Vocabulary Development Research Articles

The Impact of Digital Tools on Vocabulary Development in Second Language Learning

This study explores the impact of digital tools on vocabulary acquisition among young second language learners, focusing on students aged 12 to 17 in Knoxville. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research found that digital tools, particularly those incorporating gamification, significantly enhanced vocabulary retention compared to traditional methods. Participants generally perceived these tools as engaging and effective, though challenges such as potential distractions and access to technology were noted. The findings align with existing literature on the benefits of digital learning but also highlight areas for further research, including long-term retention and the effects of emerging technologies.

Development of a Tactile Vocabulary Based on Suitability and Perceptual Intensity

ABSTRACTA vocabulary of tactile perception is essential for the evaluation of the feel of materials. Different tactile vocabulary has been established by various industries, making the understanding and comparison of tactile perceptions challenging. In this study, we developed a universal tactile vocabulary applicable across various industries. Based on our participants' tactile evaluations of 32 materials, we compiled a vocabulary of 273 words, categorizing them into a perceptual hierarchy: sensory and affective. Additionally, we recorded and analyzed the word use frequencies, suitability, intensity, and similarities of the tactile evaluations. Finally, we selected 31 words that each accurately expresses a particular tactile perception and can be applied to materials and products in diverse industries. The vocabulary developed in this study is expected to be a useful aid in designing the tactile aspects of various products.

The Impact of Vocabulary Clustering on Facilitating Vocabulary Development Among Saudi EFL Learners

The current study sought to investigate how organizing new vocabulary through semantic, ‎thematic, or unrelated sets could affect the learning process among Saudi EFL learners. The ‎majority of EFL teachers and materials writers seem to introduce and cluster new words according to a ‎particular type of semantic relationship (e.g., vegetables, body organs, car parts, or house parts) or a thematical relationship (e.g., a hotel room reservation, visiting a doctor's clinic, going to the post office, or at the train station). ‎Participants in the current research were 149 EFL students from the Preparatory Year Program (PYP) at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMISIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The design of this study was a pretest-treatment and posttest-delayed post-test. Two ‎types of clustering of new vocabulary were explored: semantically related sets and semantically ‎unrelated sets, which were constructed to identify how organizing new vocabulary could affect ‎the learning process among Saudi EFL learners. The findings of the study showed that both semantically ‎related (SR) and semantically unrelated (SU) sets ‎ seemed to help in learning new words. Nonetheless, ‎those new words behaved differently one week after the treatment. Moreover, the SR group scored significantly better on both delayed tests than ‎their ‎counterparts. Furthermore, the study's outcomes failed to indicate any interfering effect of ‎teaching and studying semantically relevant terms simultaneously in an actual classroom setting.‎ This study concluded with recommendations for teaching and learning programs to ‎develop ‎students' conceptual understanding of organizing new vocabulary that affects the learning ‎process among Saudi EFL learner’s context.‎

Development of Selective Attention and Vocabulary in a Socio-Economically Diverse Sample of Preschoolers

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The impact of low SES, parental depression, low social support for parenting, and growing up in a non-Western family on selective attention and vocabulary at age 2.5 and their development from age 2.5 to age 5 were examined. N = 305 children in the Netherlands were tested on selective attention and receptive vocabulary, during four measurement occasions: around the ages of 2.5, 3, 4 and 5. Multiple imputation was used to handle missing data. Relationships were investigated through multilevel latent growth curve analyses. The results showed that none of the risk factors were significant negative predictors of the baseline score or growth in attention or vocabulary. However, the lower children scored on a selective attention or vocabulary task at age 2.5, the higher their growth on this ability over the next two and a half years. Practice or Policy: Selective attention and vocabulary ability at age 2.5 are better predictors of the expected development of these skills than individual risk factors associated with poverty. This study provides tentative, preliminary evidence that early childhood selective attention and vocabulary testing may inform selection for preschool intervention programs. Follow-up research is recommended to confirm the results in the current study.

Challenges, Benefits, and Motivations in Paraphrasing: Insights from Marine and Fisheries EFL Students

This study explores the challenges, motivations, and benefits of paraphrasing for Marine and Fisheries EFL students, aiming to uncover factors that impact their ability to rephrase academic texts. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through field notes and semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively sampled students. The findings reveal that students face significant challenges in paraphrasing due to limited vocabulary, difficulties in sentence restructuring, and low self-confidence. Some students perceive English proficiency as less relevant to their future careers, reducing motivation to enhance their language skills. However, regular paraphrasing practice was found to provide valuable benefits, including vocabulary expansion, improved understanding of sentence structures, and increased confidence in handling technical content. These outcomes underscore the potential of paraphrasing exercises to support academic skill-building and professional readiness in specialized fields. The study suggests the need for targeted pedagogical strategies that emphasize vocabulary development, structural flexibility, and confidence-building. These findings contribute to the understanding of paraphrasing in EFL contexts and offer practical recommendations for enhancing students’ language skills in discipline-specific academic environments.

Evaluating the Impact of Senior Five Learners’ English Vocabulary Knowledge on their English-Speaking Skills in Three Selected Schools in Gakenke District, Rwanda

Empirical studies have evidenced the correlation between vocabulary knowledge and English-speaking skills in various English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts but research is scarce in rural Rwandan schools. The present study evaluated the impact of senior five (S5) learners’ vocabulary knowledge on developing their English-speaking skills in three selected schools in the Gakenke District in Rwanda. The current study was guided by Harmer’s and Bygate’s vocabulary knowledge hypothesis and communicative competence theories for developing speaking proficiency. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed and cluster sampling was used to select 90 S5 learners from 116 who made the target population. A structured questionnaire was administered to assess the current status of vocabulary knowledge and English-speaking skills and the impact of vocabulary knowledge on English-speaking skills. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis using MS Excel. Key findings revealed that 73.3% of learners regularly look up new vocabulary, and 100% reported having insufficient vocabulary. Additionally, 84.44% indicated that their speaking proficiency was low to moderate. Despite this low vocabulary knowledge, 95.56% of learners acknowledged that vocabulary enhances speaking skills. However, only 15.5% reported using new vocabulary frequently. Many learners (81.11%) felt that vocabulary development improved their self-expression, and 54.44% noted increased confidence in speaking English. Motivation was the highest-ranked factor influencing speaking skill development (M=4.40, SD=0.85), while assessment ranked lowest (M=2.96, SD=0.97). The study concluded that S5 learners in the selected schools have insufficient vocabulary knowledge to achieve the required level of speaking proficiency. The study recommended reinforcing vocabulary acquisition instructions and opportunities for learners to practice communicative English and assigns that future work should emphasize formal tests that examine English proficiency in correlational and experimental studies.

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF L1 LITERACY SKILLS IN L2 READING COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT AMONG SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GHANA

This study investigated the relationship between first language (L1) literacy skills and second language (L2) reading comprehension and vocabulary development among students in Ghana. The study was grounded in Cummin’s (1970) Linguistic Interdependence Theory (LIT). The qualitative approach was adopted, and three instruments- focus group discussions, interviews and classroom observations- were used to obtain data from the sample of 300 secondary school students and 40 teachers. The researcher assessed participants' views in L1 literacy domains (phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, and reading fluency) as well as their views on L2 (English) reading comprehension and vocabulary. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between students' L1 literacy skills and their achievement in L2 reading comprehension and vocabulary. Those with more advanced abilities in their native language consistently demonstrated higher levels of reading comprehension and broader English vocabulary knowledge. This underscores the critical role of strong foundational literacy in the first language as a precursor to successful second language acquisition. The study also identified key instructional strategies that could help bridge the gap for ESL learners, such as explicit instruction in L1 literacy, structured opportunities for cross-linguistic transfer, and the incorporation of culturally relevant, mother-tongue materials into the curriculum. The implications of these findings for policymakers, curriculum designers, and teachers working to improve educational outcomes for linguistically diverse student populations are discussed.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0799/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Adding a Piece to the Puzzle: Children’s Exposure to Idioms

Idioms are figurative multiword expressions that need to be learned as part of the native phrasal vocabulary. While it has been shown that non-figurative multiword expressions are acquired with language exposure, the learning process for idioms may be different because the figurative meaning adds complexity to the learning task. Idiom vocabulary overall develops relatively late, but it is unknown to what extent children are exposed to idioms, and what kinds of idioms they encounter. Here, we investigated children’s idiom exposure and its effect on the development of idiom vocabulary in three studies: we explore the frequency of a well-tested set of Dutch idioms in a corpus of child literature, test idiom familiarity in a controlled setting in primary school children, and compare those findings to a set of online familiarity ratings. We find that children’s idiom exposure differs from adult idiom exposure, when comparing idiom frequencies based on children’s books and a corpus with resources for adults. Idiom decomposability and idiom frequencies from the children’s books, but not frequencies from the adult corpus, influenced the familiarity ratings of older children, suggesting that language exposure and idiom characteristics, such as decomposability, both play a role in idiom acquisition.

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence of Adult Learners in Online EFL Teaching: Insights from Vietnamese Educators

This study investigates the strategies employed by Vietnamese EFL teachers to enhance emotional intelligence (EI) in adult learners within online learning environments. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in Mayer and Salovey’s model of emotional intelligence and Knowles’s theory of andragogy, the study involved semi-structured interviews with ten EFL teachers from two Vietnamese educational institutions. The thematic analysis of the interview data revealed several key strategies: reflective practices, interactive activities, technology integration, personalized feedback, collaborative learning, integration of real-life scenarios, self-awareness activities, development of emotional vocabulary, and creation of emotionally supportive environments. The findings illustrate a multifaceted approach to enhancing EI in online language education, highlighting the innovative adaptation of traditional classroom strategies to the digital realm. The study’s unique contribution lies in its focus on the Vietnamese context, providing insights into how cultural nuances shape online teaching strategies for EI enhancement. The implications of these findings are significant for the field of EFL education, suggesting the need for holistic teaching approaches that integrate emotional competencies alongside linguistic skills.

The Impact of Blended Mobile Learning on EFL Students’ Vocabulary Development

The study's objective is to examine the effects of Blended Mobile Learning (BML) on the vocabulary development of EFL preparatory students and their views of BML. As a mixed method study, it was conducted with 40 preparatory students at a state university in Turkey. While the control group studied vocabulary by reading texts only in the classroom by adhering to the textbook, the experimental group, in addition to the same instruction, was taught vocabulary outside the classroom in a virtual classroom opened through the Google Classroom application. A pre-test and a post-test were administered to the students to determine the impact of BML on their vocabulary development. The results of the tests were analyzed with SPSS program and the vocabulary development of groups was compared via an independent T-test. Additionally, a structured interview was done with the students of the experimental group to determine their views of BML. Students' responses were analyzed using the MAXQDA 2020 program with the method of content analysis. This research has led to the conclusion that BML, as a teaching method, strengthens the vocabulary development of the preparatory students and motivates them to learn vocabulary.

Reading Automated Feedback (RAF) in English for Nursing: Augmenting Perceptions and Reading Ability

Despite adopting a variety of tactics, nursing students struggle to grasp main ideas, read and skim, and acquire specialist vocabulary. Reading automated feedback (RAF) can help by providing contextual information and dynamic vocabulary guidance, and assisting with summarizing and reflecting on content. The primary objective of this study was to thoroughly examine the effects of RAF on the reading abilities of second-year university students who participated in a English for Nursing course in their third semester, and to examine their perspectives regarding the incorporation of RAF in the education setting. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the impact of RAF. The quantitative methods were an intervention for 60 students who had been sampled purposively and separated into experimental and control groups (30 students each), and a survey, and the qualitative method involved interviews. The data show that implementing RAF significantly improved nursing students’ reading abilities, particularly comprehension, scanning and skimming, identifying main ideas, summarizing, and vocabulary development, while also fostering a highly positive classroom environment. In short, implementing RAF could bring about significant gains in nursing students’ reading abilities and promote a positive teaching environment. Ongoing examinations and comprehensive reviews of the long-term impacts of RAF are projected to result in major education gains.

Maternal Question Use Relates to Syntactic Skills in 5- to 7-Year-Old Children.

This study examined how mothers' question-asking behavior relates to their child's syntactic skills. One important aspect of maternal question-asking behavior is the use of complex questions when speaking with children. These questions can differ based on both their purpose and structure. The purpose may be to seek out information, to teach, or to get a simple yes/no response. Questions may even be rhetorical, with no answer intended at all. Structurally, questions can include a wh-word (who, what, when, where, why, and how) or not; however, these wh-questions are important because they elicit utterances from the child and support vocabulary development. Despite wh-questions eliciting a response from children, it remains unknown how these questions relate to children's syntactic skills. Thirty-four mother-child dyads participated in a 15-min seminaturalistic play session. Children were between the ages of 5 and 7 years (M = 6.26 years, SD = 1.04 years; 20 girls/14 boys). The Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation (DELV) assessment was used to measure syntactic skills in children. Using the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts, questions were categorized based on structure (wh-questions vs. non-wh-questions) and purpose (information-seeking, pedagogical, or yes/no and rhetorical questions). A repeated-measures analysis of covariance and a linear regression model were implemented to address the frequency of different questions asked by mothers, as well as what types of questions are most related to children's concurrent syntactic skills. When controlling for total maternal utterances, results revealed that non-wh-questions and rhetorical/yes and no questions were the most frequent types of questions produced by mothers, in terms of structure and purpose, respectively. However, wh-questions were predominantly information-seeking questions. This is important, as the use of information-seeking wh-questions was positively associated with children's syntactic skills, as measured by the DELV, and resulted in children producing longer utterances in response to these questions, as determined by child mean length of utterance in words. Taken together, these findings suggest maternal use of wh-questions aids syntactic skills in children ages 5-7 years, likely because they require a more syntactically complex response on the child's behalf. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27276891.

Cross-sectoral interventions to promote health-supportive urban environments

Abstract Background As dealing with the complexity of urban living conditions becomes more and more evident and urgent, it is fundamental to promote cross-sectoral interventions that allow cities to become more inclusive and supportive of health. The Emilia-Romagna region, Italy, has promoted a participatory initiative to structurally integrate health into urban planning tools, identifying a framework of tailored urban indicators linked to locally perceived population health issues. Methods Through internal discussion and systematic literature research, a set of urban planners, epidemiologists, and public health experts from regional offices, local health services, universities, and environmental protection agencies identified the urban and health dimensions most suitable for embedding population health into city planning. The result was summarised in a preliminary working paper, which included a matrix of associations between urban features and health dimensions framed according to the DPSEEA framework. Its applicability was then tested in a participatory process (March-May 2024) involving urban planners and public health departments of 7 different sized municipalities. Results A group of epidemiologists identified local-level computable indicators for the health dimensions already included in the matrix or added at request. Each municipality focused on specific topics based on local priorities: 3 groups assessing their already-approved urban plans and looking for computable urban indicators; the others integrating their under-construction plans with local health indicators. Conclusions The need for professional contamination and cross-sectoral interventions is significant. Epidemiological support is pivotal in integrating different professional languages and reading health data. The outputs of this experience will contribute to a technical document outlining how to incorporate health promotion into urban planning tools and practice while actively considering the local context. Key messages • Although the development of a common vocabulary can be difficult, multidisciplinary collaboration is essential in promoting a model for integrating health promotion into urban planning. • Local municipalities’ involvement in the experimentation can improve the model’s applicability by taking into account territorial specificities.

Follow-up of expressive language and general development at 12, 18 and 36 months for children with no canonical babbling at 10 months

ABSTRACT Little is known about the developmental trajectories in children who do not use canonical babbling (CB) at 10 months. The aim was to examine how speech, language, cognitive and motor abilities developed in children without CB. For 15 children identified as not having CB, consonant production, expressive vocabulary and general development were assessed at 12, 18 and 36 months from audio–video recordings. Twelve (79%) children still lacked CB at 12 months. At 18 months, six (40%) had parent-reported expressive vocabulary results below the 10th percentile, and two (14%) did not use dental/alveolar stops. The percentage of consonants correct for the group was at the level of peers at 36 months (89%, SD 0.17), but the group had fewer established target consonants than age norms. Most children had a small expressive vocabulary in comparison with Swedish age norms for younger children as well as with age-matched norms for other Nordic languages. The general development (Bayley-III) for three children (21%) who did not use speech was 1–2 SD below the average range in at least one domain (cognitive, language or motor), but the results for the whole group were within the average range. In conclusion, the heterogeneity in early consonant development in the study group resembles that of children in clinical groups with known risk for speech and language difficulties and the expressive vocabulary resembles that of children with delayed expressive vocabulary. For about one-fifth of the children, the absence of canonical babbling at age 10 months could be seen as an early sign of a more comprehensive developmental disability.

Enhancing Language Acquisition in Children from Lower Socioeconomic Backgrounds: The Role of Parental Involvement

Abstract: Early language acquisition is fundamental to a childs future academic success. The development of vocabulary and oral storytelling skills at a young age serves as a strong foundation for later achievements in overall literacy. Disparities in language abilities become apparent by kindergarten and tend to persist throughout a childs educational journey. Therefore, prioritizing early language development is crucial to ensuring that all children could reach their full potential. This literature review examines three effective interventions - the 3Ts Home Visiting Curriculum, Too Small to Fail, and the STELLA curriculum - designed to improve language acquisition and development in children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. It provides brief descriptions of each intervention, analyzes the underlying psychological principles of language acquisition and development, and considers the implications of these global approaches. Parental involvement is crucial in creating and sustaining the success of these programs. Future directions to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and inclusivity of language development interventions for targeted children are explored.

Complex meanings shape early noun and verb vocabulary structure and learning.

Verbs and nouns vary in many ways-including in how they are used in language and in the timing of their early learning. We compare the distribution of semantic features that comprise early acquired verb and noun meanings and measure their effect on learning. First, couched in prior literature, we use semantic feature data to establish that features pattern on a hierarchy of complexity, with perceptual features being less complex than other features like encyclopaedic features. Second, given overall semantic and syntactic differences between nouns and verbs, we hypothesize that the preference for directly perceptible features observed for nouns will be attenuated for verbs. Building on prior work using semantic features and semantic networks in nouns, we find that compared to early learned nouns (N = 359), early learned verbs (N = 103) have meanings disproportionately built from complex information inaccessible to the senses. Third, we find that 16- to 30-month-old children's early noun and verb vocabularies (N = 3,804) show semantic relationships that differ in their use of this complex information from the beginning of vocabulary development. Last, we find that the complexity of nouns' and verbs' meanings affects their typical order of learning in early vocabulary development. Complexity differs in early noun and verb meanings, affects the semantic structure of children's vocabularies, and shapes the course of word learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

NGHIÊN CỨU CÁC YẾU TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN VIỆC THỰC HÀNH PHÁT TRIỂN VỐN TỪ CHO TRẺ CHẬM NÓI 18-24 THÁNG CỦA GIÁO VIÊN MẦM NON TẠI HÀ NỘI

This study focuses on evaluating the impact of resources, the coordination between preschool teachers and other educational forces, and the individual capabilities of teachers in facilitating/supporting vocabulary development for children with delayed speech aged 18-24 months in Hanoi, involving 255 teachers. Grounded in theories of early childhood education, the research employs quantitative methodology through data collection from questionnaires, aiming to understand the methods and factors influencing this process. The results not only provide a comprehensive view of language development practices for children with delayed speech but also propose strategies for improving training and professional development programs for teachers. Thus, the study highlights the importance of enhancing resources and improving coordination among stakeholders to best support children's language development, while also contributing to the formulation of appropriate policy recommendations.

Testing the relationship between preferences for infant-directed speech and vocabulary development: A multi-lab study.

From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants' preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.

The Effect of Extensive and Intensive Reading Strategies on EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Improvement

This study investigated the impact of extensive and intensive reading strategies on vocabulary development on EFL learners. The study was conducted at English department, Education Faculty, Kandahar University. The design of the study was inferential experimental, where pre- and post-tests were used to measure improvement in vocabulary improvement. The subjects of the study were first-year freshmen and night shift students. A total of 50 Afghan EFL students were selected based on their performance on placement test. The participants in the experimental group got extensive reading, and the control group got intensive reading, respectively. The experimental group and control group received 100-minutes per week. The collected data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study revealed that the vocabulary was improved from 83 to 93 in extensive reading and from 81 to 92 in intensive reading, which shows that there is significance increase in scores for intensive and extensive reading respectively.

Late Talkers can generalise trained labels by object shape similarities, but not unfamiliar labels.

Late talkers (LTs) exhibit delayed vocabulary development, which might stem from a lack of a typical word learning strategy to generalise object labels by shape, called the 'shape bias'. We investigated whether LTs can acquire a shape bias and whether this accelerates vocabulary learning. Fourteen LTs were randomly allocated to either a shape training group (Mage = 2.76 years, 6 males), which was taught that objects similar in shape have the same name, or a control group (Mage = 2.61 years, 4 males), which was taught real words without any focus on object shape. After seven training sessions, children in the shape training group generalised trained labels by shape (d = 1.28), but not unfamiliar labels. Children in the control group extended all labels randomly. Training did not affect expressive vocabulary.