Vocabulary Learning Activities Research Articles

La eficacia de diferentes actividades de aprendizaje de vocabulario en L2 en relación con variables de carácter social e individual

This paper presents the results of research on the influence of three types of vocabulary learning activities in L2, taking into account four variables related to the learner, which are: the years they have studied the L2; their motivation; their learning context; and their proficiency in any other L2. 150 B1 level students of Spanish, divided into three groups, practised with a different task: writing sentences with a stimulus word; working with samples that include a semantic equivalent; or choosing the appropriate definition. The analysis of results indicates that learners (1) who have studied the L2 for up to six years, (2) those with integrative motivation, (3) those who have studied the L2 only in their own country, and (4) those who do not speak any other L2 manage to recall significantly more words when they practise writing sentences than when choosing defi nitions. In the subgroups with the above-mentioned characteristics, the activity that requires most mental effort –writing– is also the most effective way of adding new words to the mental lexicon.

Developing automaticity and speed of lexical access: the effects of incidental and explicit teaching approaches

There is general agreement that speed of lexical access is an essential component for successful communication and fluent language use. In vocabulary acquisition research the majority of studies have focused on the acquisition of the form and meaning of new words but research into the teaching conditions leading to the improvement of speed of lexical access is still scarce. This article reports results of two studies which explored the effectiveness of two vocabulary teaching approaches for the development of speed and automaticity of lexical access by learners of Spanish as a foreign language. Participants in Study 1 were exposed to the target vocabulary in reading passages (incidental approach), while participants in Study 2 were exposed to the target words in explicit vocabulary activities (explicit approach). A pre- and post-treatment lexical decision task assessed participants’ speed of lexical access. Two indicators of improved lexical access were examined: faster reaction times (RTs) and a decrease in the coefficient of variation (CV), i.e., automaticity measure. Results showed that both types of treatment led to faster speed of lexical access, while only the explicit treatment led to automatic processing. The effect of repetition was also explored and results showed that there was no clear, significant effect of the number of repetitions on the development of speed and automaticity of lexical access. Taken together, the type and amount of vocabulary learning activities in these studies give an initial indication of the minimum amount of vocabulary engagement which may lead to significant improvement in learners’ speed and automaticity of lexical access.

타이포그래피 및 웹기반 저작 어휘 활동이 중학교 영어 학습자의 어휘학습 및 정의적 측면에 미치는 영향

타이포그래피 및 웹기반 저작 어휘 활동이 중학교 영어 학습자의 어휘학습 및 정의적 측면에 미치는 영향

A Review of Key Recent Studies on Effectiveness of Vocabulary Learning Tasks in L2

A review of the key empirical studies, published since 2001, in which the effectiveness of different vocabulary learning activities in L2, all including at least one wri ⴀ ting exercise, is examined. The conclusion is that form ⴀfocused activities and those requi ⴀ ring a higher involvement load (Hulstijn and Laufer, 2001) or mental effort from learners, amongst which is writing, are the most effective in most experiments 㬀 while, on the other

Vocabulary Learning Activities Employed by Chinese English-Major Undergraduates and Their Reflections on the Activities

Chinese English-major undergraduates face a demanding task regarding English vocabulary learning. Previous studies have focused on vocabulary learning strategies. Few studies have examined what learners actually do to tackle vocabulary learning tasks. The current study adopted qualitative research methods. Findings are reported in the following aspects: 1) what vocabulary learning activities do Chinese English-major undergraduates employ regarding English vocabulary learning tasks? 2) What measurements do they use to evaluate their learning results? And 3) what difficulties do these learners encounter?

PENERAPAN STRATEGI REDIFINISI KONSTEKSTUAL UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PENGUASAAN KOSAKATA DAN AKTIVITAS PEMBELAJARAN

applying a contextual learning strategy of redefinition in Indonesian. This was an action research study involving the students of Class VIII E of SMP Negeri I Seyegan, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The data were collected through observations, interviews, documents, and a vocabulary test. The research instruments included an interview guide, a checklist, and observation guide, and a vocabulary test. The data werequalitatively described. The results showed that the contextual redefinition strategy managed to improve the vocabulary mastery and learning activities. The students’ vocabulary mastery improved after each action cycle. The learning activities included raising questions, examining the correspondence between questions andlearning materials, using dictionaries to verify word meanings, having discussions,and constructing sentences to express contextual meanings.

Effects of a phonological awareness program on English reading and spelling among Hong Kong Chinese ESL children.

This study investigated the effects of a 12-week language-enriched phonological awareness instruction on 76 Hong Kong young children who were learning English as a second language. The children were assigned randomly to receive the instruction on phonological awareness skills embedded in vocabulary learning activities or comparison instruction which consisted of vocabulary learning and writing tasks but no direct instruction in phonological awareness skills. They were tested on receptive and expressive vocabulary, phonological awareness at the syllable, rhyme and phoneme levels, reading, and spelling in English before and after the program implementation. The results indicated that children who received the phonological awareness instruction performed significantly better than the comparison group on English word reading, spelling, phonological awareness at all levels and expressive vocabulary on the posttest when age, general intelligence and the pretest scores were controlled statistically. The findings suggest that phonological awareness instruction embedded in vocabulary learning activities might be beneficial to kindergarteners learning English as a second language.

Foreign language vocabulary development through activities in an online 3D environment

On-line virtual 3D worlds offer the opportunity for users to interact in real time with native speakers of the language they are learning. In principle, this ought to be of great benefit to learners, and mimicking the opportunity for immersion that real-life travel to a foreign country offers. We have very little research to show whether this is the case, however, nor how best to take advantage of virtual travel for foreign language development. This paper investigates the vocabulary environment and learning among learners in the Vill@ge virtual learning environment in Second Life. It appears that outside controlled learning activities, the lexical environment is poor and offers little opportunity for lexical growth. However, there is some evidence that learners, even in a short space of time, can improve their speed of language interaction and their fluency, and in focussed vocabulary-learning activities uptake was good and comparable with more traditional vocabulary-learning activities.

The Impact of Memory Strategy Instruction on Learners' EFL Vocabulary Retention

The Depth of Processing Hypothesis (DPH) suggests that the more cognitively one is engaged in learning a word, the more likely it is to remember it later. This study was an attempt to test and substantiate this Hypothesis by assessing the impact of memory strategy instruction on learners' short-term and long-term vocabulary retention. True experimental design was employed to study two classes of 40 randomly selected intermediate learners as control and experimental groups. Both groups were exposed to the same vocabulary learning activities; however, only the experimental group received the treatment regarding memory strategies. A 35-item vocabulary test was developed by the researchers based on the instructed material (the “Intermediate Vocabulary” textbook by B. J. Thomas). The reliability of the test was estimated 0.72 through KR-21 formula. The results of the first and second independent samples t-test analysis from the immediate and delayed post-tests indicated that the experimental group had a better performance than the control group on the delayed post-test only. Thus, the findings confirm the long-term effectiveness of instruction through memory strategies and support the DPH.

Online Approaches to Learning Vocabulary

Examples of learning vocabulary through the computer are appearing with increasing regularity in the recent CALL literature. Much of this learning, however, tends to be teacher-centred in that learners often rely on teachers to select the vocabulary items that they are to study. In the current study, pre-intermediate learners of English studying at a university in Japan were divided into two groups: a teacher-centred (TC) group where the learners were provided with online vocabulary learning activities composed of items selected by the teacher and a learner-centred (LC) group where the learners were required to compile their own vocabulary lists which were then entered by the learners themselves into a specially designed online system that would then create the vocabulary learning activities from these items. Data were collected in the form of pre- and post-testing of vocabulary items that appeared in the teaching materials and through questionnaires regarding their perceptions of the system.

Investigating learner preparedness for and usage patterns of mobile learning

AbstractWhile the use of mobile devices for language learning has sparked the interest of an increasing number of researchers in recent years (e.g., Aizawa & Kiernan, 2003; Thornton & Houser, 2005), our knowledge of learners' preferences for the mobile platform and their usage patterns remains limited. Are learners prepared to use mobile phones for performing language learning activities, or is there still a preference for desktop computer environments? Do learners make attempts to use mobile phones and then opt for a desktop computer instead? When and where do those learners who choose to use mobile phones use them, and why do they choose them? The current study investigated 75 learners of English at a Japanese university who were assigned vocabulary learning activities which they could choose to complete on either a mobile phone or desktop computer. It sought to determine their intentions to use mobile phones for language learning if other options were available, to compare this with their actual usage patterns, and to determine when and why learners used mobile phones. Learner attitudes and preferences were elicited through a post-survey, and usage patterns were determined through analysis of detailed server logs. The results are discussed in terms of the readiness of learners to undertake mobile-based language learning activities, and the issues having an effect on the establishment of the mobile phone as a language learning tool.

Using PDA for undergraduate student incidental vocabulary testing

AbstractRecent studies have explored English vocabulary learning in environments where students used mobile technologies for prescribed vocabulary learning tasks, or tested designed personalized learning systems to enhance student vocabulary learning for short periods of time in language related courses. Dictionary use via mobile devices has mostly been used for referential purposes. Referential use refers to applications that provide student access to content such as dictionaries, e-books, etc. at places where learning activities occur, taking advantage of the portability and mobility of mobile devices. Research on free student use of mobile devices to foster incidental vocabulary learning in non-English courses remains scant, and no in-depth studies have been carried out to investigate the value of dictionary use on mobile devices for incidental vocabulary learning in higher education. This one-year multiple-case study investigated undergraduate students' dictionary and other uses of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to enhance their incidental vocabulary learning in an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) university. The research findings show: (a) the students made various uses of the PDA to improve their vocabulary learning, namely, referential, situated, constructive, reflective, explorative and conversing uses, (b) the students adopted integrated uses of the tools on the PDA and the computer for their incidental vocabulary learning, and (c) the integrated use of the PDA and the computer shaped the vocabulary learning activities and vice versa. These research results indicate that PDAs can be used in more flexible, novel and extended ways for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) vocabulary teaching and learning in higher education, taking student needs and contexts into consideration.

Students' Approaches to Vocabulary Learning and Their Relationship to Success

Students’ approaches to vocabulary learning were surveyed in two distinct learning environments: one where English was studied as a second language (ESL), and another where it was a foreign language (EFL). A questionnaire, adapted from Sanaoui's (1992) work, was administered to 47 ESL and 43 EFL students. They were asked to indicate, among other things, the amount of time they usually spent on vocabulary learning, the extent to which they engaged in independent language study, the type of vocabulary learning activities they did on a regular basis, the frequency and elaborateness of their note‐taking and reviewing efforts, and the frequency and elaborateness with which they used dictionaries. Whereas students in the two settings exhibited significant differences in the use of some of the strategies, other parts of their strategic behaviour were strikingly similar. Cluster analysis, a technique used for finding relatively homogeneous subgroups in a population, identified 8 different profiles of student approaches to lexical learning. Some clusters exhibited a remarkably “flat” profile in that they used either all or none of the strategies. The majority of learners, however, fell into the more saw‐toothed profile clusters, exhibiting clear preferences for certain types of strategic behaviour. Analyses were also conducted to determine a possible relationship between strategy use and achievement level. Students’ performance on two tests, a Yes/No test assessing knowledge of academic vocabulary and a cloze test assessing overall English proficiency, were compared for the clusters. More frequent and elaborate strategy use was associated with higher levels of achievement, whereas lack of self‐reported effort on the students' part was linked to poor performance. Results also suggested thattimeand learnerindependencewere the two measures most closely related to success in vocabulary learning and higher overall English proficiency.