Abstract
This study examined the receptive and productive English vocabulary knowledge of tertiary students. Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) consisted of three tests, namely Passive Vocabulary Test (PVT), Controlled Active Vocabulary Test (CAVT), and Free Active Vocabulary Test (FAVT) was used to collect the data. A total of 360 first-, second- and third-year university students were involved in the study. The findings revealed that majority of them had very limited lexical knowledge to use English as their second or foreign language, though formal exposures to English language had been given to them for at least 11 years before entering the tertiary level. In trying to unfold the unsuccessful attempt to enhance the students’ lexical competent through the present Malaysian education system, the issue of lexical input in terms of quantity and quality had been raised.
Highlights
The above quotations clearly indicate the significance of vocabulary in learning any languages
Since the findings clearly showed that majority of the respondents failed to achieve the passing level of the Passive and Controlled Active Vocabulary Test and their writing consisted of mostly high-frequency words, a conclusion could be made that the teaching and learning approaches employed are unsuccessful in developing the students’ lexical competence
Obviously there is a hiccup in the lexical development of the students who spent most of their time learning English in a formal instructional setting during their schooling years
Summary
The above quotations clearly indicate the significance of vocabulary in learning any languages. In Malaysia, the issue of incompetency in English language is already a national issue The former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (1991), as early as 1990s, voiced his perturbation regarding the poor results of the national English exam and reckoned that Malaysia might ‘lose its economic competitiveness and find it hard to progress in the industrial and technical fields’ due to the poor command of English language among Malaysians. This situation is very closely associated with the first quotation above. This paper is highlighting the influence of Malaysian English language education system on the development of lexical knowledge among adult learners
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