Abstract

Despite the rapid growth of AI-based digital language learning platforms, prevailing approaches to vocabulary instruction have remained relatively unchanged. Flashcards, translation drills, and isolated quizzes continue to dominate, and while they may support short-term retention, they tend to strip away the contextual, physical, and spatial dimensions that research identifies as important for durable language acquisition. This paper proposes spatial experiential vocabulary learning as a pedagogically grounded alternative. Drawing on situated learning theory, embodied cognition, and experiential learning theory, it argues that lasting vocabulary acquisition may depend not only on repeated exposure but also on learners engaging actively with language in meaningful, spatially situated contexts. The central theoretical contribution is the EARR framework, a four-phase learning cycle comprising Encounter, Act, Respond, and Reuse, in which vocabulary is embedded within object-rich spatial environments that invite purposeful interaction rather than passive recognition. The paper develops this framework theoretically and draws out its implications for platform design. It concludes by identifying priorities for future empirical research and by considering how digital language learning environments might be redesigned to better support the conditions under which vocabulary acquisition appears to occur.

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