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 English Vocabulary Size as a Predictor of TOEIC Listening and Reading Achievement among EFL Students in Taiwan

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Hua Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Technical College ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Reading Scores ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

This paper investigates the relationship between vocabulary size and performance on the reading and listening portions of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The participants were 973 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners from a technical college who had studied English for at least six years. The learners’ TOEIC listening and reading scores were found to be strongly associated with their receptive vocabulary size with no gender differences. These results indicate that vocabulary size could have a statistically significant effect on TOEIC listening and reading scores, reinforcing the value of vocabulary size for English proficiency. Additionally, English vocabulary size and the prediction of proficiency in the TOEIC listening and reading sections reached statistical significance. These findings demonstrate the importance of receptive vocabulary for EFL learners. Outcomes from the study have implications for EFL learners and teachers as well as future research.

scholarly journals The relationship between receptive and productive vocabulary of Slavic EFL learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zdislava Šišková
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Bivariate Correlation ◽  
Lexical Density ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderate Relationship

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between learners’ receptive vocabulary knowledge as measured by the Vocabulary Size Test (Nation and Beglar, 2007) and free productive vocabulary knowledge as demonstrated by the learners when writing a short story based on pictures. The focus is on three different areas of productive vocabulary use: lexical diversity (i.e. the proportion of different words in a text), lexical sophistication (i.e. the proportion of advanced words in a text) and lexical density (i.e. the proportion of content words in a text). The results of a bivariate correlation analysis indicate that there is a moderate relationship between learners’ receptive vocabulary knowledge and lexical diversity of the texts they produce; there is a weak relationship between their receptive vocabulary knowledge and lexical sophistication in the texts; and there is no relationship between their receptive vocabulary knowledge and lexical density.

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 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.

An Empirical Study of Reading Habits and Interests of Saudi University EFL Learners

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussam Rajab ◽  
Alhasan Al-Sadi
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Reading Habits ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Academic Reading ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
The University ◽  
L1 And L2

<p align="left">This small-scale, quantitative study investigated the reading habits and interests of Saudi English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students at a university-level preparatory year program (PYP). The study aimed to identify certain habits and preferences of EFL learners with regard to various personal practices of the reading process in first language (L1) as well as in second language (L2). The study utilized a custom-designed, 10-item questionnaire on a Likert scale format in order to gain more insights into the manners with which students may or may not approach reading. The participants were newly-registered, male and female students (<em>n=330</em>) on the university PYP course with mixed English Language proficiency. Analysis of the data collected using descriptive statistical tools indicated several issues relating to the reading habits in general, including students’ lack of interest as well as lack of motivation towards ‘academic reading’ in both L1 and L2. However, the analysis revealed a greater level of engagement in reading in social media contexts. The study has several implications for future research and pedagogy in EFL reading as well as implications for the EFL classroom. </p>

scholarly journals An Analysis of EFL Learners' Vocabulary and Lexical Collocational Knowledge

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardi Nugroho
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
L1 Influence ◽  
Lexical Collocations ◽  
The Relationship

<p>One of the problems that EFL learners, more specifically Indonesian learners of English, often face deals with collocation. A possible reason for why learners often make inaccurate collocations is the influence of the learners’ L1 or mother tongue. Another likely reason for the learners’ inability to produce native-like collocations is their lack of vocabulary knowledge. So how exactly does one measure learners’ vocabulary knowledge? One way of doing it is by looking at their vocabulary size and depth as well as their receptive and productive vocabulary. From this, the writer has become interested in exploring the relationship between learners’ vocabulary and collocational knowledge, as well as the learners’ L1 influence on their collocation recognition and production. The source of data for the current research is students from the second and fourth semesters of the English Language and Culture department at Bunda Mulia University. In order to measure these variables, the following tools are used: the Vocabulary Size Test (Nation and Beglar, 2007), the Words Associate Test (Read, 1998) and an adapted version of Gyllstad’s (2007) receptive and Nikonzika’s (2012) productive collocation tests. Each of the variables is analyzed using the Pearson product-moment correlation. The findings show that there is a significant positive correlation between the students’ vocabulary knowledge and English lexical collocational knowledge. It is also found that the students’ L1 directly influences their recognition and production of English lexical collocations.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong> vocabulary size and depth, receptive and productive collocation</p>

scholarly journals Testing Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Their Relationship with Vocabulary Size of EFL Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
Ismi Narulita Firda ◽  
Intan Azkiyah ◽  
Albiansyah
Keyword(s):  
Junior High School ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Correlational Research ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract   Testing the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge is needed to see its effect on the vocabulary size of EFL students. The study aims to know at the relationship between the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and the vocabulary size of EFL students. This research was conducted in the 8th grade of Trimulia Junior High School Jakarta. This research uses a correlational research design. The sample was 51 EFL learners. The Vocabulary Level Test (VLT) and the Words Associates Test (WAT) were administered in this study. The scores were presented with descriptive statistics for two tests of the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. The results showed that the breadth and depth of the vocabulary knowledge test had a negative correlation with the L2 vocabulary size of EFL students. Using Statistic Product moment, the correlation coefficients found at 0.01 for the breadth and 0.11 for depth is included in the very weak category. So, there is a very weak correlation between the tests of breadth and deep vocabulary knowledge and the size of students' vocabulary.   Keywords: breadth, depth, vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary sizes

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 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>

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