The Impact of Incidental and Intentional L2 Vocabulary Learning on Depths and Breadth Dimensions of Vocabulary Knowledge

Abstract Considerable research has been conducted on the advancement of mobile technologies to facilitate vocabulary learning and acquisition in a second language (L2). However, whether mobile platforms lead to a comprehensive mastery of both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge has seldom been addressed in previous literature. This study investigated English vocabulary learning from engagement with mobile-based word cards and paper word cards in the context of the Chinese university classroom. A total of 85 undergraduate students were recruited to take part in the study. The students were divided into two groups, a mobile learning group and a paper-based learning group, and tested on two word knowledge components: receptive knowledge of the form–meaning connection and productive knowledge of collocations. Both the digital and non-digital word cards enhanced L2 vocabulary learning, and the results showed that the mobile application (app) promoted greater gains than physical word cards.

Download Full-text

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

Applied Psycholinguistics ◽

10.1017/s0142716418000504 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 137-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

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.

Download Full-text

Explicit vocabulary instruction: Effects of vocabulary learning on Form Two ESL learners

Studies in English Language and Education ◽

10.24815/siele.v8i3.19539 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 1227-1247

Author(s):

Mohd Haniff Mohd Tahir ◽

Dianna Suzieanna Mohamad Shah ◽

Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak ◽

Intan Safinas Mohd Ariff Albakri ◽

Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

Keyword(s):

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Vocabulary Instruction ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

English Curriculum ◽

Explicit Approach ◽

Interview Session ◽

Eighth Grade Students ◽

Post Test ◽

Esl Learners ◽

The Impact

Per its English curriculum, vocabulary instruction is only integrated indirectly in the teaching of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Malaysian schools. ESL learners then may overlook the variety of meanings that a word and its spelling can offer. This research aims to describe the effects of the explicit approach of vocabulary instruction on 30 Form Two (eighth grade) students from a suburban school in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. A descriptive style was adopted, and specific vocabulary lessons were used to help students learn the target words. Using descriptive statistics, vocabulary pre- and post-test scores were analysed and compared to determine the impact of this approach. The frequency counts, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviation of the students’ evaluation form responses were analysed. Content analysis was used to transcribe, classify, and categorise qualitative data from the interview session. According to the data, the students’ vocabulary scores increased dramatically in the post-test, with a mean gap of 21.9. The students were also enthusiastic about the teacher’s instructions (M=4.48, SD=0.64) and vocabulary lessons (M=4.34, SD=0.59). It is suggested that the explicit approach of vocabulary instruction, which engages students in exciting vocabulary learning techniques as employed by this study could enhance their vocabulary knowledge.

Download Full-text

Explicit Teaching and Incidental Learning of Vocabulary: Where Is the Pendulum Swinging to?

International Journal of English Linguistics ◽

10.5539/ijel.v9n6p445 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 445

Author(s):

Faisal Al-Homoud

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Incidental Learning ◽

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

General Tendency ◽

Explicit Teaching ◽

Incidental Exposure ◽

Knowledge Form ◽

L2 Vocabulary ◽

Target Words

The research at hand compared two conditions of L2 vocabulary exposures, i.e. incidental exposure and a mixture of incidental and explicit exposures to words. Forty-five female participants, majoring in English at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn-Saud Islamic University, Saudi Arabia participated in this research. They were divided into two groups: Reading Only (RO) and Reading Extra (RE). In the RO group, the target words were exposed only through a reading passage that they read twice, while the same target words for the RE group were inserted in the same reading passage, then explained directly by the teacher. Three levels of vocabulary knowledge (form recall, meaning recall, and meaning recognition) were assessed. The results showed that both conditions cater for vocabulary learning, however the RE group had significantly outperformed their RO counterparts. Moreover, the results showed that vocabulary learning in this study followed the general tendency starting from a receptive level to a productive level.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Incidental and Intentional L2 Vocabulary Learning on Depths and Breadth Dimensions of Vocabulary Knowledge

World Journal of English Language ◽

10.5430/wjel.v7n1p50 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

Seyyed Rasool Mirghasempoor Ahmadi

Keyword(s):

Learning Style ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Reading Ability ◽

English Language ◽

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Reading Program ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Different Dimensions ◽

The Impact

Through the introduction of different dimensions of vocabulary knowledge, various studies attempted to examinenumerous effective factors on these dimensions. The present study aimed to show the effects of different vocabularylearning styles through extensive and intensive reading programs on depth and breadth aspects of vocabularyknowledge. To achieve this goal, 45 sophomore undergraduate students of English language teaching and translationin Payam-e-Noor University participated in this study. Initially, in order to homogenize the learners based on theirlevel of language proficiency, MEPT was administered. Then, by measuring the mean and standard deviation ofparticipants’ scores, the number of participants reduced to 35. The ultimate subjects’ scores on the readingcomprehension items of MEPT show that they are all at the intermediate level of reading ability. Participantsdivided into three experimental groups randomly: two groups were in the extensive reading program with differentform-focused and meaning-focused tasks as incidental vocabulary learning style. And the third group was in theintensive reading program as intentional vocabulary learning style. Participants in these experimental groups readlong stories or passages per week with ten goal-oriented words. After 8 weeks, Word Associates Test (WAT) andVocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) were administered to measure the acquired knowledge of new words and also,determining the effects of various learning styles on different dimensions of vocabulary knowledge. The results ofPaired-samples and Independent T-tests revealed that both incidental and intentional groups developed in the periodbetween the pre- and post-test, but, there was a significant difference between the effects of incidental vocabularylearning in the form of ER program and intentional vocabulary learning in the form of IR program. Moreover, therewas a significant difference between the effects of the form-focused and meaning-focused task.

Download Full-text

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

Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1093/applin/amy012 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (5) ◽

pp. 721-753 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

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.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Preschool Education on L1 Vocabulary Development and Sequential Bilingualism: The Case of Arab Schoolchildren

International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature ◽

10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.4p.121 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 121

Author(s):

Ahmed Masrai

Keyword(s):

First Language ◽

Vocabulary Development ◽

Preschool Education ◽

Study Data ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Receptive Vocabulary ◽

L2 Vocabulary ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

The Impact ◽

Early Childhood Settings

Considerable research has investigated the effect of preschool education on subsequent school success and proposed a positive link between the two. Less research, however, has directly investigated the influence of preschool education on children’s vocabulary development. This paper reports on a study that examines the impact of preschool education on children’s first language (L1) vocabulary development in early childhood settings and the potential impact this has on the successive acquisition of second language (L2) vocabulary in later school years. To conduct the study, data from 200 Arabic-English successive bilingual children were collected. The data are scores on receptive vocabulary knowledge in L1 and L2 of two groups of fourth grade schoolchildren (with and without preschool education). The results show that: (1) preschool education contributes largely to L1 vocabulary development and L2 vocabulary acquisition; (2) there is a strong link between L1 and L2 receptive vocabulary knowledge; and (3) bilingual mental lexicon size is predicted by preschool education. The present study provides further insights on the relation between preschool education and L1 vocabulary growth and the influence of this on sequential bilingualism. These findings will allow informed decisions on the support for preschool education by parents and educational policymakers.

Download Full-text

EFFECTS OF NARROW READING AND LISTENING ON L2 VOCABULARY LEARNING

Studies in Second Language Acquisition ◽

10.1017/s0272263119000032 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (04) ◽

pp. 769-794 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anna C-S. Chang

Keyword(s):

Mixed Models ◽

Generalized Linear Mixed Models ◽

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Random Variable ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Time Frequency ◽

Graded Readers ◽

L2 Vocabulary ◽

Better Than

AbstractSixty target words were selected from two sets of graded readers. One set contained three readers with the same title,The Railway Children, and the other set, three books about Sherlock Holmes. Students chose one of the two sets to read and were given a pretest, an immediate posttest, and a five-week delayed posttest on their acquisition of spelling, aural meaning, written meaning, and use. Five fixed factors (time, frequency of word occurrence, glossing, word frequency levels, and four dimensions of vocabulary knowledge) in vocabulary learning and a random variable (the participants) were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models. The results show that the odds of improvements in the knowledge of written and aural meanings were significantly better than those for the knowledge of spelling and use. Significant interaction effects were found between time and other fixed factors, except for glossing. Pedagogical implications of the results are discussed.

Download Full-text

Contributions of declarative memory and prior knowledge to incidental L2 vocabulary learning

The Mental Lexicon ◽

10.1075/ml.20012.mur ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 49-68

Author(s):

Josiah Murphy ◽

Ryan T. Miller ◽

Phillip Hamrick

Keyword(s):

Prior Knowledge ◽

Incidental Learning ◽

Declarative Memory ◽

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Matthew Effect ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Vocabulary Retention ◽

Memory Ability ◽

The Matthew Effect ◽

L2 Vocabulary

Abstract The bulk of second language (L2) vocabulary learning happens incidentally through reading (Rott, 2007; Webb, 2008), but individual differences, such as prior knowledge, modulate the efficacy of such incidental learning. One individual difference that is strongly predicted to play a role in L2 vocabulary is declarative memory ability; however, links between these two abilities have not been explored (Hamrick, Lum, & Ullman, 2018). This study considered declarative memory in conjunction with varying degrees of prior knowledge, since declarative memory may serve a compensatory function (Ullman & Pullman, 2015). L2 Spanish learners completed measures of prior Spanish vocabulary knowledge, declarative memory ability, and incidental L2 vocabulary learning. The results suggest that better declarative memory predicts better immediate learning in general and better vocabulary retention two days later, but only for those with more prior knowledge, consistent with the Matthew Effect previously reported in the literature (Stanovich, 1986).

Download Full-text

Racing Against the Vocabulary Gap: Matthew Effects in Early Vocabulary Instruction and Intervention

Council review ◽

10.1177/0014402918789162 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 85 (2) ◽

pp. 163-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Michael D. Coyne ◽

D. Betsy McCoach ◽

Sharon Ware ◽

Christy R. Austin ◽

Susan M. Loftus-Rattan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Listening Comprehension ◽

Vocabulary Learning ◽

Vocabulary Instruction ◽

Vocabulary Knowledge ◽

Receptive Vocabulary ◽

Tier 2 ◽

Vocabulary Intervention ◽

The Impact ◽

To Receive

We investigated whether individual differences in overall receptive vocabulary knowledge measured at the beginning of the year moderated the effects of a kindergarten vocabulary intervention that supplemented classroom vocabulary instruction. We also examined whether moderation would offset the benefits of providing Tier-2 vocabulary intervention within a multitiered-system-of-support (MTSS) or response-to-intervention framework. Participants included students from two previous studies identified as at risk for language and learning difficulties who were randomly assigned in clusters to receive small-group vocabulary intervention in addition to classroom vocabulary instruction ( n = 825) or to receive classroom vocabulary instruction only ( n = 781). A group of not-at-risk students ( n = 741) who received classroom vocabulary instruction served as a reference group. Initial vocabulary knowledge measured at pretest moderated the impact of intervention on experimenter-developed measures of expressive vocabulary learning and listening comprehension favoring students with higher initial vocabulary knowledge. Tier-2 intervention substantially counteracted the Matthew effect for target word learning. Intervention effects on listening comprehension depended on students’ initial vocabulary knowledge. Implications present benefits and challenges of supporting vocabulary learning within an MTSS framework.

Download Full-text