that findings in the field of language loss and maintenance can be translated into effective classroom practice. Surprisingly, however, memory research has had little impact on education (Bahrick, 2005). Many Foreign Language (FL) learning programs, for instance, promote conditions that benefit rapid acquisition, even though research findings have shown that fast learning is not likely to support long-term maintenance.

It is essential that teachers be aware of the effects that the time, effort and resources devoted to language teaching will have on long-term retention. FL learners also need to be made aware of the consequences of their learning practices on the maintenance of the knowledge acquired, especially if we take into account that they will continue to develop their language skills on their own, once instruction is over.

English Studies Journal, Indian English Short Fiction, Bhasha Literatures, Autonomous Forms, Indian Short Story, Indian Language, Montage Patterns, Women Writers, Social Milieu, Postmodernist Movements, Global Communities, Joint Family System, Indian Women Writers.