Miramar Yousif Damanhouri
Department of English, College of languages and Translation, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
This study investigates the cognitive processes associated with preparation for a spelling bee game to enhance vocabulary learning in a foreign language. It draws upon the Information Processing Theory, which involves attention, perception, and memory processes. During their freshman year of college in the Department of English, a group of 30 Saudi learners, at the same level of English, ranging in age from 18 to 20 years old, were provided with a weekly set of words to memorize as part of their Reading Course. Following twelve weeks of practice, memorization, and oral performance, a spelling bee was organized for the ten students who achieved the highest scores in the spelling tests. Subsequently, individual interviews were conducted with each of the ten participants in order to understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying their preparation and memorization for the event. The study's findings reveal that most participants in the spelling bee game actively engage in key stages of information processing, including encoding, storing, and retrieving information. Additionally, learners were observed to evolve from merely acquiring factual vocabulary knowledge to applying it practically through repeated practice and memorization for the spelling bee. By engaging multiple senses—such as visual and auditory perception—alongside verbal memory, most participants develop the procedural knowledge needed to spell words accurately and effortlessly, effectively transferring words from short-term to long-term memory.
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