Academic Vocabulary Acquisition Research Articles

EFL Students' Strategies for Learning Academic Vocabulary with Mobile Phones at Van Lang University in Vietnam

This research has investigated how EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students use mobile applications to learn academic vocabulary in a self-directed and autonomous manner. Forty first-year students at Van Lang University taking part in the research process were divided into experimental (N=18) and control (N=22) groups. The experimental group utilized a mobile app throughout the semester, whereas those in the control group used traditional methods. Three final tests every semester were used to check the participants' newly gained vocabulary knowledge. The findings revealed that the students in both groups could enhance their vocabulary proficiency. Nevertheless, the experimental group achieved better results in all three final tests. Moreover, this group also saved significant time when using the phone to support vocabulary learning, while the control group gave unstable test results. The findings demonstrate the potential of mobile apps for independent academic vocabulary acquisition and provide impacts on EFL vocabulary learning.

An Analysis of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Sri Lankan IT Undergraduates: Frequency, Technology Usage and Performance at a Formative Assessment

Learning vocabulary is an integral part in language acquisition and acquisition of academic vocabulary is a determinant for the success in an academic context. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to formulate academic vocabulary lists and identifying vocabulary learning strategies. This study seeks to explore the vocabulary learning strategies employed by IT undergraduates when studying academic vocabulary and to examine their performance on academic vocabulary related questions at the mid-term examination which is one of their formative assessments. The sample of the study includes 276 first year IT undergraduates who follow the module English for Academic Purposes in a Sri Lankan non-state university. A questionnaire is used as the research tool to obtain data from the sample and the result of the formative exam is used to examine the performance related to academic vocabulary. According to the data analysis, most of the students often use either monolingual or bilingual dictionary as a strategy for the discovery of a new word meaning. This is more emphasized as they have mentioned that they prefer using dictionary apps as a vocabulary strategy using online. A significant number of students study the spelling, meaning and form of a word and ask for help from their friends as strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered. When comparing the marks obtained for the vocabulary related questions at the exam, it is noted that the students have obtained less marks to the question in which they had to replace the underlined word/phrases with a more academic alternative. Thus, students need to adopt more effective strategies to acquire mastery of academic vocabulary. Moreover, they should reflect on the current strategies used by them.

Academic Vocabulary Acquisition Difficulties for Saudi Postgraduate Students in New Zealand Universities

Education outcomes for L2 students in academic preparation programs, undergraduate studies, and graduate work are directly influenced by the learning and use of academic vocabulary. Among 15 Saudi graduate students studying in New Zealand, this study investigated at their perspectives with academic vocabulary learning. Students in Saudi Arabia who are enrolled at New Zealand universities were asked about their difficulties in learning academic vocabulary. According to this study, a new perspective on academic vocabulary can be gained by studying students' assessments of their problems in learning academic vocabulary. Four research questions are the focus of the study: 1) When it comes to mastering academic vocabulary, what are the most common challenges faced by postgraduate students? 2) What methods do these Saudi postgraduate students employ in order to increase their knowledge of academic language? 3) Do students who perceive the most difficulty in learning a new language likely to have had the least effective ways for learning vocabulary. 4) Saudi graduate students confront what kinds of problems in learning academic vocabulary? Academic vocabulary is typically a problem for graduate students in a number of areas. These challenges were addressed utilizing a qualitative approach, that comprised an exploratory study, personal face-to-face questions, and a group discussion. A wide range of academic circumstances were found to be problematic for all 15 participants, regardless of language proficiency. It was difficult to find time to read for writing when there was so much emphasis on paraphrasing. (Hirvela, 2016) Aside from that, participants had no prior experience with academic vocabulary learning and only a limited number of strategies at their disposal to assist them. In contrast, the results of this study do not support the concept that merely being revealed to academic language can increase the chances of incidental vocabulary development; somewhat more, they recommend that deliberate vocabulary knowledge is needed, so such learning should be based on sound academic skills, including the use of vocabulary study materials; and unsuitable vocabulary acquisition strategies could indeed risk causing unhappiness and loss of vocabulary knowledge. 
  

Building Vocabulary Acquisition Skills in English Academic Writing with the aid of Corpus Linguistics: the UCS Writing Center Initiative

Acquisition of academic vocabulary is paramount to students’ success in academic life, as well as for the process of writing publishable papers in English so that research can be shared more broadly (NAGY; TOWNSEND 2012; PAQUOT, 2014). While in countries such as The U.S. and England the practice of offering Writing Centers for academic writing thrives, the initiative is still quite shy in Brazil (CONS 2020), though some Writing Centers around the country have recently started to operate. The aim of this paper is to report how the training activities of the Writing Center at University of Caxias do Sul – UCS Writing Center - use the Corpus Linguistics approach (BERBER-SARDINHA 2004) to enhance acquisition of academic vocabulary, therefore providing better academic writing skills to professors and students of the institution and the community it targets. The article contextualizes the Writing Center within the University and presents a series of activities which were designed based on research of Corpus Linguistics’ application to the teaching and learning of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The activities provide specific instances of how Corpus Linguistics resources can be an invaluable asset for the improvement of vocabulary in academic writing in English, being especially useful for researchers who wish to upgrade the quality of the language used in their international publications.

Integration of Language across the curriculum (LAC) and Disciplinary Literacy (DL) at a Faculty of Education: a needs analysis

Training the Teachers of the Future: Language Policy and Literacy Development is an international collaborative project between universities in Belgium and South Africa, and is aimed at developing a comprehensive programme for the integration of Language across the curriculum (LAC) and Disciplinary Literacy (DL) in a Bachelor of Education degree. In this article, we explore the challenges faced by subject content lecturers in a Faculty of Education, in integrating a Language across the curriculum Disciplinary Literacy approach to teaching subject specific content in non-language subjects. A needs analysis was conducted using a sequential exploratory mixed method approach and 39 lecturers were surveyed. Thereafter, 15 lecturers were purposively sampled to be interviewed and observed during their lectures in order to determine how LAC was implemented in the curricula. The challenges identified in this needs analysis relate to an absence of knowhow on dealing with the language diversity of students, a lack of knowledge regarding LAC and DL, specifically related to academic reading skills and academic vocabulary acquisition, and the time constraints of developing appropriate materials for the curricula. We propose and explore a ‘Four Levels of Support’ programme for lecturers which should lead to the development of sustained Language across the curriculum and Disciplinary Literacy integration in the curricula. Keywords: Multilingualism, Language across the curriculum, Disciplinary Literacy, pre-service teachers, academic reading strategies, academic vocabulary, language support, academic literacy

From the Editors

From the Editors

The heterogeneous and transfer effects of a texting-based intervention on enhancing university English learners’ vocabulary knowledge

Despite the growing body of technology-assisted vocabulary intervention studies, few have addressed learning outcomes beyond target vocabulary and the interaction between the interventions and English language learners’ (ELLs) initially different levels of vocabulary knowledge. The study examined the differential effects of a texting-based intervention on ELLs’ learning of target (direct effect) and general vocabulary knowledge (transfer effect) as a function of learners’ initial vocabulary levels. Canadian undergraduate ELLs (N = 115) participated in a 9-week intervention study. The findings showed that texting-based instruction effectively supported university ELLs’ acquisition of academic vocabulary; varied direct and indirect learning outcomes were found given learners’ different initial vocabulary levels. These results provide insights into the design of future vocabulary interventions by considering the complex interactions between learners’ initial vocabulary knowledge and the technology scaffoldings used for interventions.

Using Technological Applications as an Independent Learning Strategy to Support Vocabulary Acquisition for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Secondary Students, especially students with exceptionalities and an Individualized Education Plan struggle with academic demands, challenges of tiered vocabulary, and the lack of comprehensive vocabulary instruction. Researchers have examined the outcomes of computer-assisted instruction on students’ with exceptionalities vocabulary development using various technology. To meet the critical academic vocabulary acquisition needs of secondary students with exceptionalities, research supports the use of technological applications as independent word-learning strategies.

English Learners’ Acquisition of Academic Vocabulary: Instruction Matters, but So Do Word Characteristics

AbstractIn this cluster randomized control trial study, the authors explored the efficacy of an intervention designed to improve second‐grade English learners’ knowledge of challenging, high‐utility English vocabulary. The authors also examined whether the intervention had a differential effect on content words that differ on two attributes (cognate status and abstractness designation) and whether the effects lasted across time. Within schools, teachers were randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions, resulting in 12 treatment classrooms and 10 control classrooms. Teachers in the treatment condition developed vocabulary using six methods: interactive shared reading, direct instruction of individual words, instruction in cognate use, activities to foster word consciousness and reinforce instructed words, and use of visual and linguistic supports. Teachers in the control condition read the same books with the target vocabulary inserted into the stories. Findings on the curriculum‐based and standardized measure of vocabulary indicated that the intervention implemented for four 50‐minute lessons per week for 18 weeks was effective in helping English learners acquire challenging high‐utility school‐relevant vocabulary (Cohen’s d = 1.88 for content words; d = 0.41 for connecting words; d = 0.47 for the Test of Oral Language Development). The effects differed by word characteristics, with higher effect sizes for words that are noncognates (d = 1.57 for both concrete and abstract noncognates; d = 1.02 concrete cognates; d = 0.81 for abstract cognates). Ten months after the intervention, treatment students still outperformed control students on content vocabulary learned during the intervention (d = 1.31). This study helps validate a multifaceted approach to vocabulary intervention and research.

Flipping the Classroom to Enhance Academic Vocabulary Learning in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Course

The present study explores the efficiency of the flipped classroom approach on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students’ academic vocabulary acquisition in comparison with the conventional teaching approach. The efficiency is examined by evaluating students’ post-test performance, self-perceived mental effort employed in completing post-test tasks, and perceptions regarding the learning experiences. To this end, 60 undergraduates divided into flipped (E) and conventional (C) group participated in the survey. Quantitative data analysis revealed that the flipped classroom approach showed higher instructional efficiency than the conventional approach as the E group significantly outperformed the C group and reported investing considerably lower mental effort in completing the post-test tasks. In addition, the E group expressed significantly more positive perceptions toward the learning experience than the C group. Considering the positive results obtained in the study, the article points out the use of the flipped approach as an example of good practice for enhancing academic vocabulary acquisition in EAP context.

Experimenting With Academic ESL: An ESL/Sociology Link

To improve academic ESL, a community college has been experimenting with linking an ESL class to a Sociology class. The primary goal was to use the methodology of Content Based Instruction to develop a curriculum that would promote academic vocabulary acquisition, critical thinking, and authentic communication in a sheltered environment. The paradigm of Action Research was used as a framework to reflect on the strengths of the program and to identify activities that engaged the students and contributed to improved language skills. Supplementary assignments of a Young Adult novel and provocative movies, used across both the ESL and Sociology class, helped students to apply abstract concepts to familiar situations. The structure of the link produced an effective learning community and a support system for the students. We suggest that linking ESL to a content course might be preferable to other options for developmental ESL students entering college.

What influences the effect of texting-based instruction on vocabulary acquisition? Learners’ behavior and perception

Text messaging has become enormously popular as the primary means of written communication among adolescents and young adults from different first language (L1) backgrounds. A growing body of research has reported on the positive effects of texting-based instruction on English language learners' (ELLs) vocabulary learning. This article investigates the role of ELLs' learning behavior interacting with and their perception of texting-based instruction for their academic vocabulary acquisition. A total of 108 undergraduate ELLs registered in six English for academic purpose (EAP) classes from a large Canada university participated in a 2-month intervention study that aimed to teach academic and low frequency words embedded within their assigned course readings. Correlation and regression analyses were applied to students' learning behaviors and perceptions, and their learning gain of target vocabulary (direct effect) and its subsequent impact on academic vocabulary learning (transfer effect). The results indicated that the frequency of their reading of text messages with word instruction is positively correlated with and a predictor of their target vocabulary learning outcome. The findings are discussed along with pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research.

The moderating influence of instructional intensity and word type on the acquisition of academic vocabulary in young English language learners

This study used a within-subjects design to explore two instructional conditions for developing vocabulary in second-grade Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs)—extended instruction and embedded instruction implemented during shared interactive reading. Words assigned to the extended condition were directly taught using a multifaceted approach that included visuals, bilingual definitions, examples, spelling, and partner-talk about the words’ meaning. Words assigned to the embedded condition were taught solely through brief definitions to embedded text, writing activities, and songs. In the control condition students heard the target words read aloud during shared interactive reading but without definitions or direct instruction. The study also explored the interaction between instructional condition and word type. Four types of words—abstract cognates, abstract noncognates, concrete cognates, and concrete noncognates—were randomly assigned to each condition. Nine teachers in four schools and 187 second-grade ELs participated in this within-subjects intervention, which took place in transitional bilingual classrooms. Findings indicated that across all word types, both extended and embedded instruction were more effective than the control condition in helping ELs acquire vocabulary. Findings also indicated that extended instruction was more effective then embedded instruction for all word types except concrete cognates suggesting that these young Spanish-speaking ELs were advantaged by word knowledge in their home language. Finally, while embedded instruction was less effective than extended instruction, it was much more effective than a control condition. Embedded instruction takes significantly less preparation and instructional time than extended instruction, offering teachers a practical way to teach more vocabulary to ELs.

The Effects of Self‐ and Peer‐Monitoring in Social Studies Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities and Low Achieving Students

AbstractThis study employed group randomized trials to investigate the effects of self‐ and peer‐monitoring on the academic vocabulary and content knowledge of students with learning disabilities and low achieving students in social studies. Fourth grade students were randomly assigned to either treatment or control groups on a class level. Results indicated that there was a significant interaction effect between the intervention and students’ pretest scores on academic vocabulary acquisition; the intervention was more effective for students with lower scores in the pretest than those with higher scores. In addition, there was a significant intervention effect on content knowledge acquisition; the effect size of the growth of the treatment group on the content knowledge test was significantly larger than that of the comparison group. Teacher interviews also revealed that teachers viewed the intervention positively. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Academic Vocabulary Acquisition Process through the Social Interaction of a JSL Student in a Music Class

Academic Vocabulary Acquisition Process through the Social Interaction of a JSL Student in a Music Class

Enhancing English Academic Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention in Intensive English Programs with the Involvement Load Hypothesis

Through action research, two instructors explore the application of the Involvement Load Hypothesis in their respective low intermediate and intermediate college intensive English reading and writing classes to improve student vocabulary acquisition and retention. One study took place over the course of one week and compared the progress of student performance on task-induced activities, revealing that students did incrementally better on vocabulary acquisition when the involvement load was heavier. The following study took place over the course of a six week Intensive Program using the same material with different students. The research also found improved performance on task induced assignments with heavy involvement loads; however, long term retention of vocabulary acquired from those assignments proved to be relatively limited.

Vocabulary Theatre: A Peer-teaching Approach for Academic Vocabulary Acquisition

This mixed methods counterbalanced study compared the gain score means of two different approaches to vocabulary acquisition – Vocabulary Theater (VT) and Teacher Directed Instruction (TDI) for 8 th grade students from three schools in New York. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of a peer teaching approach on students’ vocabulary development. Students in the VT condition were instructed to take ownership of their words by teaching them to their peers. They received both linguistic and non-linguistic representations of 30 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) words over a three-week period, while the TDI condition students were instructed over the same three-week period to define the same 30 SAT words through the use of a dictionary and then use the words in sentences. The study’s counterbalanced design ensured that all students received each vocabulary condition. Students were given a pre- and posttest to examine their level of vocabulary acquisition in each condition. A survey given to the students in the VT condition revealed that on average 43% of the students were totally unfamiliar with the words presented, 14% had an associative connection with the words presented and 13 % were very familiar with the words. Qualitative data were collected from all three schools in the form of group discussions, VT presentations, individual interviews, teacher interviews, and classroom observations. The quantitative analysis revealed that the gain scores of students in the Vocabulary Theatre were significantly greater than the gain scores of students in the TDI condition regardless of the presentation order.

Concordance-based Glosses for Academic Vocabulary Acquisition

This study compares the effectiveness of online textual glosses enhanced with modified corpus-extracted sentences presented in concordance lines and textual glosses enhanced with dictionary definitions drawn from an online learner’s dictionary for academic vocabulary learning at higher proficiency levels. Particularly, the study aimed to determine which textual gloss technique would be most beneficial in helping intermediate to advanced language learners, who likely possess foundational receptive knowledge, i.e. they recognize the word and know the definition, gain productive knowledge of academic lexical items. While the usefulness of multimedia and image-based glosses are not disputed, lexical items from an academic word list may not be easily glossed through these techniques, and the development of a concordance-based modality may prove beneficial for more proficient learners seeking productive vocabulary knowledge. Also investigated were learner attitudes towards the textual annotation techniques. Participants in both experimental groups exhibited post test gains in receptive and judgment tasks, but only the concordance-based group displayed improvement on the productive assessment. Further, the concordance-based group responded that the glosses were beneficial and likely to be used for subsequent language study, while the dictionary group indicated the glosses would not be later used as the annotations were perceived as ineffective.