Receptive vocabulary size and its relationship to EFL language skills

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imma Miralpeix ◽  
Carmen Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Lexical Knowledge ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Listening And Speaking

AbstractThis study analyses the relationship between receptive vocabulary size in upper-intermediate/advanced learners and EFL proficiency and the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Little research has been conducted on this dimension of lexical knowledge and the four skills (Staehr, 2008; Milton et al., 2010), in spite of the fact that previous studies of separate language skills have highlighted the importance of vocabulary size for language proficiency development. A sample of 42 participants was assessed by means of a receptive vocabulary size test on ten word-frequency levels (1k to 10k), and on both receptive and productive skills (oral and written). Results reveal that vocabulary size explains language proficiency to a large extent, even in learners with vocabularies of more than 5,000 words, though its influence on performance is not as strong as in learners with smaller vocabularies. At a high proficiency level, vocabulary size is closely linked to writing and is moderately correlated with reading, speaking and listening. The findings help to provide a more complete picture than earlier research by including more proficient learners in EFL settings.

scholarly journals Vocabulary Size and Depth of Knowledge: A Study of Bahraini EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Adel W. Alqallaf ◽  
Madani O. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
University Of Bahrain ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigates the size and depth of vocabulary knowledge and its relationship to the general language proficiency of EFL learners. The study sample included 120 students from the University of Bahrain. The sample was randomly selected from the student population and split into two groups in terms of their level of English: intermediate and advanced. The study aims to answer four questions: (1) What is the effect of general language proficiency on the sizes of the receptive and productive vocabularies of learners of English at the University of Bahrain? (2) How does general language proficiency affect the depth of vocabulary knowledge of learners of English at the University of Bahrain? (3) What is the relationship between receptive and productive vocabularies and the depth of vocabulary knowledge? and (4) What is the relationship between vocabulary size and the nature of lexical networking? All the students in the sample completed three vocabulary tasks. The first two tasks were Meara and Jones’s Eurocentres Vocabulary Size Test (1990) and Meara and Fitzpatrick’s Lex30 word association task (2000), which were used to measure the sizes of receptive and productive vocabularies. The third task was Gyllstad’s COLLEX test (2007), which was used to investigate the depth of vocabulary knowledge. A quasi-experimental approach was adopted using a quantitative approach to analyze the data. The data of the study were analyzed by comparing the results of the two groups in relation to the three tasks using SPSS 16.0. The findings of the study have revealed that general language proficiency has a positive effect on learners’ receptive vocabulary size, a moderate effect on learners’ productive vocabulary size, and a very low effect on the depth of vocabulary knowledge. In addition, no relationship was shown between the size of vocabulary and the nature of lexical networking. With reference to these results, pedagogical and future research recommendations are made.

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Relationship between Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Knowledge, and English Language Proficiency Level of Saudi EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Huda Suleiman Al Qunayeer
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
The Relationship

The present study is an attempt to explore the relationship between the breadth (the number of words known) and the depth of vocabulary knowledge (the richness of word knowledge) (the richness of word knowledge), and reading comprehension of EFL learners in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Furthermore, it tries to find the effect of language proficiency level of learners on the breadth and the depth of lexical vocabulary and reading comprehension of Saudi EFL learners. The participants of the study were seventy-five intermediate and advanced level majoring in English Translation at Qassim University in KSA. The level of language proficiency of participants had been checked through an OPT by the department in advance. To collect the relevant data, two tests measuring breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge were administered to all participants. They also received a reading comprehension test in which they were asked to read the passages and answer some multiple-choice questions. The findings obtained from the analysis of the data indicated that there is a significant relationship between breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and Saudi advanced/intermediate EFL learner’s reading comprehension performance totally. The results further revealed that both dimensions of vocabulary knowledge are positively correlated, that is, those learners who had large vocabulary size had a deeper knowledge of the words, too. The results further showed that language proficiency level of learners have an effect on Saudi EFL learners’ reading performance and vocabulary knowledge. These results confirm the importance and the value of developing students‟ breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in EFL classrooms.

scholarly journals A Bilingual Vocabulary Size Test of English for Vietnamese Learners

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Nguyen ◽  
Paul Nation
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Vocabulary Growth ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Test Result

This article describes the development and validation of a Vietnamese bilingual version of the Vocabulary Size Test - a test which measures written receptive vocabulary size. The test can be used to measure the English vocabulary size of Vietnamese learners of English. A learner's total vocabulary size is calculated by multiplying their test result by 100. The research adds to our knowledge of vocabulary size testing in the following ways. First, it shows that a bilingual version of a monolingual test performs in much the same way as the monolingual test, distinguishing learners of different proficiency levels and returning lower scores at later levels of the test. Second, it shows that every level of the test should be sat, otherwise there will be a considerable underestimation of learners' vocabulary sizes. This suggests limitations to the previously accepted assumption that learners' vocabulary growth can be largely related to word frequency. Third, it shows that bilingual tests are feasible alternatives to more challenging and time-consuming monolingual tests. © The Author(s) 2011.

Authentic Audio Visual Materials in Relation to Pronunciation Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-78
Author(s):  
Fatima A. Hmaid ◽  
Nada I. Shetwan ◽  
Hanan H. Eltaleb
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Visual Materials ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Listening And Speaking

The purpose of this research is to explore the perception, that is understanding based on awareness, knowledge and experiences, of teachers and students of the relationship between utilizing Authentic Audio Visual Materials (AAVMs) in the EFL classroom and pronunciation development. The total number of participants in this study is 26. The study employs the qualitative method of research and targets teachers and students who delivered/passed two specific courses, Phonetics I, II and Language Skills I, II ,III. These two courses are concerned with pronunciation teaching and development at the Faculty of Arts, Misurata University. While Phonetics targets pronunciation through linguistic knowledge, Language Skills are supposed to achieve that through listening and speaking activities. One-on-one detailed interviews, focus group interviews, open-ended questionnaires and observation sessions were the data collection instruments employed for this study. The findings of this study revealed that teachers and students have distinct perceptions of the relationship between utilizing AAVMs in the EFL classroom and pronunciation development. It was additionally attested that the lack of feedback and correction of pronunciation mistakes can have negative consequences on pronunciation development in the EFL classroom whereas providing students with feedback can have positive impacts on the pronunciation improvement process.

scholarly journals PREDICTING L2 FLUENCY FROM L1 FLUENCY BEHAVIOR

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynep Duran-Karaoz ◽  
Parvaneh Tavakoli
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Placement Test ◽  
Elicited Imitation ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Second Language Pedagogy ◽  
L1 And L2 ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe article reports on the findings of a study investigating the relationship between first language (L1) and second language (L2) fluency behavior. Drawing on data collected from Turkish learners of English, the study also addresses the question of whether proficiency level mediates the relationship, if any. The data were coded for a range of breakdown, repair, speed, and composite measures. Language proficiency was measured by means of two tests: Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and an Elicited Imitation Task (EIT). The results show that some breakdown and repair measures were positively correlated in L1 and L2, but no correlations were observed for articulation rate and speech rate. The relationships were not mediated by proficiency level. Regression analyses show that a number of models predicted L2 fluency. L1 fluency contributed significantly to models predicting pausing behavior; EIT scores predicted L2 speech rate; and L1 fluency and OPT scores predicted L2 repair and mid-clause pauses. The important implications of the findings for fluency research and second language pedagogy are discussed.

scholarly journals Vocabulary Size Influences Spontaneous Speech in Native Language Users: Validating the Use of Automatic Speech Recognition in Individual Differences Research

2020 ◽  
pp. 002383092091107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne R. Jongman ◽  
Yung Han Khoe ◽  
Florian Hintz
Keyword(s):  
Speech Recognition ◽  
Automatic Speech Recognition ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Spontaneous Speech ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Sentence Production ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Speech Transcription ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research has shown that vocabulary size affects performance on laboratory word production tasks. Individuals who know many words show faster lexical access and retrieve more words belonging to pre-specified categories than individuals who know fewer words. The present study examined the relationship between receptive vocabulary size and speaking skills as assessed in a natural sentence production task. We asked whether measures derived from spontaneous responses to everyday questions correlate with the size of participants’ vocabulary. Moreover, we assessed the suitability of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for the analysis of participants’ responses in complex language production data. We found that vocabulary size predicted indices of spontaneous speech: individuals with a larger vocabulary produced more words and had a higher speech-silence ratio compared to individuals with a smaller vocabulary. Importantly, these relationships were reliably identified using manual and automated transcription methods. Taken together, our results suggest that spontaneous speech elicitation is a useful method to investigate natural language production and that automatic speech recognition can alleviate the burden of labor-intensive speech transcription.

Host country language skills and expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment in the presence of fear of terror

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Paulus ◽  
Katrin Muehlfeld
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Cultural Adjustment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Terrorist Threat ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Threat Level ◽  
Threat Levels ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between host country (HC) language skills, fear of terror, and cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) of expatriates based in host countries with different terrorist threat levels. Design/methodology/approach Integrating the expatriate adjustment framework by Black et al. (1991) with social identity theory-based literature, this study first, theorizes about the effects of both fear of terror and HC language proficiency on CCA and, second, puts forward the moderating effect of the actual terrorist threat level on the relationship between HC language proficiency and fear of terror. Hypotheses are tested using survey data of 116 expatriates based in host countries with different threat levels. Findings HC language proficiency is positively associated with CCA. Yet, it is also positively associated with fear of terror, which is, in turn, negatively related to CCA. Consequently, the beneficial effect of HC language skills on CCA is reduced in environments where expatriates experience significant fear of terror. While the actual threat level has a direct positive effect on fear of terror, it also positively moderates the relationship between HC language proficiency and fear of terror. Originality/value This study extends prior literature on expatriation to dangerous environments by zooming in on a specific type of risk factor associated with international assignments, i.e., terrorism, and by integrating HC language proficiency and fear of terror as important factors, which may influence CCA in contexts in which expatriates experience significant fear of terror.

scholarly journals How to Improve Communication within an Organization? The Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Language Competence

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-81
Author(s):  
Miroslav Jurásek ◽  
Tomislav Potocký
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Effective Functioning ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractObjective: This article deals with the effective functioning of an organization in the international context. It focuses on the two key aspects of the communication in this respects: cultural intelligence (CQ), the capacity to operate successfully in the multicultural setting, and the quality of internal communication; it is investigated whether CQ (and its components: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and behavioural) are rather related to the number of foreign languages or the language proficiency a person (or an employee) knows (has).Methodology: The sample of 132 undergraduate students of the English and Czech study programs at one private business university in the Czech Republic was used. The Spearman correlation coefficient, Chi–Square test for independence and the one–way ANOVA test (all of them conducted in the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics 21) are calculated in the paper.Findings: CQ depends on the quality (the level of proficiency) rather than the quantity (the number) of foreign language skills. This conclusion applies regardless of gender: our data did not confirm that language skills were gender-dependent.Value Added: Recently a very fashionable cultural intelligence (CQ) construct has been explored in relation to a variety of variables and outputs. Nevertheless, insufficient attention has been given to the relationship between cultural intelligence and language competence so far; moreover, the research has brought contradictory results up to now. This study fills the actual knowledge gap.Recommendations: It is shown that in terms of the effective functioning in a culturally unknown environment and with a restricted time to learn foreign languages, it is preferable to develop continuously one´s skills in lingua franca than parallel and more superficial studies of several languages.

How and how much?

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-121
Author(s):  
Chiara Romagnoli ◽  
Sergio Conti
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Vocabulary Learning Strategies ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Vocabulary plays a crucial role in foreign language learning, and vocabulary mastery proves to be challenging at different competence levels. Compared to other areas of research into Chinese as a foreign language, vocabulary acquisition and vocabulary teaching have rarely been investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size and to verify whether vocabulary size is positively correlated to proficiency level. A total of 95 Italian undergraduate Chinese learners, from elementary to intermediate levels, participated in this study. The participants were first given a vocabulary learning questionnaire and then a vocabulary size test. Statistical and qualitative analyses of the data revealed two trends: a poor variety of vocabulary learning strategies and a positive correlation between vocabulary size and proficiency level.

Lateral Preference and L2 Proficiency

1994 ◽  
Vol 103-104 ◽  
pp. 39-56
Author(s):  
Cem Alptekin ◽  
Elif Çetin
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
School Setting ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Lexical Knowledge ◽  
Lateral Preference ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Standardized Measure ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between the L2 proficiency of advanced EFL learners and biological lateral preference. The former is thought of as the person's advanced ability in English, developed within a school setting and involving both reading comprehension and grammatical and lexical knowledge - as represented by the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency. The latter is conceptualized as a continuous and multifactorial construct that predicts the degree of the hemispheric specialization of cognitive functions in the human brain as well as the degree of hemisphericity as a personal trait. It is measured by the Lateral Preference Schedule, developed as an instrument to meet the research and clinical needs for a standardized measure of lateral preference. Sixty university students majoring in TEFL participated in the study. Overall, the findings suggest that, from the various lateral preference patterns, only those which involve footed-ness and handedness are related to L2 proficiency. The findings further suggest that the relationship between lateral preference and L2 proficiency is independent of differences in gender.

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