ISSN: 2782-893X
eISSN: 2799-0664
ISSN: 2782- 893X
—— This research examined whether spaced repetition strategies improve long-term retention of literary knowledge among ESL students. The study is based on cognitive theories of learning, especially those that relate to the consolidation of memory and retrieval practice. It demonstrates that individuals who are exposed to material over time are more likely to remember that material and will forget less often than those who are exposed to material all at once. The method of spaced repetition incorporates regular review of learning materials at spaced intervals, giving learners repeated exposure to content they have already learned. Recent literature indicates that the use of spaced repetition leads to significantly better long-term retention of knowledge than massed learning. The use of retrieval practice in addition to spaced repetition allows learners to actively retrieve information, enabling them to strengthen their memory traces and further develop their understanding of previously learned material. While most empirical research in ESL settings has focused on vocabulary acquisition with spaced repetition, there is evidence to suggest that spaced repetition is effective in improving other aspects of language acquisition as well, such as developing the ability to comprehend and apply the language. Spaced repetition appears to be an effective way to help students retain portions of their ESL literature lessons over time by encouraging them to experience literature repeatedly in a meaningful way and to remember it actively (e.g., recalling let’s say one monthly, then two in one quarter). Based on those experiences, literature teachers should implement created review intervals/based activities for teaching literature throughout the quarter. Keywords: Spaced repetition, long-term retention, ESL learners, literature instruction, retrieval practice.