Neural correlates of retrieval practice with feedback in foreign vocabulary learning: An fNIRS study

This study examined the neural correlates of retrieval practice with corrective feedback in foreign vocabulary learning using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In a three-phase within-subject experiment, 40 Chinese-English bilinguals learned 60 Swahili-Chinese word pairs, with half assigned to restudying and half to retrieval practice. Memory performance was assessed using a cued-recall test after a 30-min delay. Behaviorally, retrieved items were recalled more accurately than restudied items, confirming the retrieval practice effect. fNIRS results revealed distinct activation patterns across the two learning conditions. Restudying elicited stronger activation in regions associated with lexical and phonological processing, including the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus. Retrieval practice engaged the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule, consistent with greater involvement of relational and integrative processing. Direct comparisons further showed generally stronger activation during restudying across lateral prefrontal, temporal, and inferior parietal regions. Subsequent memory analysis indicated that activity in the left angular gyrus was more strongly associated with later memory performance under retrieval practice, suggesting a role for semantic integration and the incorporation of retrieved information into higher-order memory representations. Unlike previous findings, retrieval practice did not produce greater ventrolateral prefrontal activation or stronger middle temporal gyrus subsequent memory effects. These findings suggest that the neural mechanisms of retrieval-based learning are context-dependent and are shaped by factors such as corrective feedback and initial retrieval success.