Receptive Vocabulary Size Research Articles

The Evidence of Different Learning Environment Learning Effects on Vocabulary Size and Reading Comprehension.

The nature of the effect of learning environments’ language setting on second language receptive vocabulary acquisition in both adolescent receptive vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension performance was explored in a continuous 10-month longitudinal study. The current study divided 170 adolescents into four groups. Their reading comprehension ability and receptive vocabulary size were each measured in two different periods. The results showed that single Chinese instructional learning and single English instructional learning contributed more to students’ receptive vocabulary size than bilingual instructional language materials. The results imply that the immersion hypothesis has more positive impact on improving second language receptive vocabulary size acquisition and reading comprehension performance than the depth of processing hypothesis.

Vocabulary, Metalinguistic Awareness and Language Dominance Among Bilingual Preschool Children.

Awareness of language structure has been studied in bilinguals, but there is limited research on how language dominance is related to metalinguistic awareness, and whether metalinguistic awareness predicts vocabulary size. The present study aims to explore the role of language dominance in the relation between vocabulary size in both languages of bilingual children and metalinguistic awareness in the societal language. It evaluates the impact of two metalinguistic awareness abilities, morphological and lexical awareness, on receptive and expressive vocabulary size. This is of special interest since most studies focus on the impact of exposure on vocabulary size but very few explore the impact of the interaction between metalinguistic awareness and dominance. 5–6-year-old preschool children with typical language development participated in the study: 15 Russian-Hebrew bilingual children dominant in the societal language (SL) Hebrew, 21 Russian-Hebrew bilingual children dominant in the Heritage language (HL) Russian and 32 monolingual children. Dominance was determined by relative proficiency, based on standardized tests in the two languages. Tasks of morphological and lexical awareness were administered in SL-Hebrew, along with measures of receptive and expressive vocabulary size in both languages. Vocabulary size in SL-Hebrew was significantly higher for SL-dominant bilinguals (who performed like monolinguals) than for HL-dominant bilinguals, while HL-Russian vocabulary size was higher for HL-dominant bilinguals than for SL-dominant bilinguals. A hierarchical regression analyzing the relationship between vocabulary size and metalinguistic awareness showed that dominance, lexical metalinguistic awareness and the interaction between the two were predictors of both receptive and expressive vocabulary size. Morphological metalinguistic awareness was not a predictor of vocabulary size. The relationship between lexical awareness and SL-vocabulary size was limited to the HL-dominant group. HL-dominant bilinguals relied on lexical metalinguistic awareness, measured by fast mapping abilities, that is, the abilities to acquire new words, in expanding their vocabulary size, whereas SL-dominant bilinguals and monolinguals did not. This difference reflects the milestones of lexical acquisition the different groups have reached. These findings show that metalinguistic awareness should also be taken into consideration when evaluating the variables that influence vocabulary size among bilinguals though different ways in different dominance groups.

The Effect of an Intensive English Program on the Vocabulary Size of Lebanese English Foreign Learners

The research concerning intensive programs in general has yielded conflicting results and as such, whether or not such time-shortened courses are effective in achieving their learning objectives is a matter of controversy. This study hopes to contribute to the current body of research available and perhaps aid in clearing the uncertainty surrounding such compact programs in a foreign language context by evaluating the effectiveness of one IEP at an English-medium university in Lebanon through the construct of vocabulary size. The vocabulary size of 100 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners enrolled in an Intensive English Program (IEP) was measured pre and post instruction using the New Vocabulary Levels test (NVLT). Test results were examined and compared using a dependent samples t-test to determine the effectiveness of the IEP in improving students’ vocabulary size. Results revealed that across the NVLT’s 6 receptive vocabulary lists (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 most frequent words in addition to the Academic Word List), students showed a statistically significant improvement on the post test (p=0.000< 0.05), endorsing the effectiveness of IEP in a foreign language context in enhancing students’ receptive vocabulary size. This study concludes with practical implications for EFL IEP teachers and syllabus designers.

Investigating the role of vocabulary size in second language speaking ability

The current study investigates the extent to which receptive vocabulary size test scores can predict second language (L2) speaking ability. Forty-six international students with an advanced level of L2 proficiency completed a receptive vocabulary task (Yes/No test; Meara & Miralpeix, 2017) and a spontaneous speaking task (oral picture narrative). Elicited speech samples were submitted to expert rating based on speakers’ vocabulary features as well as lexical sophistication measures. Results indicate that vocabulary size was significantly associated with vocabulary rating. However, learners with large vocabulary sizes did not necessarily produce lexically sophisticated L2 words during speech. A closer examination of the data reveals complexities regarding the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and speaking. Based on these findings, we explore implications for L2 vocabulary assessment in classroom teaching contexts and provide important suggestions for future research on the vocabulary-and-speaking link.

Roles of Vocabulary Knowledge for Success in English‐Medium Instruction: Self‐Perceptions and Academic Outcomes of Japanese Undergraduates

This study investigated the relationship between vocabulary knowledge (written and aural receptive vocabulary size and self‐rating of vocabulary knowledge) and self‐perceptions of four language skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking) targeting undergraduate students in English‐medium instruction (EMI) courses in Japan. The students’ academic performance (course grades and quiz scores) was also compared to their vocabulary knowledge. Results showed that learners with larger aural vocabulary sizes were more confident in spoken language use, and those who self‐rated higher on their vocabulary knowledge were more likely to perceive themselves as proficient in productive language skills. Interestingly, learners with larger written vocabulary sizes tended to perceive themselves as less proficient in performing EMI tasks. Results also showed that none of the vocabulary measures were significantly associated with academic outcomes. Interview data suggest that EMI students’ performance could be affected by the complex interplay of various factors, though not necessarily a large vocabulary size alone. Based on these findings, implications are discussed in terms of teaching and assessing vocabulary knowledge in EMI courses.

Comparing language progress in cochlear implantation hearing impaired children before and after four years’ age

Introduction: A child with hearing loss is facing certain problems arising from deficits in spoken language abilities. Deficient language commonly leads to reading problems, limits academic performance. Many studies have demonstrated that children with severe-to-profound hearing loss understand and produce spoken language better when they have a cochlear implant at younger age, rather than hearing aids. Aim of the work: To compare the outcomes of auditory and language rehabilitation in hearing-impaired children who have received cochlear implant before age of 4 years to those who have been implanted after age of 4years. Patients and Methods: Comparative study, include 30 hearing Impaired children underwent cochlear implantation. Ten children (Group I) underwent CI before age of 4 years, mean age (±SD) was 3.02 (±0.91) and twenty children (Group II) were implanted after age of 4 years, mean age (±SD) was 4.58 (±0.62). All implants used by the children in this study were programmed and mapped in Audiology unit, Sohag university hospitals. Both groups have received post-cochlear auditory and language rehabilitation in Phoniatrics unit, Sohag university hospitals. Assessment was done for four language parameters (receptive language, expressive language, vocabulary size and word class) pre-therapy and after 3, 6 and 9 months. Results: There is no significant differences between both groups on language development.

Predicting Receptive-Expressive Vocabulary Discrepancies in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Correlates of receptive-expressive vocabulary size discrepancies may provide insights into why language development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) deviates from typical language development and ultimately improve intervention outcomes. We indexed receptive-expressive vocabulary size discrepancies of 65 initially preverbal children with ASD (20-48 months) to a comparison sample from the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories Wordbank (Frank, Braginsky, Yurovsky, & Marchman, 2017) to quantify typicality. We then tested whether attention toward a speaker and oral motor performance predict typicality of the discrepancy 8 months later. Attention toward a speaker correlated positively with receptive-expressive vocabulary size discrepancy typicality. Imitative and nonimitative oral motor performance were not significant predictors of vocabulary size discrepancy typicality. Secondary analyses indicated that midpoint receptive vocabulary size mediated the association between initial attention toward a speaker and end point receptive-expressive vocabulary size discrepancy typicality. Findings support the hypothesis that variation in attention toward a speaker might partially explain receptive-expressive vocabulary size discrepancy magnitude in children with ASD. Results are consistent with an input-processing deficit explanation of language impairment in this clinical population. Future studies should test whether attention toward a speaker is malleable and causally related to receptive-expressive discrepancies in children with ASD.

Explorando as diferenças de conhecimento de vocabulário de inglês como segunda língua em alunos de graduação de uma região semiurbana

This study explored the differences in receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge in terms of word frequency level and vocabulary size in undergraduate learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). A total of 90 first-year undergraduate engineering students from a semi-urban region in India participated in the study. Two quantitative vocabulary tests, the Receptive Vocabulary Levels Test (Schmitt et al., 2001) and the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (Laufer and Nation, 1999), were applied sequentially to the students. The first test focused on identifying receptive vocabulary size, while the second test measured productive vocabulary size. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results indicate that the students’ receptive word knowledge is higher than their productive word knowledge. Similarly, the students’ receptive vocabulary size is larger than their productive vocabulary size. Furthermore, the difference between their receptive and productive vocabulary size is 27.69%. In order to bridge this gap and increase their vocabulary knowledge and size, we recommend an activity-based, explicit vocabulary teaching approach through self- -learning, group learning and mutual learning in the regular classrooms.Keywords: vocabulary knowledge, word frequency levels, receptive and productive vocabulary size, undergraduate students.

Vocabulary matters! The relationship between verbal fluency and measures of inhibitory control in monolingual and bilingual children

The role of early bilingual experience in the development of skills in the general cognitive and linguistic domains remains poorly understood. This study investigated the link between these two domains by assessing inhibitory control processes in school-aged monolingual and bilingual children with similar English receptive vocabulary size. The participants, 8-year-old monolinguals and bilinguals, completed two Verbal Fluency Tasks (VFTs), letter and category, and two measures of inhibitory control. Results showed that bilinguals outperformed monolinguals on the VFTs, but performance was similar on the inhibitory control measures approaching ceiling for both monolingual and bilingual children. Importantly, it was shown that both vocabulary proficiency and general inhibitory control skills underlie monolingual and bilingual children’s performance on VFTs. These results demonstrate that vocabulary proficiency plays a fundamental role in comparing monolingual and bilingual VFT performance. The bilingual advantage found in this study seems to have escaped previous studies that did not account for vocabulary size in populations of bilingual and monolingual school-aged children.

Receptive vocabulary size and its relationship to EFL language skills

AbstractThis study analyses the relationship between receptive vocabulary size in upper-intermediate/advanced learners and EFL proficiency and the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Little research has been conducted on this dimension of lexical knowledge and the four skills (Staehr, 2008; Milton et al., 2010), in spite of the fact that previous studies of separate language skills have highlighted the importance of vocabulary size for language proficiency development. A sample of 42 participants was assessed by means of a receptive vocabulary size test on ten word-frequency levels (1k to 10k), and on both receptive and productive skills (oral and written). Results reveal that vocabulary size explains language proficiency to a large extent, even in learners with vocabularies of more than 5,000 words, though its influence on performance is not as strong as in learners with smaller vocabularies. At a high proficiency level, vocabulary size is closely linked to writing and is moderately correlated with reading, speaking and listening. The findings help to provide a more complete picture than earlier research by including more proficient learners in EFL settings.

Lexical Phonological Networks in Children with Down Syndrome: An Initial Syllable Similarity Priming Task with an Eye-Tracking Method

Typically-developing (TD) infants as young as 24 months of age use phonological information to establish links between the words of their early lexicons (Mani & Plunkett, 2010; 2011), which facilitates word recognition and learning. However, Down syndrome (DS) children are reported to have difficulties in learning phonological representations (Jarrold & Thorn & Stephens, 2009). The present study aimed to evaluate if DS children establish lexical networks based on phonological similarity by exploring the effects of lexical competition in a phonological priming task. We evaluated 24 children with DS (mental verbal age; M= 40 months) and 24 children with TD (mental verbal age; M= 40 months), matched by receptive vocabulary size, with a phonological priming adaptation of the intermodal preferential looking task. Children with DS showed inhibition of target recognition in related trials compared to unrelated trials. Children with TD showed an absence of priming effects. Further analysis revealed a relationship between the prime cohort size and the level of inhibition of target recognition for both groups. Our results suggest children with DS possess sufficiently detailed phonological representations that allow them to efficiently cluster their lexical entries based on phonological similarities. Moreover, results are thought to reflect differences in the lexical competition processes between the TD and DS groups.

English Vocabulary Size as a Predictor of TOEIC Listening and Reading Achievement among EFL Students in Taiwan

This paper investigates the relationship between vocabulary size and performance on the reading and listening portions of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). The participants were 973 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners from a technical college who had studied English for at least six years. The learners’ TOEIC listening and reading scores were found to be strongly associated with their receptive vocabulary size with no gender differences. These results indicate that vocabulary size could have a statistically significant effect on TOEIC listening and reading scores, reinforcing the value of vocabulary size for English proficiency. Additionally, English vocabulary size and the prediction of proficiency in the TOEIC listening and reading sections reached statistical significance. These findings demonstrate the importance of receptive vocabulary for EFL learners. Outcomes from the study have implications for EFL learners and teachers as well as future research.

Receptive Vocabulary and Learning Strategies in Secondary School CLIL and non-CLIL Learners

In recent years, vocabulary has risen up as a key issue in Second Language Learning (cf. Jiménez Catalán & Terrazas Gallego, 2005; Siriwan, 2007; Boers & Lindstromberg, 2008; Schmitt, 2008, 2010). Moreover, CLIL, the acronym for Content and Language Integrated Learning, as an educational approach in which content subjects are taught through a foreign language, has seen a surge in the different educational systems all throughout Europe. The present piece of research aims to present a study about the use of vocabulary learning strategies and their relation to the receptive vocabulary size of secondary school learners. In order to explore this issue, two groups (one CLIL and one non-CLIL) of students from Extremadura were asked to answer two different questionnaires: a Yes/No test (Meara, 2010 [1992]) and a vocabulary learning strategies test (adapted from Schmitt, 1997). The data obtained was analyzed with two specific objectives in mind: to look for differences between the learner groups regarding their use of strategies and between their levels of receptive vocabulary. Results show differences between both groups not only in their receptive vocabulary size, but also in their use of vocabulary learning strategies. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that CLIL instruction seems to benefit the acquisition of foreign language and may also have an influence on the use of certain vocabulary learning strategies.

Reliable Measure of Written Receptive Vocabulary Size: Using the L2 Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge as a Yardstick

This study investigates the correlations between the three measures of written receptive vocabulary size and second language (L2) depth of vocabulary knowledge to find the most reliable test of vocabulary size. Moreover, the corresponding relationship is examined for the higher and lower word-frequency bands of the three tests to find whether the correlation between the two constructs differs as a function of frequency level and task format. In so doing, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), the monolingual and bilingual Persian versions of the Vocabulary Size Test (VST), and Word Associates Test (WAT) were administered to 122 high-proficient undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Results of Pearson correlations and linear regression analyses indicated that (a) the VLT had the highest correlation with the participants’ scores on the WAT; (b) although all the three tests of vocabulary size could significantly predict L2 depth of vocabulary knowledge, the VLT was the strongest predictor; (c) the higher word-frequency levels of the three VSTs in general, and the VLT in particular, were more predictive of L2 vocabulary depth; and (d) the 3,000-word-frequency level of the VLT, in particular, had the highest contribution to the performance on the WAT. The overall findings point to the superiority of the VLT among the three measures of vocabulary size.

Word Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials.

This investigation was conducted to determine whether young children with autism spectrum disorders exhibited a canonical neural response to word stimuli and whether putative event-related potential (ERP) measures of word processing were correlated with a concurrent measure of receptive language. Additional exploratory analyses were used to examine whether the magnitude of the association between ERP measures of word processing and receptive language varied as a function of the number of word stimuli the participants reportedly understood. Auditory ERPs were recorded in response to spoken words and nonwords presented with equal probability in 34 children aged 2-5 years with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder who were in the early stages of language acquisition. Average amplitudes and amplitude differences between word and nonword stimuli within 200-500 ms were examined at left temporal (T3) and parietal (P3) electrode clusters. Receptive vocabulary size and the number of experimental stimuli understood were concurrently measured using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. Across the entire participant group, word-nonword amplitude differences were diminished. The average word-nonword amplitude difference at T3 was related to receptive vocabulary only if 5 or more word stimuli were understood. If ERPs are to ever have clinical utility, their construct validity must be established by investigations that confirm their associations with predictably related constructs. These results contribute to accruing evidence, suggesting that a valid measure of auditory word processing can be derived from the left temporal response to words and nonwords. In addition, this measure can be useful even for participants who do not reportedly understand all of the words presented as experimental stimuli, though it will be important for researchers to track familiarity with word stimuli in future investigations. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5614840.

The Relationship between Iraqi EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies Use and Their Receptive Vocabulary Size

This study investigated the relationship between Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) and vocabulary size (VS). Participants included 118 EFL learners at Sulaymaniyah University in Iraq, all of whom were studying in the School of Basic-Education English Department. Two instruments were employed to collect data: a VLS questionnaire designed by Schmitt (1997) was administered in order to determine the range and frequency of VLS use, and a four-level (2000, 3000, 5000 and academic word list) vocabulary learning test (VLT) designed by Schmitt, et al. (2001) was used to measure learners’ receptive vocabulary size. The aim of this study was to determine the kinds of strategies learners utilized as well as their relationship to students’ VS. The results demonstrated that students utilized consolidation more frequently than discovery strategies. Moreover, the most frequently utilized VLS was studying the sounds of new words, while the least frequent one was working in groups to discover the meanings of new words. In terms of total VLS, the students can be considered as moderate VLS users (M= 3.003). The results of correlation analysis revealed that there exist positive, negative and sometimes no relationships between learners’ VLS and VS. Finally, the findings of multiple regression analysis concluded the R Square value to be (0.284), which means that the predicted variables could account for 28.4% of the participants’ levels of receptive VS.This study concluded that systematic and appropriate strategies support learners to increase their VS.

A study of Indonesian university students’ vocabulary mastery with vocabulary level test

In investigating learners’ vocabulary mastery, some researchers focused their studies on either receptive or productive vocabulary mastery. This study examines university students’ vocabulary knowledge in Indonesia by using the Vocabulary Level Test (VLT). It also compares the receptive vocabulary size of students who obtained extra hours of English instruction with those who had not. Furthermore, this study also identifies their strategies in enhancing their vocabulary mastery. The 2000-word frequency-band from the receptive version of the VLT and questionnaire are used for data collection. The results show that their receptive vocabulary scores are lower than 2000 words and no significant difference was found between the students who had extra hours of English instruction and those who had not. Then it can be stated that even after they had gained extra hours of English instruction, their average vocabulary knowledge was still lower than the 1000 estimated word level in the VLT. Keywords: vocabulary mastery, Vocabulary Level Test (VLT), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), undergraduate students

Keeping up with the monolinguals

AbstractPrevious studies investigating possible differences between monolingual and bilingual infants’ vocabulary development have produced mixed results. The current study examines the size of the total receptive and expressive vocabulary, total conceptual vocabulary, and specific Dutch vocabulary of two hundred 8- to 18-month-old monolingual and bilingual infants born and living in the Netherlands. Families completed a Dutch version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventories. Results illustrate that bilingual infants keep up with monolinguals even in Dutch receptive and expressive vocabulary sizes, showing no trace of delay in the development of the socially dominant language. The overall findings constitute an extension of work on vocabulary acquisition and challenge existing theories that suggest a developmental delay among bilingual learners. The equal pace of development between the monolingual and bilingual groups provides new insights into the influence and perhaps advantages of early bilingual language acquisition.

The vocabulary profile of Slovak children with primary language impairment compared to typically developing Slovak children measured by LITMUS-CLT

ABSTRACTThis study compared a sample of children with primary language impairment (PLI) and typically developing age-matched children using the crosslinguistic lexical tasks (CLT-SK). We also compared the PLI children with typically developing language-matched younger children who were matched on the basis of receptive vocabulary. Overall, statistical testing showed that the vocabulary of the PLI children was significantly different from the vocabulary of the age-matched children, but not statistically different from the younger children who were matched on the basis of their receptive vocabulary size. Qualitative analysis of the correct answers revealed that the PLI children showed higher rigidity compared to the younger language-matched children who are able to use more synonyms or derivations across word class in naming tasks. Similarly, an examination of the children’s naming errors indicated that the language-matched children exhibited more semantic errors, whereas PLI children showed more associative errors.

Delayed Early Vocabulary Development in Children at Family Risk of Dyslexia.

This study aimed to gain more insight into the relation between vocabulary and reading acquisition by examining early growth trajectories in the vocabulary of children at family risk (FR) of dyslexia longitudinally. The sample included 212 children from the Dutch Dyslexia Program with and without an FR. Parents reported on their children's receptive and expressive vocabulary size at ages 17, 23, 29, and 35 months using the Dutch MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories. Dyslexia status at the end of Grade 2 (8 years) rendered 3 groups: FR-dyslexic (n = 51), FR-nondyslexic (n = 92), and typically developing-nondyslexic (TD) children (n = 69). Repeated measures analyses showed that FR-dyslexic children had lower receptive vocabulary scores from 23 months onward and lower expressive scores from 17 months onward than FR-nondyslexic children. Latent growth curve modeling showed lower initial growth rates in FR-dyslexic children, followed by partial recovery, indicating a delayed increase in receptive and expressive vocabulary. FR-nondyslexic and TD children did not differ. Early deficits in receptive and expressive vocabulary are associated with later reading. Early vocabulary growth of FR-dyslexic children is characterized by a delay but not deviance of growth. Vocabulary can be considered an additional risk factor for dyslexia.