Abstract
Although the importance of vocabulary in language input (listening and reading) and output (speaking and writing) has long been established, time constraints and exam-oriented instruction in the Malaysian secondary school classrooms force teachers to prioritize content breadth rather than depth. In 2017, the Malaysian Ministry of Education implemented nationwide the new Standard Based Curriculum for Secondary Schools (KSSM). The integration of the Vocabulary Journal in the new textbook demonstrates the importance of vocabulary in language learning. This paper aims to present and share the findings of an action research study with a selected class of Form One students (13 year olds) engaged in vocabulary journaling to determine its effectiveness in enhancing vocabulary knowledge as well as reading comprehension. Vocabulary journals are also known as personalised dictionaries for learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) which allows them the freedom to include any information they deem relevant to the target words. To ease the process of deciding which information to be included, the vocabulary journaling used Frayer’s (1969) Vocabulary Four Square Model. This paper will share the findings from the study on enlisting the vocabulary journal approach to enhance the learners’ vocabulary range, thereby leading to improved reading comprehension.
Highlights
Malaysian students are especially fortunate as they are exposed to multiple languages on a daily basis since the country consists of a multiracial population
To conclude, it is clear that the participants in the study, consisting mainly of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners were previously unaware of the array of vocabulary learning strategies available at their disposal, hindering their language learning due to their inability to comprehend language input based on their limited vocabulary breadth and depth
Based on the increase in post-test scores for both the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale and the reading comprehension tasks, it is obvious that the intervention implemented was effective in helping participants increase both their vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension abilities
Summary
Malaysian students are especially fortunate as they are exposed to multiple languages on a daily basis since the country consists of a multiracial population. 11 crucial years have been allocated in the Malaysian education system to train learners in the lingua franca. Studies have shown that despite the 11 years of compulsory English language education received, Malaysian ESL learners still lack the necessary proficiency levels for higher levels of language use. Researchers claim that this lack of proficiency can be traced to the lack of extensive reading, limiting their vocabulary depth and breadth and increasing their heavy reliance on translation into their L1
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