Vocabulary Development Research Articles

Behavioural engagement with notes and note content in digital game-based vocabulary learning and their effects on EFL vocabulary development

ABSTRACT Purpose Research on digital game-based vocabulary learning (DGBVL) has rapidly grown. Most of these studies have overlooked note use based on two tacit assumptions: (a) learners do not need notes in DGBVL, and (b) note use reduces the effectiveness of DGBVL. However, evidence suggests that vocabulary learners may need notes, and note use can promote vocabulary knowledge development in various settings, which may be generalised to DGBVL. Methodology To test the assumptions and gain a deeper understanding of DGBVL, we conducted a study involving 50 Chinese university students who learned vocabulary in a DGBVL programme that allowed note use. Data were collected using a Tobii X2-30 eye tracker, tests of productive vocabulary knowledge, and interviews. Findings The finding showed that in note-allowed DGBVL, learners actively used notes and created six types of note content: spellings, meanings, L1 equivalents, word learning strategies, parts of speech and example phrases and sentences. Writing example phrases and sentences in notes significantly promoted vocabulary knowledge development, while word spellings in notes and frequent fixations on notes had the opposite effects. Originality Based on the findings, we reject the two tacit assumptions of note use in DGBVL and suggest explicit training on note use in DGBVL.

Patterns of lexical and syntactic adjustment in early infant-directed speech related to language development in Hungarian

ABSTRACT Infant-directed speech (IDS) is known to be characterised by phonetic and prosodic cues along with reduced vocabulary and syntax compared to adult-directed speech (ADS). However, there is considerable variation between mothers in the degree of lexical and syntactic reduction of their IDS. The present study aims to investigate the correspondences of the inter-individual variation of maternal IDS at 6 and 18 months with infants’ language development at 18 months. 109 dyads of mothers and their firstborn infants participated in the study. Mothers’ ID and AD storytelling based on standard picture stimuli were recorded at 6 and 18 months of their infants’ age. We analysed measures of speech quantity (number of utterances and words), syntactic complexity (mean length of utterance), and lexical diversity (type-token ratio). Language growth was measured bimonthly using the Hungarian adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates CDI W&G form. The results did not reveal any association between characteristics of mothers’ ID narratives and their infants’ concurrent language skills at 18 months. However, we found a longitudinal link between a distinct pattern of linguistic simplification in maternal ID storytelling at 6 months and the development of expressive vocabulary in infants at 18 months. Infants whose mother tends to reduce both lexical and syntactic complexity of ID narratives the most are more likely to exhibit higher language outcomes. Further research is warranted to explore the background factors and longer-term effects of this maternal strategy.

The multifaceted nature of early vocabulary development: Connecting children's characteristics with parental input types

The multifaceted nature of early vocabulary development: Connecting children's characteristics with parental input types

Vocabulary Development and Kinship Level of Javanese Dialect: Dialect Geography Studies

This study aims to explore the extent of vocabulary and kinship changes in Javanese dialects in Yogyakarta Special Region between 2019 and 2023. Data tapping was conducted at a number of observation points, namely in the villages of Kebonrejo (Kulonprogo), Pakem Binangun (Sleman), Segoroyoso (Bantul), Planjan (Gunungkidul), and Ngringin (Gunungkidul). The data were obtained using the basic Morris Swadesh vocabulary, the universal vocabulary of the world's languages. By looking at the data obtained from the same observation points in 2019 and 2023, it is possible to compare the vocabulary developed in Javanese dialects. From the data comparison, it is also possible to compare the level of kinship between dialects to see if there is a shift in their status from different speech, subdialect, dialect, or language. The data were obtained by tapping method with recording and note-taking techniques, then analyzed by comparison, introspection, and dialectometry methods, and presented by formal methods in the form of tables and figures and informal methods in the form of ordinary narratives. The results show changes in vocabulary and kinship levels caused by internal elements, namely vocabulary development, heterogloss, and dialectometry, and external language, namely factors of dialect supporting communities, dialect area development, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The effects of shared book reading on the emotional vocabulary development of preschool children

The effects of shared book reading on the emotional vocabulary development of preschool children

Young beginning learners’ vocabulary learning via input and output tasks: The role of working memory

Working memory (WM) is essential to vocabulary learning. However, limited attention has been paid to young beginner learners’ vocabulary development under various task conditions from the perspective of WM. This study investigates how two types of WM – complex WM and phonological short-term memory – may influence two instructional approaches (i.e., input and output tasks) on picking up new words. 93 young learners studying English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in input and output tasks and four vocabulary assessments. These assessments functioned as a pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest. The participants also took two WM tests: an operation span test for complex WM and a word repetition test for phonological short-term memory. The results demonstrated that: (1) both input and output tasks significantly influenced the learning and retention of new words, (2) complex WM did not substantially predict task effects on the learning and retention of new words, and (3) phonological WM had a notable impact on learning and retaining new words under the input and output task conditions. The findings emphasize the role of WM for EFL young learners’ vocabulary learning through tasks.

The benefits of educational games in developing speech and vocabulary in early ages

Since ancient times, the game has been the basic and most beloved activity for preschoolers, as it allows them to express their ideas, thoughts, feelings, desires, and joy. In kindergarten, the child's knowledge sphere expands, supporting the learning process by branching out various types of activities and intertwining play with learning, thus combining the useful with the enjoyable. Through the method of educational games, vocabulary enrichment is achieved, focusing on acquiring new words and consolidating and activating them. Through the entire educational process in kindergarten and through specific vocabulary development activities, children's speech is perfected phonetically, the sphere of active and passive vocabulary expands, and grammatically correct forms are consolidated. Vocabulary enrichment should be a constant objective in preparing children for continuous learning. The child will not be able to understand the content unit transmitted if they do not know the meanings of the words. The importance of the games lies in the fact that it directly involves the preschooler in their own development, in all aspects.

Early, typical, and late talkers: an exploratory study on predictors of language development in the first two years of life.

The consensus in scientific literature is that each child undergoes a unique linguistic development path, albeit with shared developmental stages. Some children excel or lag behind their peers in language skills. Consequently, a key challenge in language acquisition research is pinpointing factors influencing individual differences in language development. We observed children longitudinally from 3 to 24 months of life to explore early predictors of vocabulary size. Based on the productive vocabulary size of children at 24 months, 30 children met our sample selection criteria: 10 late talkers and 10 early talkers, and we compared them with 10 typical talkers. We evaluated interactive behaviors at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, considering vocal production, gaze at mother's face, and gestural production during mother-child interactions, and we considered mothers' report of children's actions and gestures and receptive-vocabulary size at 15 and 18 months. Results indicated early precursors of language outcome at 24 months identifiable as early as 3 months in vocal productions, 6 months for gaze at mother's face and 12 months for gestural productions. Our research highlights both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, identifying the early indicators of belonging to the group of late or early talkers underscores the significant role of this developmental period for future studies. On a practical note, our findings emphasize the crucial need for early investigations to identify predictors of vocabulary development before the typical age at which lexical delay is identified.

The Effects of Online Applications in English Vocabulary Learning: Quizlet Application

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the Quizlet application, a computer-aided vocabulary learning tool widely recognized as an online flashcard application, on the development and retention of English vocabulary among students learning English as a foreign language. Design/Methodology/Approach: The data were obtained from 34 fifth-grade students studying English as a foreign language during 2019-2020 academic year at Yediiklim Secondary School in Karesi district of Balıkesir province. The research was conducted using a quantitative research method within quasi-experimental design without pre-test post-test control group. Quantitative data was collected through pre and post vocabulary achievement tests, retention test and scale. While word tests aim to measure students’ vocabulary acquisition, the retention test aims to measure students’ retention of vocabulary. The Quizlet Attitude Scale was also used to obtain opinions about Quizlet. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically in SPSS Statistics. Findings: As a result of the analysis, the findings show that there is a significant difference between Quizlet and test scores. According to the results of the survey, it is concluded that the students developed positive perceptions about the use of the Quizlet program. Highlights: In the light of these findings, it is recommended to use computer-based vocabulary learning tools as a student-centered and effective teaching technique in foreign language teaching and to expand their use.

Teaching Vocabulary under CLIL Approach in Indonesian Primary Schools: A Literature Review

This study sheds light on the roles of teachers and challenges they face in implementing CLIL approach in Indonesian primary schools since this approach has the feasibility to carry out at primary level. This study is a literature review that gains data related to the topic from journal articles and relevant books. This study reveals that teachers play a vital role in balancing the integration of content and language, designing a CLIL teaching materials and employing scaffolding vocabulary learning, a variety of vocabulary instruction and assessment. However, they face challenges such as limited English proficiency, cultural differences and contextual relevance, students’ motivation and engagement, the suitable teaching materials and resources, and assessment technique. Therefore, teachers are required to enhance their competences by participating in professional development programs, collaborating with colleagues, and seeking support from educational institutions and resources. This study provides insight to policy makers in Indonesia to provide the necessary support and resources to empower primary school teachers in effectively implementing the CLIL approach and fostering students' vocabulary development, leading to improved learning outcomes and the preparation of globally competent learners.

ADVANTAGES OF USING TRANSLATION, PARAPHRASING, AND PODCASTS TO IMPROVE NATURAL WRITING SKILLS

Most EFL students find it difficult to articulate themselves clearly in written assignments. To overcome those flaws, twenty-five college students enrolled in the program. The WhatsApp program was employed as a classroom tool because of online learning. The teacher modified the audio materials in an attempt to strengthen the pupils' inadequate writing abilities. The students observed the native speakers' use of grammar in their transcribing and used that to understand grammar usage. To help with vocabulary development, the students also translate it into their native tongue. The students recount the podcasts' material to improve their speaking flow. The information the students learned from the podcast materials was applied to the description of images. Students utilized paraphrasing applications to complete the proofreading assignments. It is a procedure to hone their writing abilities. It is discovered by qualitative data analysis that students can successfully produce natural writing by using paraphrasing tools, translation services, and podcasts. Instructors can teach pertinent subjects with the use of this kind of material. It is also causing other researchers to become aware of more pertinent discoveries.

The role of lexical and prosodic characteristics of mothers' child-directed speech for the early vocabulary development of Italian children with cochlear implants.

Variability in the vocabulary outcomes of children with cochlear implants (CIs) is partially explained by child-directed speech (CDS) characteristics. Yet, relatively little is known about whether and how mothers adapt their lexical and prosodic characteristics to the child's hearing status (before and after implantation, and compared with groups with normal hearing (NH)) and how important they are in affecting vocabulary development in the first 12 months of hearing experience. To investigate whether mothers of children with CIs produce CDS with similar lexical and prosodic characteristics compared with mothers of age-matched children with NH, and whether they modify these characteristics after implantation. In addition, to investigate whether mothers' CDS characteristics predict children's early vocabulary skills before and after implantation. A total of 34 dyads (17 with NH, 17 with children with CIs; ages = 9-32 months), all acquiring Italian, were involved in the study. Mothers' and children's lexical quantity (tokens) and variety (types), mothers' prosodic characteristics (pitch range and variability), and children's vocabulary skills were assessed at two time points, corresponding to before and 1 year post-CI activation for children with CIs. Children's vocabulary skills were assessed using parent reports; lexical and prosodic characteristics were observed in semi-structured mother-child interactions. Results showed that mothers of children with CIs produced speech with similar lexical quantity but lower lexical variety, and with increased pitch range and variability, than mothers of children with NH. Mothers generally increased their lexical quantity and variety and their pitch range between sessions. Children with CIs showed reduced expressive vocabulary and lower lexical quantity and variety than their peers 12 months post-CI activation. Mothers' prosodic characteristics did not explain variance in children's vocabulary skills; their lexical characteristics predicted children's early vocabulary and lexical outcomes, especially in the NH group, but were not related to later language development. Our findings confirm previous studies on other languages and support the idea that the lexical characteristics of mothers' CDS have a positive effect on children's early measures of vocabulary development across hearing groups, whereas prosodic cues play a minor role. Greater input quantity and quality may assist children in the building of basic language model representations, whereas pitch cues may mainly serve attentional and emotional processes. Results emphasize the need for additional longitudinal studies investigating the input received from other figures surrounding the child and its role for children's language development. What is already known on the subject Mothers' CDS is thought to facilitate and support language acquisition in children with various language developmental trajectories, including children with CIs. Because children with CIs are at risk for language delays and have acoustic processing limitations, their mothers may have to produce a lexically simpler but prosodically richer input, compared to mothers of children with NH. Yet, the literature reports mixed findings and no study to our knowledge has concurrently addressed the role of mothers' lexical and prosodic characteristics for children's vocabulary development before implantation and in the first 12 months of hearing experience. What this study adds to the existing knowledge The study shows that mothers of children with CIs produce input of similar quantity but reduced variety, and with heightened pitch characteristics, compared to mothers of children with NH. There was also a general increase in mothers' lexical quantity and variety, and in their pitch range, between sessions. Only their lexical characteristics predicted children's early vocabulary skills. Their lexical variety predicted children's expressive vocabulary and lexical variety only in the NH group. What are the practical and clinical implications of this work? These findings expand our knowledge about the effects of maternal input and may contribute to the improvement of early family-centred intervention programmes for supporting language development in children with CIs.

Mining for Words: The effect of Minecraft on incidental vocabulary learning of young EFL learners

The fundamental component of language learning is the lexicon. Among various ways employed to facilitate vocabulary development, playing video games can highly contribute to developing vocabulary incidentally. This study examines how playing digital games impactsEFL learners’ incidentalvocabulary acquisition. It also investigates gender in digitalequity using a digital game, i.e., Minecraft. A total of 73 male and female Iranian pupils between the ages of 9 and 14 were recruited to examine whether incidental vocabulary acquisitionthrough gameplay was effective and to determine whether gender could affect the results. As such, the two-way ANCOVA was run through SPSS to analyze the data. The results indicated that the gamers performed far better than the memorization group. However, no interaction effect between gender and the dependent variable was observed. The implications of the findings can benefit educators and young learners to choose appropriate digital games as supplementarytools for L2 lexical acquisition. The findings contribute to the increasing research on digital games’ potential as an effective tool for promoting vocabulary development.

Developing Lexical Competence in Second-Year Middle School Learners

This article aims to highlight the usefulness of storytelling in vocabulary development for middle secondary school. The aim of this study is to improve the vocabulary skills of learner’s .In order to respond to the problem, an experiment is conducted in the classroom proposing a variety of stories .The results suggest that exposure to stories tailored to students’ reading levels can be beneficial in improving their lexical skills.

Early vocabulary development in Mandarin children with cochlear implantation

Objective: To investigate the development of receptive and expressive vocabulary in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CI) during the first year after CI activation. Methods: A total of 827 children (411 boys and 416 girls) who were implanted CI before 2.5 years of age from October 2019 to December 2022 in the Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital were included in this study. The Infant Checklist of the Mandarin Early Vocabulary Inventory (EVI) was used to assess the quantity and content of receptive and expressive vocabulary at the time of CI activation and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th months post-activation. SPSS 22.0 was used to describe the receptive and expressive vocabulary of CI children at the first year after activation. Results: During the first year after CI activation, CI children's receptive and expressive vocabulary consistently increased with the CI usage. The average number of receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary respectively increased from 0 to 178, and from 0 to 97. At the first year of post-activation, the number of receptive and expressive vocabulary of CI children were superior to that of hearing-age matched typical-hearing children, but fell behind of that of chronological age matched typical-hearing children. In terms of lexical categories, receptive and expressive vocabulary was acquired in the following order: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. Among the top 50 words that CI children could express, nouns were the most common, then followed by verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. Father's education level can significantly and positively predictethe receptive vocabulary of CI children at the first year post-activation. At the first year after CI activation, the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles were 113, 149, 178, 202, 223 for the receptive vocabulary, and 9, 37, 97, 148, 188 for expressive vocabulary. Conclusion: For Mandarin speaking children with CI, the receptive and expression vocabulary continuely increased within the first year after CI activation. The ability to grasp receptive vocabulary precedes the ability to express expressive vocabulary. Compared to hearing-age matched typical-hearing children, CI children showed faster rate of the vocabulary growth, and earlier and more frequently verb expression. However, it still larged behind that of chronological age matched hearing normal children. CI children respectively understood and expressed nouns and verbs the first. In children with CI, the first concepts understood and expressed were nouns and verbs. Among the first 50 words expressed, nouns were the most numerous, and the age at which verbs were acquired was earlier than that for hearing-age matched typical-hearing children.

Exploring the Efficiency of Associative Vocabulary Teaching Strategies to Foreign Language Learners

This study attempted to explore the effect of applying three associative vocabulary instruction strategies (context-based, morphemic analysis and concept map) compared with the traditional strategies on the intermediate EFL learners' vocabulary development employing a quasi-experimental, quantitative, pre-test/post-test design. With the aid of an English proficiency test and a researcher-developed vocabulary test the homogeneity of the participants were checked before the study's treatment. Subsequently, 80 intermediate EFL learners were chosen via convenience sampling procedure from private language schools and recruited for the study and divided into four groups of 20 as the experimental and control participants. The experimental participants were taught the target lexical items with the aid of contexts, concept maps and morphemic analyses while the control participants experienced the traditional instruction (i.e., L1 equivalent provision, word lists, flashcards and memorization). The same vocabulary test was administered this time as the post-test to check whether there was a significant difference in the learners’ attainment for the taught lexical items. The performance of the participants on the vocabulary post-test was analyzed both descriptively and inferentially (a MANOVA, an ANOVA and an independent-samples t-test). It was revealed that all the associative vocabulary teaching strategies were significantly more efficient than the traditional vocabulary teaching strategies. Moreover, it was found that concept mapping was the most efficient instructional strategy for teaching the lexical items compared with the traditional strategies and other associative strategies for the intermediate EFL learners.

Exploring the Relationship among Multimedia Input, Working Memory and L2 Vocabulary Learning

With the advancement in online educational platforms in the present world, multimedia technologies have become a more easily accessed resource in language learning pedagogy than before. Different areas of language pedagogy are benefitting from the use of these multimedia technologies. The present research aims to explore the pertinent effect of multimedia language teaching input on L2 vocabulary building of learners by examining the way they enhance the learners’ working memory efficacy. The study employs an experimental research design by giving two types of WM strategic input (i.e., traditional verbal input and multimedia input) separately to two homogenous groups of 50 graduate ESL learners and observing their effectiveness in their vocabulary development. The study has used two research tools to collect data from the participants. The first is Wesche and Paribakht’s (1996) The Vocabulary Knowledge test which rates the vocabulary knowledge of the participants, and the second is a self-designed Working Memory cloze test to check the efficacy of the participants’ working memory through their vocabulary achievement. The participants are judged twice on the two scales, first before the treatment (pre-test 1 & 2), and second, after the treatment (posttest1 & 2). The results are obtained by comparing the participants’ mean scores of the vocabulary knowledge and working memory in pre and posttests of both variables. T-tests have also been run to see the improvement in learners’ VK and WM, and regression analysis has been carried out to see the relationship among the variables. The findings reveal that both WM strategies, i.e., verbal input and multimedia input are helpful in the development of learners’ vocabulary and working memory efficacy, and that verbal input and multimedia input are both positively related with VK and WM. However, the former (multimedia input) is more effective in enhancing the learners’ vocabulary knowledge and working memory efficacy as compared to the latter (verbal input). The findings are significant for the L2 learners, teachers, administrators, and the policy makers alike because they suggest that multimedia technologies should be incorporated to the maximum level of use in L2 classes for the learners’ vocabulary building.

The Role of Parents in Increasing Children's English Vocabulary in Kelambir V Kebun

This research aims to discuss the important role of parents in increasing children's English vocabulary because there are still many parents who lack a role in improving children's English skills, especially increasing English vocabulary to improve language skills. Language skills are an important aspect of children's language development and have a significant impact on children's communication abilities. This study explored various ways parents can play a role in expanding children's English vocabulary. This research method involved a review of literature investigating the role of parents in children's vocabulary development. The research method used was qualitative research. Nine parents in Kelambir V Kebun Village were selected purposely as the subject of the research. Interview and observation were used to collect the data. The research results showed that parents had a strong influence in enriching children's vocabulary through speaking models, providing visual stimulation, and providing access to various English learning resources. In addition, this research also underlined the importance of creating an environment that supports language learning, adopting a positive approach, and understanding the child's developmental level. This research implied that parents have a central role in helping children acquire strong English language competence. By actively involving themselves in the language learning process, parents could make a significant contribution to the growth of their children's English vocabulary, but there were still many parents who did not have much effort and methods to increase their children's English vocabulary so that children had insufficient vocabulary.

Innovative approaches to development of foreign-language vocabulary: the role of modern digital tools in distance learning

The contemporary era is marked by the extensive digitalization of society, leading to notable impacts on the educational sphere and the emergence of new challenges. Digital technologies offer vast opportunities for modernizing the educational process and ensuring educational accessibility. Integrating digital tools into education enables personalized learning, and customization of programs to students’ needs, and enhances training effectiveness. Nevertheless, the ever-evolving nature of digital technologies necessitates a continuous search for efficient utilization methods, particularly in distance education, making the presented research relevant. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of fundamental digital tools and resources currently available, which can be employed or adapted for developing the lexical aspect of foreign language communicative competence among higher education students, particularly within the framework of distance education. The work highlights the functions of using digital technologies in education and their advantages in developing foreign language lexical skills. The paper presents an analysis of various available digital resources, including electronic dictionaries, websites, mobile applications, and AI-based review tools. These methods of utilizing digital resources in language learning within higher education can enhance students’ mastery of vocabulary and overall educational quality. The results of a comprehensive analysis of basic digital technologies prove the effectiveness of electronic digital resources in teaching foreign languages at the higher education level.

Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Oral Language Interventions on the Vocabulary and Listening Comprehension Development of Young Children

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to systematically review the components of oral language (OL) instruction and meta-analyze the effects of OL instruction on vocabulary and listening comprehension (LC) skills. We included experimental and quasi-experimental studies with 3- to 6-year-old children at risk for reading difficulties based on economic disadvantage or poor performance on OL assessments. Additionally, included studies had to report using at least one vocabulary or LC outcome measure. From the 16 eligible studies, we computed 80 standardized mean differences (SMDs), ranging from 2 to 14 SMDs per study (Mdn = 4). The multivariate weighted average SMD with robust variance yielded a positive effect of 0.52 (95% CI = 0.29 – 0.76), indicating OL instruction significantly improved children’s vocabulary and LC. Although measure type, intervention session length and frequency, and publication type were explored as moderators, only outcome skill and measure type were significant. Findings suggest it is feasible for classroom teachers to implement effective OL practices.