scholarly journals Thresholds, Text Coverage, Vocabulary Size, and Reading Comprehension in Applied Linguistics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Myq Larson
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Online Version ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Item Presentation ◽  
Unknown Words

<p>The inextricable link between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension is incontrovertible. However, questions remain regarding the nature of the interaction. One question which remains unresolved is whether there is an optimum text coverage, or ratio of known to unknown words in a text, such that any deleterious effects of the unknown words on reading comprehension are minimised. A related question is what vocabulary size would a reader need to have in order to achieve the optimum text coverage for a given text or class of texts.  This thesis addresses these questions in three ways. First, a replication and expansion of a key study (Hu & Nation, 2000)1 was performed. In that study, 98% text coverage was found to be optimal for adequate reading comprehension of short fiction texts when reading for pleasure. To replicate that study, equivalent measures of reading comprehension were collected from a more homogeneous group of participants at a university in northern Thailand (n = 138), under stricter conditions and random assignment to one of three text coverage conditions, to verify the generalisability of the results. The original study was also expanded by measuring reader characteristics thought to contribute to reading comprehension, such as vocabulary size, l1 and l2 literacy, and reading attitudes, in an effort to improve the explainable reading comprehension variance.  In order to more accurately calculate the text coverage a reader experiences for a particular text, both the vocabulary profile of the text and the vocabulary size of the reader must be known as precisely as possible. Therefore, to contribute to the question of vocabulary size, changes such as measuring item completion time and varying the order of item presentation were made to the VST (P. Nation & Beglar, 2007) to improve its sensitivity and accuracy. This may ultimately lead to increased precision when using text coverage to predict reading comprehension.  Finally, l2 English vocabulary size norms were established to supplement the diagnostic usefulness of the VST. Data were collected through an online version of the VST created for this thesis from primarily self-selected participants (n 1:31 105) located in countries (n 100) around the world representing several l1 and age groups.  Analysis of the data collected for this thesis suggest that text coverage explains much less reading comprehension variance than previously reported while vocabulary size may be a more powerful predictor. An internal replication of Hu and Nation (2000) found errors in the calculation of optimum text coverage and in the reported size of the effect on reading comprehension. A critical review of the theoretical foundations of the text coverage model of reading comprehension found serious flaws in construct operationalisation and research design. Due to these flaws, most research which has purported to measure the effect of text coverage on reading comprehension actually measured the effect of an intervening variable: readers’ vocabulary size.  Vocabulary size norms derived from data collected through an online version of the VST appear to be reliable and representative. Varying item presentation order appears to increase test sensitivity. Despite a moderate effect for l1 English users, item completion time does not seem to account for any variance in vocabulary size scores for l2 English learners.  Based on the finding that vocabulary size may explain both reading comprehension and text coverage, the putative power of text coverage to predict reading comprehension is challenged. However, an alternative measure which may offer greater power to predict reading comprehension, the VST, has been modified and made available online. This version of the VST may provide greater sensitivity and ease of use than the offline, paper-based version.</p>

scholarly journals Thresholds, Text Coverage, Vocabulary Size, and Reading Comprehension in Applied Linguistics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Myq Larson
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Completion Time ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Online Version ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Item Presentation ◽  
Unknown Words

<p>The inextricable link between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension is incontrovertible. However, questions remain regarding the nature of the interaction. One question which remains unresolved is whether there is an optimum text coverage, or ratio of known to unknown words in a text, such that any deleterious effects of the unknown words on reading comprehension are minimised. A related question is what vocabulary size would a reader need to have in order to achieve the optimum text coverage for a given text or class of texts.  This thesis addresses these questions in three ways. First, a replication and expansion of a key study (Hu & Nation, 2000)1 was performed. In that study, 98% text coverage was found to be optimal for adequate reading comprehension of short fiction texts when reading for pleasure. To replicate that study, equivalent measures of reading comprehension were collected from a more homogeneous group of participants at a university in northern Thailand (n = 138), under stricter conditions and random assignment to one of three text coverage conditions, to verify the generalisability of the results. The original study was also expanded by measuring reader characteristics thought to contribute to reading comprehension, such as vocabulary size, l1 and l2 literacy, and reading attitudes, in an effort to improve the explainable reading comprehension variance.  In order to more accurately calculate the text coverage a reader experiences for a particular text, both the vocabulary profile of the text and the vocabulary size of the reader must be known as precisely as possible. Therefore, to contribute to the question of vocabulary size, changes such as measuring item completion time and varying the order of item presentation were made to the VST (P. Nation & Beglar, 2007) to improve its sensitivity and accuracy. This may ultimately lead to increased precision when using text coverage to predict reading comprehension.  Finally, l2 English vocabulary size norms were established to supplement the diagnostic usefulness of the VST. Data were collected through an online version of the VST created for this thesis from primarily self-selected participants (n 1:31 105) located in countries (n 100) around the world representing several l1 and age groups.  Analysis of the data collected for this thesis suggest that text coverage explains much less reading comprehension variance than previously reported while vocabulary size may be a more powerful predictor. An internal replication of Hu and Nation (2000) found errors in the calculation of optimum text coverage and in the reported size of the effect on reading comprehension. A critical review of the theoretical foundations of the text coverage model of reading comprehension found serious flaws in construct operationalisation and research design. Due to these flaws, most research which has purported to measure the effect of text coverage on reading comprehension actually measured the effect of an intervening variable: readers’ vocabulary size.  Vocabulary size norms derived from data collected through an online version of the VST appear to be reliable and representative. Varying item presentation order appears to increase test sensitivity. Despite a moderate effect for l1 English users, item completion time does not seem to account for any variance in vocabulary size scores for l2 English learners.  Based on the finding that vocabulary size may explain both reading comprehension and text coverage, the putative power of text coverage to predict reading comprehension is challenged. However, an alternative measure which may offer greater power to predict reading comprehension, the VST, has been modified and made available online. This version of the VST may provide greater sensitivity and ease of use than the offline, paper-based version.</p>

scholarly journals Predictors of Latino English Learners’ Reading Comprehension Proficiency

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa A Grasparil ◽  
David A Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
Oral Reading ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Oral Reading Fluency ◽  
Reading Program ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Literacy Achievement ◽  
Academic Vocabulary ◽  
Latino English Learners

Poor literacy achievement among English learners has contributed significantly to their high dropout rates, poor job prospects, and high poverty rates. The National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth has suggested that English learners benefit from the same direct, systematic instruction in the five essential components of reading shown effective for native-English-speaking students: phonemic awareness, phonics, oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Implementing effective reading instructional practices for English learners may reduce the literacy achievement gap between English learners and native English speakers. In this study, we used multiple regression to examine data for 1,376 third-grade Latino English learners to determine the strength of oral English proficiency, oral reading fluency, and academic vocabulary knowledge as predictors of reading comprehension proficiency. Findings of this study indicate a mismatch between English learners’ instructional needs and a widely used reading program component, assessment of words correct per minute (as a measure of oral reading fluency). Significant conclusions of this study suggest that educators seeking to promote the reading comprehension proficiency of Latino English learners consider using WCPM assessments and activities cautiously and strive to allocate more time for instruction and assessment of the prosodic dimension of oral reading fluency and academic vocabulary knowledge and skills.

scholarly journals A Study on the Relationship between English Reading Comprehension and English Vocabulary Knowledge

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-han Ma ◽  
Wen-ying Lin
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Morphological Knowledge ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
English Reading

The present study aimed to investigate the overall and relative contribution of four subcomponents of vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension. The four vocabulary subcomponents were vocabulary size, word association knowledge, collocation knowledge, and morphological knowledge. The participants were 124 college students from a university in Taipei, Taiwan. Six instruments were employed: (1) a reading comprehension test, (2) a vocabulary size test, (3) a test on word association knowledge and collocation knowledge, (4) a test of morphological knowledge, (5) motivation attitude scale, and (6) a self-efficacy scale. The results can be summarized as follows. First, after the effects of motivation and self-efficacy have been controlled, the four vocabulary subcomponents altogether contributed significantly (20%) to reading comprehension performance. Moreover, depth of vocabulary knowledge (including word association knowledge, collocation knowledge, and morphological knowledge) provided an additional explained variance (6%) in reading comprehension performance over and above vocabulary size. Finally, among the three subcomponents of depth of vocabulary knowledge, collocation knowledge explained the most proportion of variance (5.6%) in contributing to performance on reading comprehension. Based on these findings, some implications and suggestions for future research were provided.

scholarly journals Exploring the importance of vocabulary for English as an additional language learners’ reading comprehension

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-376
Author(s):  
Gavin Brooks ◽  
Jon Clenton ◽  
Simon Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Reading Fluency ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Word Decoding ◽  
Decoding Skills ◽  
General Linguistic

This exploratory study represents an attempt to investigate the factors that may affect the reading comprehension abilities of English as an additional language (EAL) learners. For this study, we examined a participant group of 31 (25 EAL and 6 first language English) learners studying at an international school in Japan. We assessed the participants according to four factors shown to influence reading comprehension: vocabulary knowledge, word decoding skills, reading fluency, and general linguistic ability. Our results show that differences in vocabulary knowledge show more variance in reading comprehension scores than the other factors examined in this study, highlighting the importance of vocabulary knowledge for reading comprehension. However, other factors such as reading fluency and general linguistic knowledge are also shown to be moderate to strong predictors of reading comprehension. Based on these results, we suggest that EAL learners need targeted language support to enhance academic text comprehension.

scholarly journals Vocabulary and listening in English among L1-Spanish learners: a longitudinal study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Martin Aioz Pinillos
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Second Language Listening ◽  
Listening Ability ◽  
L2 Listening

Second language listening causes situations of stress and negative perceptions among learners and teachers. Research has suggested that L2 listening and vocabulary knowledge are related. However, this relationship has been barely explored, and in most cases with inadequate instruments. This thesis is an attempt to bridge those gaps by examining the contribution of the language learners’ vocabulary size to their listening ability. A bilingual multiple-choice vocabulary test, based on the official vocabulary list in a standardized language exam, was created to assess the vocabulary size of L2-English learners. Its 81 items were delivered first orally, and then in writing. The ability to comprehend aural texts was assessed through the listening paper in the same standardized examination. 284 language learners took the vocabulary and listening tests. After an observation period of 35 weeks, the study participants were given the same tests. Both datasets were analyzed with the Rasch model to determine the participants’ abilities and the item difficulties. Evidence from data analyses supported the following findings: 1) A strong and positive relationship exists between L2 vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension. 2) Aural and written vocabulary knowledge are two dimensions that should be assessed and investigated separately, particularly in relation to listening comprehension. 3) Aural vocabulary knowledge is a better predictor of listening comprehension than written vocabulary knowledge, especially among language learners with comparatively weaker listening skills. 4) Knowing 71.71% of the words featured in a listening comprehension test is sufficient to answer 72% of its questions correctly. 5) Language learners increase their aural and written vocabulary size, and improve their listening ability after attending classes for about 35 weeks. This improvement is particularly acute among lower-level learners. Based on these results, L2 learners, teachers and researchers should focus more on the aural form of words to improve listening comprehension.

The Role of Vocabulary Breadth and Depth in Reading Comprehension: A Quantitative Study of Finnish EFL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1079
Author(s):  
Noora Harkio ◽  
Päivi Pietilä
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Vocabulary Depth ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Matriculation Examination ◽  
Knowledge Scale ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills

This article reports the results of a study on the relationship between second language vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth, and reading comprehension. A special aim was to discover the role of vocabulary depth in the prediction and explanation of L2 learners’ reading comprehension. Two proficiency levels, intermediate and advanced, were compared. Vocabulary breadth was measured with the Vocabulary Size Test (Nation & Beglar, 2007), vocabulary depth with the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (Wesche & Paribakht, 1996), and reading comprehension with a test compiled of sections from two former matriculation examination tasks. The three constructs showed strong positive correlations in both groups of subjects. However, based on the results, vocabulary breadth and depth seem to be stronger predictors of reading comprehension skills in lower levels of proficiency than on the advanced level.

scholarly journals The Effect of Vocabulary Knowledge on Chinese English Learners’ Reading Comprehension

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Tongqing Gu
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Summary Writing ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Vocabulary Depth

Vocabulary knowledge is the foundation of English learning. This study, based on vocabulary knowledge frameworks, aims to further explore the effect of two dimensions of vocabulary knowledge i.e. breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge, on two types of reading comprehension tasks, i.e., standard multiple choice question and summary writing in Chinese EFL context. 124 English majors in a Chinese university were randomly selected, and their vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension ability were tested. The results of the study showed that both breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge make contributions to reading comprehension; the breadth of vocabulary knowledge has a greater predictive power on multiple-choice reading comprehension than the depth of vocabulary, while vocabulary depth was the stronger predictor of post-reading summary writing. The results indicate that teachers need to attend to vocabulary knowledge and improve learners’ reading ability by enhancing their vocabulary knowledge.

scholarly journals Task-induced Involvement Load, Vocabulary learning and Reading Comprehension Among Iranian Intermediate English as a Foreign Language Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 210-218
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Mitra Khodaparast ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Keshmirshekan
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Difficulty Level ◽  
High Involvement ◽  
Involvement Load ◽  
Experimental Group

The importance of vocabulary in a second language is so self-axiomatic that it renders learning and teaching a must. The present study aimed to explore whether the manipulation of the task components, as proposed by Laufer and Hulstijn, affected the acquisition of English vocabularies by EFL learners. The present study followed an experimental design in that it used pre-test and post-test to collect data from the participants. The current research included 50 EFL students from two private English language institutions in Yazd, Iran. The study included two distinct reading tasks that placed varying loads on participants. The two reading texts were controlled for their difficulty level: one with the high level of involvement load and the other with lack of involvement load, thus two experimental groups. There was a reading comprehension exam for those who participated in the first experimental group (with a high involvement load). Reading comprehension was assessed using the first Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS1), which measures vocabulary knowledge. The second reading comprehension assignment was simultaneously presented to the second experimental group (the one with a low involvement load). After two weeks, they were administered VKS2, and their results were recorded. Analyzing the data was done by using independent t-tests. Exposure to high levels of involvement load has been shown to impact vocabulary development in English learners. This is despite respondents being able to recall more words from high-involvement vocabulary acquisitions than from low-involvement vocabulary acquisitions. Findings from this study may be used to construct practical tasks of reading with suitable degrees of difficulty for English language learners (EFL/ESL) teachers and vocabulary instructors.

scholarly journals Vocabulary Size, Phonological Awareness, and Reading Comprehension

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 299
Author(s):  
Yu-cheng Sieh
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Reading Scores ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
The Common ◽  
Explained Variance ◽  
The Relationship

<p><em>The present study aimed to explore the relationship among vocabulary size, </em><em>P</em><em>honological </em><em>A</em><em>wareness (PA), and reading comprehension in English learners with low proficiency in Taiwan’s higher education. Forty-one university students who had taken the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) were recruited, 30 of whom were at a proficiency level much lower than B1 Threshold of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. Three PA subtests and a vocabulary size test were administered to all participants individually. Pearson’s correlations show that their TOEIC reading scores were correlated with the four measures when all 41 participants were included; however, among the 30 low-proficiency learners, their reading scores were correlated with Elision—one PA measure—and vocabulary size only. When parallel regression analyses were computed against all participants and the low-proficiency subgroup, the four measures altogether explained nearly 64% of the variance in their TOEIC reading scores in the former but the explained variance dropped drastically to around 40% in the latter. Among the four measures, vocabulary size was the only significant predictor of reading ability and accounted for the largest variance. Meanwhile, phonological awareness explained additional variance in reading comprehension. While different PA measures did not seem to make a difference to the whole sample, Elision seemed to have explained more variance and served as a better task to assess phonological awareness of the low-proficiency subgroup. </em></p>

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