A Study on Lexical Sense Relations from the Perspective of Vocabulary Breadth and Word Frequency

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 988
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Substantial Extent

In second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition, breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge are two indispensable components that interrelate with each other to a substantial extent. Breadth of vocabulary is actually vocabulary size. Lexical sense relations, part and parcel of depth of vocabulary, are reported to be able to facilitate the mastery of L2 words. Word frequency concerns the familiarity of words. The present research intends to make a synthetical analysis of the development of L2 word meaning under the influence of vocabulary size and word frequency in classroom settings. The merging of qualitative and quantitative aspects of words is to describe exhaustively how students fit the words into their mind, and to provide some pedagogical implications to L2 vocabulary teaching and learning.

L2 vocabulary knowledge in and out of context

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde van Zeeland
Keyword(s):  
Word Meaning ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Test ◽  
Contextual Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Isolated Word ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Shed Light

The vast majority of second language (L2) vocabulary research focuses on learners’ knowledge of isolated word forms. However, it is unclear to what extent this knowledge can be used as an indicator of knowledge in context (i.e. reading and listening). This study aims to shed light on this issue by comparing ESL learners’ knowledge of the meaning of isolated words (‘decontextual knowledge’) with their knowledge of the same words in both reading and listening (‘contextual knowledge’). Decontextual knowledge was measured in a free recall interview. Contextual knowledge was measured through a task in which participants paraphrased sentences containing the target items from both a written and spoken narrative. Results showed that learners’ decontextual and contextual knowledge agreed in 65% of the cases. This indicates a considerable gap between the two, and emphasises that scores on decontextualised vocabulary test should not be used as predictors of learners’ vocabulary knowledge in context. In addition, learners demonstrated significantly better knowledge of word meaning in the reading than listening mode, which may be due to processing difficulties in listening as well as better inferencing opportunities in reading. Two additional factors found to affect both decontextual and contextual knowledge are word frequency and learners’ vocabulary size.

scholarly journals A study of L2 vocabulary acquisition under incidental and intentional conditions

2020 ◽  
pp. 113-140
Author(s):  
Sarah Sok ◽  
ZhaoHong Han
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Incidental Learning ◽  
Word List ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
The Past ◽  
Incidental Condition ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

Vocabulary development is indisputably a vital aspect of second language acquisition. In spite of the abundant attention it has garnered over the past few decades, it remains unclear how adult learners fare with intentional and incidental ways of learning. The current study investigated the effects of intentional learning (via studying a word list), incidental learning (via reading), and combined intentional-andincidental learning (via studying a word list followed by reading) conditions on 30 adult learners’ second language vocabulary acquisition. Vocabulary acquisition was measured in terms of percentage gains as well as changes in the depth of vocabulary knowledge. Results showed that while both the intentional and incidental modes of learning led to vocabulary gains, the combined intentional-and-incidental condition resulted in significantly greater gains than either the intentional-only or the incidentalonly condition. No significant differences were found between the incidental-only and intentional-only conditions.

Investigating the role of vocabulary size in second language speaking ability

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takumi Uchihara ◽  
Jon Clenton
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Expert Rating ◽  
L2 Speaking ◽  
Vocabulary Assessment ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

The current study investigates the extent to which receptive vocabulary size test scores can predict second language (L2) speaking ability. Forty-six international students with an advanced level of L2 proficiency completed a receptive vocabulary task (Yes/No test; Meara & Miralpeix, 2017) and a spontaneous speaking task (oral picture narrative). Elicited speech samples were submitted to expert rating based on speakers’ vocabulary features as well as lexical sophistication measures. Results indicate that vocabulary size was significantly associated with vocabulary rating. However, learners with large vocabulary sizes did not necessarily produce lexically sophisticated L2 words during speech. A closer examination of the data reveals complexities regarding the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and speaking. Based on these findings, we explore implications for L2 vocabulary assessment in classroom teaching contexts and provide important suggestions for future research on the vocabulary-and-speaking link.

scholarly journals The effects of dictionary use on second language vocabulary acquisition: A meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songshan Zhang ◽  
Hai Xu ◽  
Xian Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Moderator Variable ◽  
Lexical Unit ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Dictionary Use ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

Abstract This study reports on the results of a meta-analysis which investigates the effects of dictionary use on second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition, as well as the magnitude of the moderating effect of a number of moderator variables on the effectiveness of dictionary use in improving L2 vocabulary knowledge. A total of 125 effect sizes were gleaned from 44 studies, which represented 87 independent samples and included 3,475 participants. A random-effects model of the meta-analysis shows that the overall effect of dictionary use on L2 vocabulary acquisition is g = 2.10 (p < .01) for within-group studies and g = 1.03 (p < .01) for between-group studies respectively, which are both large in the domain of second language research. Subsequent moderator variable analysis reveals how treatment-related variables (timepoint, dictionary form, dictionary type, target lexical unit, vocabulary knowledge type, learning condition, and research setting), methodological variables (type of experimental design, presence of pretest, and assessment type), as well as learner-related variables (age and proficiency) might contribute to the variation across studies. Implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Dispersion and frequency: Is there any difference as regards their relation to L2 vocabulary gains?

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gema Alcaraz-Mármol
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Reliable Predictor ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
The Way

<p>Despite the current importance given to L2 vocabulary acquisition in the last two decades, considerable<br />deficiencies are found in L2 students’ vocabulary size. One of the aspects that may influence vocabulary<br />learning is word frequency. However, scholars warn that frequency may lead to wrong conclusions if the way<br />words are distributed is ignored. That is to say, it seems that not only the number of occurrences (frequency)<br />might affect L2 vocabulary acquisition, but also the way occurrences are distributed (distribution). This<br />relationship between these two factors is represented by the so-called Gries’ index, known as dispersion. The<br />present study aims to find out whether dispersion is more an accurate and reliable predictor for L2 vocabulary<br />learning than frequency only.</p>

scholarly journals Context, word, and student predictors in second language vocabulary learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
EVELIEN MULDER ◽  
MARCO VAN DE VEN ◽  
ELIANE SEGERS ◽  
LUDO VERHOEVEN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Levenshtein Distance ◽  
Context Word ◽  
Learning Gain ◽  
English Sentence ◽  
Contextual Support ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

ABSTRACTWe examined to what extent the variation in vocabulary learning outcomes (vocabulary knowledge, learning gain, and rate of forgetting) in English as a second language (L2) in context can be predicted from semantic contextual support, word characteristics (cognate status, Levenshtein distance, word frequency, and word length), and student characteristics (prior vocabulary knowledge, reading ability, and exposure to English) in 197 Dutch adolescents. Students were taught cognates, false friends, and control words through judging sentences with varying degrees of semantic contextual support using a pretest/posttest between subjects design. Participants were presented with an English target word and its Dutch translation, followed by an English sentence. They were instructed to judge the plausibility of the sentence. Mixed-efffects models indicated that learning gains were higher for sentences with more semantic contextual support and in students with stronger reading comprehension skills. We were the first to show that Levenshtein distance is an important predictor for L2 vocabulary learning outcomes. Furthermore, more accurate as well as faster learning task performance lead to higher learning outcomes. It can thus be concluded that L2 study materials containing semantically supportive contexts and that focus on words with little L1-L2 overlap are most effective for L2 vocabulary learning.

Word knowledge, learning and acquisition in a second language: Proposed replications of Elgort (2011) and Qiao and Forster (2017)

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Irina Elgort
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
L2 Word Learning ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
To Come ◽  
Prime Lexicality Effect ◽  
The Mind ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

AbstractWhat does it mean to learn a word? How can we tell when a sequence of letters or sounds becomes a word in the mind of the learner? While many second language (L2) vocabulary teaching and learning studies continue to use traditional vocabulary tests to measure learning (such as multiple choice, translation, gap-fill), these measures tend to come short when researchers want to address theoretical questions about the nature of L2 word knowledge. In the present paper, I argue for conceptualising word learning as lexicalisation, which necessitates the use of alternative approaches to measuring learning. I then propose approximate and conceptual replications of two theoretically motivated L2 word learning studies, Elgort (2011) and Qiao and Forster (2017), that used the Prime Lexicality Effect as a measure of lexicalisation of deliberately learned L2 words.

A Study on Chinese EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Usage in Writing

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Zhai
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Writing Ability ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Lexical Variation ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Significant Difference

Vocabulary acquisition is one of the hottest research fields in English learning, which has aroused researchers’ great attention in recent years. However, their focus is on vocabulary size, vocabulary learning strategies and receptive lexical ability, seldom to productive lexical ability. Writing is an important productive ability for EFL learners, and a myriad of writing researches show that inappropriate vocabulary use leads to inferior writing quality. Therefore, research on learners’ vocabulary proficiency, especially their vocabulary in English writing is quite profound. 66 subjects from a comprehensive university participating in this study, finished one composition for analyzing their vocabulary usage, i.e. lexical richness which includes lexical sophistication and lexical variation. All the data and writing papers were analyzed with RANGE and SPSS 17.0. The findings of the present study demonstrated that the subjects relied more on the first 1000 word level to express their meanings in productive tasks and the lexical sophistication and lexical variation are not high. Subjects with different writing ability have differences in vocabulary usage, but the two groups only have significant difference in lexical variation and not in lexical sophistication. The present study enriches the research on vocabulary acquisition in SLA and provides helpful implications for vocabulary teaching and learning to improve learners’ vocabulary productive ability.

The Effects of Corpus Use on Second Language Vocabulary Learning: A Multilevel Meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 721-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hansol Lee ◽  
Mark Warschauer ◽  
Jang Ho Lee
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

Abstract This study investigates the effects of corpus use on second language (L2) vocabulary learning as well as the influence of moderators on effectiveness. Based on 29 studies representing 38 unique samples, all of which met several criteria for inclusion (e.g. with control groups), we found an overall positive medium-sized effect of corpus use on L2 vocabulary learning for both short-term (77 posttest effect sizes; Hedges’ g = 0.74, SE = 0.09, p < .001) and long-term periods (34 follow-up effect sizes; Hedges’ g = 0.64, SE = 0.17, p < .001). Furthermore, large variation in adjusted mean effect sizes across moderators was revealed. Above all, for the different dimensions of L2 vocabulary knowledge, in-depth knowledge (i.e. referential meanings as well as syntactic features of vocabulary) was associated with a large effect size. Moreover, the results revealed that learners’ L2 proficiency and several features of corpus use (i.e. interaction types, corpus types, training, and duration) influence the magnitude of the effectiveness of corpus use in improving L2 vocabulary learning.

Phonological memory and children's second language grammar learning

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEIF M. FRENCH ◽  
IRENA O'BRIEN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Phonological Memory ◽  
Intensive English Program ◽  
Grammar Learning ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Grammar Knowledge ◽  
Variance Explained ◽  
Grammar Development

ABSTRACTThis study examined the role of phonological memory in second language (L2) grammar learning in a group of native French-speaking children undergoing a 5-month intensive English program. Phonological memory (as referenced by Arabic [ANWR] and English [ENWR] nonword repetition tasks), L2 vocabulary (receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge), and L2 grammar (knowledge of morphosyntactic structures) were assessed during the first (Time 1) and last (Time 2) month of the program. After controlling for initial grammar ability, phonological memory significantly predicted grammar development (27.9% of variance explained) in addition to the contribution made by vocabulary knowledge (9.5% of variance explained). Although phonological memory ability as measured by ENWR increased between Time 1 and Time 2, ANWR did not improve. The findings show that phonological memory plays an important role in L2 grammar development that is unmediated by lexical knowledge. They also provide evidence that phonological memory improves with language development, but that basic phonological memory capacity (as measured by ANWR in this study) remains unchanged over time.

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