Depth Of Vocabulary Knowledge Research Articles

The relationship between L2 grit and vocabulary knowledge in first-year Moroccan university students

The present study aimed at examining the role of L2 grit in the vocabulary knowledge of English major freshmen in Morocco. A hypothesized model was specified in which two correlated factors of L2 grit, namely perseverance of efforts (PE) and consistency of interest (CI), contribute to vocabulary knowledge measured in terms of vocabulary size, associations, and collocations. This model was tested against data collected from 157 first-year university students. The L2 Grit Scale was used to measure students' PE and CI in language learning. The Yes/No test was used to estimate the vocabulary size of the participants across the most frequent 5000 words in English. The Word Association Test and COLLEX Test were employed to tap into students' depth of vocabulary knowledge. The assessment of the validity of the constructs indicated that the two correlated-factor model of L2 grit was acceptable, while a single-factor model of vocabulary knowledge construct excellently fit the data. Concerning the role of L2 grit, the estimates showed that both factors, PE and CI, statistically significantly contributed to students’ vocabulary knowledge. To this end, recommendations were suggested to encourage the exploration of L2 grit in the realm of language learning, specifically vocabulary learning.

Effective vocabulary interventions for young emergent bilinguals: A best‐evidence synthesis

AbstractThis best‐evidence synthesis appraises the design and outcome characteristics of vocabulary intervention studies conducted with preschool through 6th grade emergent bilingual (EB) children and spotlights rigorously designed studies for which effects could be better attributed to instructional features. Twenty‐nine selected studies were analysed for the design characteristics of attrition, random assignment, and baseline equivalence as well as the outcome characteristics of reliability and outcome alignment. Following suggestions from the What Works Clearinghouse (2020) guidelines, levels of evidence for effectiveness were determined for each treatment‐comparison group contrast. Studies meeting effectiveness standards were further analysed to determine intervention impacts (i.e., effect size) on EBs' English word learning. Analyses revealed that 17 studies (59% of the sample) were experimental and employed random assignment whereas baseline equivalence was established for most of the 12 quasi‐experimental studies (41% of the sample). Attrition did not plague the majority of vocabulary intervention studies. The outcome measures of all but one study showed satisfactory reliability indices, 85% of which showed alignment across treatment and comparison groups. Thirty‐six measures (65% of measures) across 21 reviewed studies (72% of studies) met acceptable levels of evidence of effectiveness. Most studies employed standardised vocabulary measures to assess EBs' growth in breadth rather than depth of vocabulary knowledge. The significance of outcome measures with large, medium and small posttest effect sizes are discussed relative to their oral/written, receptive/expressive, definitional/contextual and depth/breadth vocabulary characteristics. Implications address significant knowledge gaps regarding EBs' English vocabulary intervention and highlight issues and recommendations.

Evaluating the roles of breadth and depth of aural vocabulary knowledge in listening comprehension of EFL learners: An investigation applying auditory measures

The present study evaluates the relationship between aural vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension in English as a foreign language (EFL), which is under-researched. In particular, the study has a focus on the importance of the phonological properties of vocabulary knowledge to detect the role of vocabulary knowledge in listening comprehension among 137 EFL learners in China. A newly developed auditory version of Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) (Schmitt, Schmitt, & Clapham, 2001) and the Word Associates Test (WAT) (Read, 1998) were adopted in the study. A TOEFL listening subtest was used to measure the EFL learners’ listening performance. Biovariate correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between listening performance and aural vocabulary knowledge encompassing both breadth and depth dimensions. It was found that aural vocabulary knowledge plays a crucial role in listening performance. The breadth of aural vocabulary knowledge appears to be a more significant predictor of listening performance than the depth of vocabulary knowledge. These findings highlight the role of the aural dimensions of vocabulary knowledge in determining listening success. Specifically, it draws our attention to the contribution of aural vocabulary knowledge to the quality of listening comprehension.

Comparing incidental learning of single words and collocations from different captioning conditions: The role of vocabulary knowledge and working memory

AbstractBackgroundVocabulary learning in a second language (L2) encompasses crucial aspects, including single words and collocations. Research indicates that L2 learners can incidentally learn single words from captioned videos, but less is known about the incidental learning outcomes of collocations, let alone the differences in learning gains for single words and collocations under different captioned conditions, as well as individual differences that may account for such differences.ObjectivesThis study aimed to fill this gap by comparing the learning gains of single words and collocations while investigating the influence of vocabulary knowledge (VK) and working memory (WM) on the learning results within diverse forms of captioning conditions: full captions, keyword captions, and no captions.MethodsThe study involved 129 young Chinese ESL learners who completed vocabulary tests assessing their meaning recall before, immediately after, and 2 weeks after the study, as well as tests for VK and WM.Results and ConclusionsThe results showed that full captions are the most efficacious condition for enhancing both single word and collocation learning. The depth of VK, as well as phonological and complex WM, were significant factors in the learning of new language items.TakeawaysDifferent types of captioning (full or keyword) contribute differently to the learning of various language items. Individual differences in WM and depth of VK among learners should be considered when utilizing captioned videos for language learning.

Revisiting the role of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension at Debre Markos University. A quantitative approach was taken to gather and analyze the data. Out of 235 students learning at the college, 61 samples were taken randomly. To investigate their knowledge of vocabulary breadth, the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) was employed. The Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge (DVK) test was utilized to investigate the depth of vocabulary knowledge. The reading section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL) was used to determine the reading comprehension performance of the students. Pearson Product-moment correlation was used to examine the relationship between vocabulary knowledge (breadth and depth) and reading comprehension. In addition, to find out which aspect of vocabulary knowledge best explains reading comprehension, Standard Multiple Regression was employed. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 21). The findings suggest that there was a significant strong positive relationship between knowledge of vocabulary breadth and reading comprehension (r = .73, n = 61, P, =.000 < 0.05). Besides, the result reveals that there was a significant strong positive relationship between knowledge of vocabulary depth and reading comprehension (r = .60, n = 61, P, =.000 < 0.05). The finding also shows that vocabulary breadth and depth together were able to predict respondents’ reading comprehension. However, vocabulary breadth (Beta =.58) had a more unique explanatory power than knowledge of vocabulary depth (Beta =.315).

The role of spoken vocabulary knowledge in language minority students’ incidental vocabulary learning from captioned television

Abstract This study was to assess the spoken vocabulary knowledge and its role in incidental vocabulary learning from captioned television. The participants were a total of 87 minority students learning English as a foreign language in Australia. The breadth of their vocabulary knowledge was measured with a vocabulary size test, while the depth of their vocabulary knowledge was through an assessment of collocational and semantic relationships. The results indicated that (1) captioned videos are helpful for incidental vocabulary learning; (2) scores on the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and incidental vocabulary learning from viewing captioned television are highly and positively correlated; and (3) scores on the depth of vocabulary knowledge can make a unique contribution to the prediction of incidental vocabulary learning at the form and meaning recognition level, in addition to the prediction afforded by scores on the breadth of vocabulary knowledge. The findings highlight a need to improve the depth of vocabulary knowledge for incidental vocabulary learning from captioned viewing.

Different aspects of vocabulary depth knowledge in L2 Chinese reading comprehension: Comparing higher‐ and lower‐proficiency readers

AbstractGrammatical and vocabulary knowledge (i.e., breadth and depth) are widely acknowledged as key predictors of reading comprehension in a second language (L2). However, it remains unclear how different aspects of vocabulary depth may independently contribute to L2 reading comprehension and how learners' proficiency may moderate the relative contributions of vocabulary knowledge. Based on the Lexical Quality Hypothesis and the Reading Systems Framework, this study investigated 238 L2 Chinese learners who were college‐level students in China, using a set of reading‐related tasks. The results showed that (1) vocabulary breadth and grammatical knowledge independently contributed to L2 reading comprehension with grammatical knowledge being a more deciding factor; (2) different aspects of vocabulary depth (i.e., polysemy and synonymy), over and above vocabulary breadth and grammatical knowledge, played an independent role; and (3) more importantly, lower‐proficiency learners relied more on vocabulary breadth whereas higher‐proficiency learners made more use of vocabulary depth during text‐level comprehension.

Relationship of Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Depth with Their Writing Vocabulary Use, Fluency, and Organization

Introduction: Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in investigating L2 English productive and receptive vocabulary knowledge in writing. Previous inquiries focused heavily on the pedagogical effects of teaching vocabulary on writing. A less investigated area is learners’ lexical competence involvement in the complicated writing process regarding their subcomponents. To bridge the research gap, the present study examined the alleged relationship between the elements of vocabulary depth (collocation and synonym) and the writing skill’s subcomponents (vocabulary use, content, and organization).&#x0D; Methodology: Thirty intermediate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing scores on the Preliminary English Test were compared and correlated to the depth of vocabulary knowledge (DVK). The writing texts were given a holistic score, and several lexical measures were calculated.&#x0D; Results: The results indicated significant relationships between DVK and writing, synonym and vocabulary use, synonym and content, collocation and vocabulary use, and collocation and writing scores. The result of multiple linear regression revealed the double impact of collocation as a predictor of writing scores.&#x0D; Conclusion: The findings showed the predictable pedagogical value of practicing collocation in EFL writing enhancement.

Examining the Role of Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge in Reading Comprehension of English Language Learners

This study explored the effect of English language learners’ breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge on their understanding and grades of reading English texts. Sixty-one Jordanian EFL undergraduates were assigned three tests, which were the Vocabulary Levels Test Version 2 (VLT), the Word Associates Test (WAT), and Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The collected data was analysed utilizing Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. According to the empirical outcomes, breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge correlated positively with each other and with reading comprehension. Further, the significant predictor of the overall variance of reading comprehension was vocabulary depth, while the breadth of vocabulary knowledge was the less significant one. The results demonstrate the importance of expanding and deepening EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge in classrooms. Keywords: Vocabulary Depth, Vocabulary Breadth, Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge, Vocabulary Levels Test, Reading Comprehension.

Depth of vocabulary knowledge in dominant bilingual children with different language profiles: The impact of vocabulary size and verbal working memory

Depth of vocabulary knowledge in dominant bilingual children with different language profiles: The impact of vocabulary size and verbal working memory

Towards a new sophistication in vocabulary assessment

Published work on vocabulary assessment has grown substantially in the last 10 years, but it is still somewhat outside the mainstream of the field. There has been a recent call for those developing vocabulary tests to apply professional standards to their work, especially in validating their instruments for specified purposes before releasing them for widespread use. A great deal of work on vocabulary assessment can be seen in terms of the somewhat problematic distinction between breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. Breadth refers to assessing vocabulary size, based on a large sample of words from a frequency list. New research is raising questions about the suitability of word frequency norms derived from large corpora, the choice of the word family as the unit of analysis, the selection of appropriate test formats, and the role of guessing in test-taker performance. Depth of knowledge goes beyond the basic form-meaning link to consider other aspects of word knowledge. The concept of word association has played a dominant role in the design of such tests, but there is a need to create test formats to assess knowledge of word parts as well as a range of multi-word items apart from collocation.

Research on the correlation between vocabulary depth knowledge and reading proficiency of English majors

Research on the correlation between vocabulary depth knowledge and reading proficiency of English majors

Effect of Bilingual-Word-List versus Semantic Network Practices on EFL Lexical Competence

Introduction: The crucial role of lexis over other language elements in language learning prompts the argument of finding the most suitable way to enhance vocabulary learning among the studies in the educational arena. Among various word learning strategies, semantic network practices have received the least attention from researchers. Accordingly, the present follow-up study aimed to touch upon effective vocabulary learning, in general, and compare semantic network practices with the most common learning strategy implemented by EFL learners (learning from bilingual word lists), in particular.&#x0D; Methodology: The project investigated the effectiveness of the two treatments among 114 EFL university students of both genders who were assigned to two experimental groups to receive the treatments and the third group of 43 EFL learners as the control group. Word Associates Test (WAT) and Original Levels Test (OLT) were administered as pre-tests to research subjects. The participants in experimental groups received four pamphlets every other week. After eight weeks, the WAT and OLT were re-administered to the same sample as the post-tests to check the effect of the treatments on the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge.&#x0D; Results: The comparative results indicated that both treatments had significant effects on the depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge. The obtained results of the post-tests revealed the stronger role of semantic network practices on the depth of vocabulary knowledge than bilingual word lists. The comparisons of the mean scores of synonyms and collocations of WAT post-test in experimental groups indicated that class A (an experimental group who received sematic network practices) significantly outperformed class B (an experimental group who received bilingual word lists) in collocations.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study concluded that the FL learners’ mastery of new vocabulary knowledge is possible through obtaining a deep understanding of the acquired words.

Incidental vocabulary learning from captioned videos: Learners' prior vocabulary knowledge and working memory

AbstractBackgroundDespite the potential of captioned videos, limited attention has been paid to the role of vocabulary knowledge (VK) and working memory (WM) in incidental vocabulary learning under different captioning conditions.ObjectivesThe present study aimed to bridge this gap by assessing VK and WM in incidental vocabulary learning under different captioning conditions.MethodsA total of 101 Chinese primary school students were assigned to one of the three conditions: watch fully captioned videos (n = 33), watch keyword captioned videos (n = 35), and watch videos without captions (n = 33). A vocabulary test measuring recognition and recall of form and meaning served as a pretest, posttest and delayed posttest. The learners also completed tests for VK and WM.Results and ConclusionsThe findings supported that both full captions and keyword captions made significant contributions to the incidental learning of form recognition and initial meaning recall and to the retention of form recognition but not of delayed meaning recall. The parameters of breadth and depth of VK and phonological WM impacted incidental vocabulary learning outcomes. The findings emphasized the important role of full captioning and keyword captioning for incidental vocabulary learning and the need to consider the role of VK and WM in incidental vocabulary learning from captioned videos.TakeawaysCaptioning is a promising tool for vocabulary learning, but individual differences in VK and WM should be considered to maximize the benefits of captioning on vocabulary learning.

Engaging, Explicit, and Elaborated: An Initial Trial of Media-Enhanced Preschool Vocabulary Instruction.

Children from backgrounds of poverty often lag behind more advantaged peers in early language skills, including breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge. We report the results of a pilot study of an explicit and elaborated vocabulary intervention in preschool classrooms serving children from lower-income backgrounds. The intervention used multimodal instruction, including segments from public television children's programs and interactive games, to build children's knowledge of and semantic connections for 128 words across 18 weeks of daily lessons. Within 39 classrooms representing childcare, Head Start, and public prekindergarten settings, 192 preschool-age children (M = 52.10 months) participated in structured lessons and extension activities delivered by teachers and aides. Within-child comparisons of growth for taught target words versus matched untaught words revealed that children grew on all words but demonstrated significantly greater growth for taught words. Results support the value of elaborated and explicit vocabulary instruction and the role of visual media as contexts for preschooler's word learning.

The Relationship Between Young EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge and Listening Comprehension

This study investigates the degree to which an elementary school EFL learner’s level of second language (L2) vocabulary correlates to their L2 listening ability. The study aims to further identify whether or to what extent various measures of vocabulary knowledge predict the variance in L2 listening comprehension. In particular, the study focuses on the relatively unexplored area of phonological knowledge of vocabulary.&#x0D; Three phonological measures which tap into both vocabulary breadth and depth knowledge were adopted in this study: the receptive phonological vocabulary breadth knowledge (RVB), productive phonological vocabulary breadth knowledge (PVB), and phonological vocabulary depth knowledge (VD) measures. Twenty elementary school EFL learners participated in the study and were required to complete an L2 listening comprehension test, followed by three vocabulary knowledge tests. Correlation analysis revealed that RVB most strongly correlated with L2 listening comprehension score (r = .77). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the best fitting model which consists of RVB and VD could predict about 75% of the variance in L2 listening comprehension. The findings indicate that phonological vocabulary knowledge is a significant predictor of L2 listening ability of young EFL learners.

Acquisition of Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge by Secondary School Learners of English in the Multilingual Context: A Case of Dodoma, Tanzania

This study examined the relationship between the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge among Tanzanian learners who use English as a foreign language. It employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design which simultaneously collected qualitative and quantitative data from a sample of 320 secondary school learners from Dodoma City and Chamwino District and eight English language teachers with at least five years of teaching experience. The study employed two different language tests, namely the New Vocabulary Levels Test and the Word Association Test, to collect quantitative information on the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge, respectively. It used semi-structured interviews with the selected English language teachers to obtain qualitative data to supplement the quantitative data. A Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a positive relationship between breadth scores and depth scores; as breadth scores increased, depth scores also increased. The results imply that the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge are like two sides of the same coin, which cannot be separated. Thus, the higher the learners’ performance in the breadth test, the higher their performances in the depth test. In this regard, it suffices to conclude that vocabulary use is part of vocabulary knowledge. The obtained results call for a comparative longitudinal study to trace the development of vocabulary knowledge among the compared groups over an extended period.

The Mediating Roles of Gender and Academic Field in the Relationship between Vocabulary Knowledge and Reading Comprehension of EFL Students

This study examined the mediating roles of gender and academic field in the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. A vocabulary size test, a vocabulary depth test and the IELTS reading test were administered to 319 university-level students (54 males; 265 females) from three disciplines: medicine, science, and arts. The findings revealed that students had between 2000 and 3000 word families, low vocabulary depth (45.3%), and poor reading comprehension (52.4%). Besides, male students outperformed female students in all study variables. Meanwhile, medical students had superiority over science and arts students in Vocabulary Level Test (VLT) and reading comprehension. Vocabulary breadth and depth were significantly correlated with reading comprehension. The contribution of VLT and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge (DVK) to reading comprehension differs depending on gender and academic field.

The correlation and prediction of depth of vocabulary knowledge to academic reading comprehension of EFL tertiary learners

An in-depth investigation of vocabulary depth knowledge by lexical researchers plays a prominent role in language learning and teaching. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the extent of relationship and prediction of the three constitutes of vocabulary depth knowledge (i.e., analytic relations, morphological knowledge, and depth of vocabulary knowledge test which was represented by paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations) to reading comprehension. Therefore, this study employed standard multiple regression analysis under quantitative approach amongst undergraduate EFL learners. The results of the study show that a significant and strong correlation existed between adapted analytic relations aspect of vocabulary depth knowledge and reading comprehension, and also analytic relations made statistically the most significant unique prediction (which had the largest impact on) to reading comprehension. The study concludes that there are significant correlations and prediction of three components of vocabulary depth knowledge to reading comprehension. The inclusion of analytic relations with paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations and morphological knowledge, which represented vocabulary depth knowledge, has added to the body of lexical knowledge.

Vocabulary Size and Depth of Knowledge: A Study of Bahraini EFL Learners

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&amp;rsquo;s Eurocentres Vocabulary Size Test (1990) and Meara and Fitzpatrick&amp;rsquo;s Lex30 word association task (2000), which were used to measure the sizes of receptive and productive vocabularies. The third task was Gyllstad&amp;rsquo;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&amp;rsquo; receptive vocabulary size, a moderate effect on learners&amp;rsquo; 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.