Exploring the Interplay of Vocabulary Size, Depth, and Reading Performance among Engineering Students in an ESP Context

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to examine the impact of vocabulary size and vocabulary depth on reading performance in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context. To this end, we administered three tests to a group of 92 engineering students enrolled at the National Graduate School of Arts and Crafts (ENSAM) in Meknes, Morocco. The tests included the Vocabulary Size Test developed by Nation and Beglar (2007), the Words Associate Test designed by Read (1998), and a reading performance test with a high-reliability score of .87. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis using linear regression and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed significant correlations between both vocabulary size and vocabulary depth with reading performance. Interestingly, the results indicated that vocabulary depth exhibited a stronger predictive association with reading performance compared to vocabulary size.