Receptive Vocabulary Levels of Malaysian University Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Hazwani Munirah Lateh ◽  
Sarimah Shamsudin ◽  
Abdul Halim Abdul Raof
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Mastery Level

Acquiring adequate vocabulary knowledge is necessary for English language learners in order to be able to function effectively using the language. The study investigated the English language receptive vocabulary knowledge among Malaysian undergraduates in terms of word levels. The Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) by Schmitt et al., (2001) was employed in order to assess the students’ receptive vocabulary knowledge at five different word levels. The result reveals majority of the students are weak in terms of their receptive vocabulary knowledge and most of them failed to reach the mastery level for all the five word levels; 40 (57%) of the students do not master the 2000 word level, 58 (83%) of the students do not master the 3000 word level, 65 (93%) of the students do not master the 5000 word level, 70 (100%) of the students do not master the 10000 word level and 65 (93%) of the students do not master the academic word level. The findings were useful insights on the English language receptive vocabulary knowledge among Malaysian university students in terms of word levels.

scholarly journals Using Rhetorical Approach of Ethos, Pathos and Logos by Malaysian Engineering Students in Persuasive Email Writings

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-33
Author(s):  
Krishnan Isai Amutan Isai ◽  
Teoh Mel Lin ◽  
Hee Sio Ching ◽  
Ramalingam Selvajothi ◽  
Elanttamil Maruthai
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Rhetorical Theory ◽  
Logical Fallacies

It seems that many English language learners have deficiency to write persuasively. This portent has been observed among university students, particularly those from technical fields. Therefore, the present study examines the use of ethos, pathos and logos in persuasive email writing and determines if these features were used appropriately. The participants involved in this research were 43 third-year Malaysian engineering students. The task evaluated was persuasive email writing, and the data was obtained from an official university website forum. The data was analysed qualitatively by using Aristotelian rhetorical theory. The results show that there were some persuasive techniques used by the students in their email writing. It appears that the appeal to pathos was preferred highly in directly connecting with the emotions of the instructors. This was followed by appeals to ethos, where the students used their own ethicality and credibility to persuade the instructor into giving them an extension deadline of their classwork. The findings further revealed that appeal to logos were not used in a very persuasive manner, which could also due to avoiding logical fallacies. Therefore, the present study shows the engineering students prefer to link with emotions in their email writing in achieving their goals.   

A study of Indonesian university students’ vocabulary mastery with vocabulary level test

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-195
Author(s):  
Rully Raslina Novianti
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Instruction

In investigating learners’ vocabulary mastery, some researchers focused their studies on either receptive or productive vocabulary mastery. This study examines university students’ vocabulary knowledge in Indonesia by using the Vocabulary Level Test (VLT). It also compares the receptive vocabulary size of students who obtained extra hours of English instruction with those who had not. Furthermore, this study also identifies their strategies in enhancing their vocabulary mastery. The 2000-word frequency-band from the receptive version of the VLT and questionnaire are used for data collection. The results show that their receptive vocabulary scores are lower than 2000 words and no significant difference was found between the students who had extra hours of English instruction and those who had not. Then it can be stated that even after they had gained extra hours of English instruction, their average vocabulary knowledge was still lower than the 1000 estimated word level in the VLT. Keywords: vocabulary mastery, Vocabulary Level Test (VLT), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), undergraduate students.  

scholarly journals A study of Indonesian university students’ vocabulary mastery with vocabulary level test

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rully Raslina Novianti
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Instruction

In investigating learners’ vocabulary mastery, some researchers focused their studies on either receptive or productive vocabulary mastery. This study examines university students’ vocabulary knowledge in Indonesia by using the Vocabulary Level Test (VLT). It also compares the receptive vocabulary size of students who obtained extra hours of English instruction with those who had not. Furthermore, this study also identifies their strategies in enhancing their vocabulary mastery. The 2000-word frequency-band from the receptive version of the VLT and questionnaire are used for data collection. The results show that their receptive vocabulary scores are lower than 2000 words and no significant difference was found between the students who had extra hours of English instruction and those who had not. Then it can be stated that even after they had gained extra hours of English instruction, their average vocabulary knowledge was still lower than the 1000 estimated word level in the VLT.Keywords: vocabulary mastery, Vocabulary Level Test (VLT), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), undergraduate students

scholarly journals Getting to the Nitty-Gritty of Grit: A Descriptive Characterization of Gritty L2 Learners from Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-155
Author(s):  
Mark R. Freiermuth ◽  
Chomraj Patanasorn ◽  
Latha Ravindran ◽  
Hsin-chou Huang
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
Interview Data ◽  
L2 Learners

Understanding the make-up of gritty L2 students has garnered quite a lot of attention recently. In this descriptive narrative-based study, we looked at the interview data of eight English language learners who recorded high scores on a nine-item grit questionnaire. Specifically, two female university students each from Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan were interviewed and their interview scripts were transcribed and then coded looking for common threads to emerge from the data by applying the tenets of Charmaz’s (2006) Grounded Theory. The data show that beyond perseverance, gritty L2 students enjoy learning the L2, are consistently curious about the L2, are generally not bored by the L2, are confident using the L2 (not letting anxiety dissuade them), are extraverted—encompassing a strong willingness to communicate, have focused L2 vision and have had experiences and/or encounters that bolstered their L2 grittiness. As for encouraging L2 grit development, we suggest that good L2 classroom practice include frequent communicative activities so that students can see the practical side of learning a L2 with the hopes of strengthening their L2 vision.

scholarly journals Explaining individual differences in young English language learners’ vocabulary knowledge: The role of Extramural English Exposure and motivation

System ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 96 ◽  
pp. 102402
Author(s):  
Nihayra L. Leona ◽  
Margreet J.H. van Koert ◽  
Maurits W. van der Molen ◽  
Judith E. Rispens ◽  
Jurgen Tijms ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge

scholarly journals RECEPTIVE VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN CLIL INSTRUCTION

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilsah Kalay
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Before And After

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has recently attracted the attention of practitioners in the language teaching field. As the name suggests, CLIL is an approach built upon teaching content-based area through a language as a medium. For such a language learning process, one of the important language aspects is vocabulary. The number of words language learners know - vocabulary size - and how well they know those words - vocabulary depth - (overall, the receptive dimension of word knowledge) are crucial foci to consider in language learning. Therefore, the primary concern of the present study is to examine the effects of the CLIL approach on the receptive vocabulary knowledge of university students in a state university. Accordingly, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) by Schmitt, Schmitt and Clapham (2001) and Word Association Test (WAT) by Read (2000) are administered to the participants before and after CLIL treatment. The findings indicated that the subjects’ size of vocabulary knowledge has significantly differed with CLIL instruction in time, which means that CLIL instruction has been found to be successful for developing both general and academic vocabulary knowledge. Similarly, an increase in the depth of vocabulary knowledge of participants alongside with the CLIL instruction has been observed, indicating that participants’ quality of vocabulary knowledge evaluated through WAT seems to have improved with CLIL treatment. Further research including less frequent words as well as the productive aspect of word knowledge might shed light on the impacts of CLIL treatment on vocabulary development of language learners, especially university students. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0726/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

English Language Learners' Nonword Repetition Performance: The Influence of Age, L2 Vocabulary Size, Length of L2 Exposure, and L1 Phonology

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Sorenson Duncan ◽  
Johanne Paradis
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
South Asian ◽  
English Language ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

Purpose This study examined individual differences in English language learners' (ELLs) nonword repetition (NWR) accuracy, focusing on the effects of age, English vocabulary size, length of exposure to English, and first-language (L1) phonology. Method Participants were 75 typically developing ELLs (mean age 5;8 [years;months]) whose exposure to English began on average at age 4;4. Children spoke either a Chinese language or South Asian language as an L1 and were given English standardized tests for NWR and receptive vocabulary. Results Although the majority of ELLs scored within or above the monolingual normal range (71%), 29% scored below. Mixed logistic regression modeling revealed that a larger English vocabulary, longer English exposure, South Asian L1, and older age all had significant and positive effects on ELLs' NWR accuracy. Error analyses revealed the following L1 effect: onset consonants were produced more accurately than codas overall, but this effect was stronger for the Chinese group whose L1s have a more limited coda inventory compared with English. Conclusion ELLs' NWR performance is influenced by a number of factors. Consideration of these factors is important in deciding whether monolingual norm referencing is appropriate for ELL children.

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