Memory & Recall of Linguistic Information Flashcards
7 cards from real MLAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Memory & Recall of Linguistic Information flashcards as text
A language learner studies Swahili vocabulary and is tested immediately, then again after one week. The drop in scores between tests is primarily explained by:
Answer: Forgetting curve (decay) without rehearsal
Without rehearsal or spaced review, Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve predicts rapid decay of newly learned material.
Which condition would produce the BEST long-term recall of foreign vocabulary items?
Answer: Spaced study with self-testing over multiple sessions
Combining the spacing effect with retrieval practice (self-testing) produces the strongest and most durable long-term memory.
In a linguistic memory task, 'proactive interference' occurs when:
Answer: Older vocabulary disrupts recall of newly learned vocabulary
Proactive interference means old learning 'pushes forward' to block recall of newer material.
A test-taker who excels at associating arbitrary symbols with sounds during the MLAT Number Learning subtest likely has strong:
Answer: Rote auditory-visual associative memory
The Number Learning subtest requires linking arbitrary auditory symbols to visual symbols, directly measuring rote associative memory.
Which of the following is an example of 'deep processing' that enhances vocabulary memory?
Answer: Checking whether a word fits meaningfully into a sentence
Deep (semantic) processing involves engaging with a word's meaning, which creates stronger memory encoding than shallow structural processing.
When test-takers are asked to recall word pairs in any order they choose (free recall), they tend to cluster words by:
Answer: Semantic or phonetic similarity
Subjective organization in free recall shows learners naturally group semantically or phonetically similar items, reflecting how memory is organized.
Which MLAT-relevant skill does a person demonstrate when they hear a foreign word once and accurately reproduce it five minutes later?
Answer: Phonetic coding ability combined with short-term auditory memory
Accurately reproducing a heard word after a delay requires both encoding the phonetic pattern and holding it in short-term auditory memory.