Vocabulary Test Scores Research Articles

Phenotypic characteristics of adolescents with concave and convex facial profiles – The National Health Examination Survey

It has been suggested that facial traits are informative on the inherited susceptibility to tuberculosis and obesity, two current global health issues. Our aim was to compare the phenotypic characteristics of adolescents with dental markers for a concave (n=420), a convex (n=978), and a straight (n=3542) facial profile in a nationally representative sample of United States adolescents. The results show that adolescents with a concave facial profile, when compared to a straight facial profile, had an increased waist-to-height ratio (Δ, 1.1 [95% CI 0.5–1.7], p<0.003) and an increased acne prevalence (OR, 1.5 [95% CI 1.2–1.9], p<0.001). Adolescents with a convex facial profile, when compared to a straight facial profile, had an increased prevalence of tuberculosis (OR, 4.3 [95% CI 1.4–13.1], p<0.02), increased ectomorphy (Δ, 0.3 [95% CI 0.2–0.4], p<0.0001), increased left-handedness (OR, 1.4 [95% CI 1.1–1.7], p<0.007), increased color-blindness (OR, 1.7 [95% CI 1.3–2.3], p<0.004), and rhesus ee phenotype (OR, 1.3 [95% CI 1.1–1.5], p<0.008). Adolescents with a concave facial profile, when compared to a convex profile, had increased mesomorphy (Δ, 1.3 [95% CI 1.1–1.5], p<0.0001), increased endomorphy (Δ, 0.5 [95% CI 0.4–0.6], p<0.0001), lower ectomorphy (Δ, 0.5 [95% CI 0.4–0.6], p<0.0001), and lower vocabulary test scores (Δ, 2.3 [95% CI 0.8–3.8], p<0.008). It is concluded that population-based survey data confirm that distinct facial features are associated with distinct somatotypes and distinct disease susceptibilities.

Computerized lexis-based instruction in EFL classrooms: Using multi-purpose LexisBOARD to teach L2 vocabulary

AbstractLexis-based views of second or foreign language (L2) teaching place prime importance on the teaching of conventionalized multi-word lexical items, or unanalyzed chunks, as a useful mechanism for fostering learners’ creative production of forms and their subsequent development of L2 competence. This pretest/posttest quasi-experimental study probed the use of teacher-designed multi-purpose instructional lexis software, dubbed LexisBOARD, on L2 learners’ vocabulary achievement in an Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) context. A cohort of 50 Iranian junior-high-school students participated in the main instructional phase of the study. Instruction on L2 lexical items (e.g., concordances, polywords, or formulaic sequences) was mainly given to the experimental group using LexisBOARD, which was designed to be user-friendly and attuned to learners’ communicative and curricular needs. LexisBOARD offered further practice or feedback affordances through engaging students in lexical exercises (with word partnerships and collocations) for each unit and several quizzes for self-assessment. The control group was only taught using their mainstream EFL textbooks focusing on grammatical rules, discrete vocabulary items with fixed meanings, and reading texts, without any use of corpus-based activities. The results of the groups’ vocabulary test scores indicate that the lexis group significantly outperformed the control group, pointing to the superiority of practicing and learning L2 vocabulary when lexical items are seen in larger, more holistic ways and, especially, when engaging and experimenting with lexis is scaffolded through computer affordances.

What Determines Learning among Kinh and Ethnic Minority Students in Vietnam? An Analysis of the Round 2 Young Lives Data

AbstractAn analysis of the Young Lives data collected in 2006, involving a younger cohort (aged 5) and an older cohort (aged 12), yields three important findings regarding the Kinh–ethnic minority gaps in mathematics and reading skills in Vietnam. First, large disparities exist even before children start primary school. Second, language may play an important role: Vietnamese‐speaking ethnic minority children scored much higher than their non‐Vietnamese‐speaking counterparts, even though tests could be taken in any language the child chooses. Third, Blinder–Oaxaca decompositions indicate that higher parental education among Kinh children explains about one third of the gap for both cohorts. For the older cohort, Kinh households' higher income explains 0.2–0.3 standard deviations (SDs) of the gap (1.3–1.5 SDs). More time in school, less time spent working, and better nutritional status each explain about 0.1 SDs of the mathematics score gap; Kinh children's more years of schooling explains about 0.3 SDs of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test score gap.

The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge in Reading Comprehension: A Cross-Linguistic Study

The purpose of the present cross-linguistic study was to find out the role of vocabulary knowledge of the language of the text on reading comprehension performance when reading texts in that language. The study involved 10 participants who were students of English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Malaysian public high school selected using the random sampling. The instruments for the study were a set of reading comprehension test and a set of vocabulary test for the selected EFL grade-level reading text and a set of reading comprehension test and a set of vocabulary test for the selected grade-level reading text in the participants’ native language. The tests were administered on an individual basis. Each participant was allowed to read the EFL text without time limit but to do the tests without looking back at the text within a specified duration for the reading comprehension and vocabulary tests. The same procedures were conducted for reading comprehension test and vocabulary in context test for the first language (L1) or native language text. A brief interview was conducted immediately after the participants had completed the reading comprehension and vocabulary in context tests for the EFL and L1 texts. The participants’ vocabulary test and reading comprehension were scored and the test scores for the EFL text and L1 text were compared. The findings show that the participants’ vocabulary test and reading comprehension test scores for the L1 text were significantly better than their scores for the EFL text. The results from the interviews indicate that the participants were lacked of vocabulary knowledge in the EFL in comparison to in their native language. The findings provide evidence that a reader's level of vocabulary knowledge is one of the elements that plays an impacting role in determining reading comprehension performance in that language.

Effects of Pedagogical Movie Persian Subtitles on Vocabulary Improvement: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners

Throughout the history of language teaching, using subtitles has had their particular advocates in teaching English as a second language. This study was conducted to investigate the impacts of Persian subtitled movies on vocabulary knowledge improvement of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To achieve this goal, out of 35 participants, 20 female learners from a language institute in Isfahan, took part in the study. Their ages were between 12 to 16 years old and they were randomly divided into two homogenous groups (controllable and uncontrollable subtitle groups) based on Oxford Placement Test (OPT). As the pretest of the study, a content specific vocabulary test was administered which consisted of 30 multiple-choice items and was developed by the present researchers. Instructional materials included 10 parts of a movie, titled ‘Tangled’ (produced in 2010). During 10 sessions of treatment, vocabularies were instructed to the participants. Experimental group was instructed watching a controllable subtitled movie (English dialogues with repeated Persian subtitles) while control group was instructed using the same audiovisual materials but without any repetition; watching an uncontrollable subtitled movie (English dialogues with unrepeated Persian subtitles). After treatment, as the posttest, the two groups were administered a test similar to the pretest and under the same conditions. Based on the findings of analysis of covariance on the pretest and posttest vocabulary test scores, the results indicated that the group using controllable Persian subtitles outperformed than the other group. Material designers and instructors can use the findings of this investigation to include movies with Persian subtitles for learners to learn more vocabulary due to the fact that these learners have learnt to appreciate the importance and the value of vocabulary, including its effectiveness in communicative tasks.

Out-of-school digital gameplay and in-school L2 English vocabulary outcomes

The aim of the present study is to examine the relation between out-of-school digital gameplay and in-school L2 English vocabulary measures and grading outcomes. Data were originally collected from a sample of 80 teenage Swedish L2 English learners and comprise a questionnaire, language diaries, vocabulary tests, assessed essays, and grades. Using an observational post-hoc design, three Digital Game Groups (DGGs) were created based on frequency of gameplay: (1) non-gamers (0 h/week), (2) moderate gamers (<5 h/week), and (3) frequent gamers (≥5 h/week). Results show that DGG3 had the highest rated essays, used the most advanced vocabulary in the essays, and had the highest grades, closely followed by DGG1, while DGG2 trailed behind. For the vocabulary tests, DGG3 was followed by DGG2 and DGG1, indicating that gameplay aligns more directly with vocabulary test scores than vocabulary indicators drawn from essays. Due to the gender distribution of non-gamers (predominantly girls) and frequent gamers (exclusively boys), a subsidiary aim is to investigate how gameplay correlates with outcomes for boys and girls: significant correlations were found for gameplay–vocabulary tests/English grades for the boys.

Understanding and Assessing Word Comprehension.

The Intermodal Preferential Looking (IPL) task was developed to assess comprehension in infants and toddlers. We extend this methodology to examine word comprehension in preschool children using two measures: proportion of looking time to target (LTT) and longest look (LL) to target. Children (3-6 years) were tested with the IPL for comprehension of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Both LTT and LL scores showed that, across all ages, eye gaze to the target word increased from baseline to test; there were higher scores for nouns compared to verbs and adjectives. We also compare IPL performance to scores on a standardized test of receptive vocabulary (PPVT-4). Correlations with PPVT-4 scores were stronger for LTT than LL measures. The IPL may provide an alternative method for assessing word comprehension in preschool children with behavioral limitations.

Effects of pedagogical movie English subtitles on EFL learners’ vocabulary improvement

Using movies might be one way of providing context for vocabulary learning. However, there is a growing debate on the best mode of subtitles in movies as a pedagogical aid in language learning. This study is an attempt to examine the possible effects of two kinds of pedagogical movie subtitles on intermediate-level EFL learners’ English vocabulary improvement. To this end, 28 females, who were randomly selected from larger sample of 35 EFL learners from a language institute in Isfahan, took part in the study. The participants, aged 12 to 16, were then divided into two groups (controllable and uncontrollable subtitle groups) using Oxford Placement Test (OPT). The first group viewed an uncontrollable subtitled movie (English dialogues with unrepeated L2 subtitles) whereas the second one viewed a controllable subtitled movie (English dialogues with repeated L2 subtitles). Instructional materials included 10 parts of a movie, titled ‘Tangled’ (produced in 2010). The EFL participants were instructed on how to learn words in the movie in several sessions. To collect data, a content specific vocabulary test which consisted of 30 multiple-choice items, was developed by the present researchers and was administered as the pretest and posttest of the study. The results of analysis of covariance on the pretest and posttest vocabulary test scores showed that the participants in the controllable English subtitle group performed significantly better than the participants in the uncontrollable English subtitle group. By implication, curriculum developers and EFL instructors can utilize the findings of this study to include movies with target language subtitles to enhance EFL learners’ vocabulary learning.

Improving Students’ Vocabulary Achievement Through Word Webbing Technique

This study attempts to Improving Students’ Vocabulary achievement Trough Word Webbing Technique. The objective of the study is to discover whether the use of word webbing technique could significantly improving students’ vocabulary. This study conduct by applying Classroom Action Research which was carried out in two cycles in six meetings. The subject of this study of SMPN 4 Takengon, Aceh Tengah which consisted of 40 students. The quantitative data were collected by using observation sheet, questionnaire sheet and diary field. Based on the vocabulary test score, students’ score kept improving in every test. The mean of students’ score cycle (80) was higher than the fist cycle (67,75) and orientation test (55.25). based on observation sheet, questionnaire sheet and diary field, it was found that teaching learning process ran well. The students were more active and more enthusiastic during the teaching learning process in the second cycle than the first one. The result of the research showed that is use of word webbing technique significantly improving students’ vocabulary.

Does the introduction of newborn hearing screening improve vocabulary development in hearing-impaired children? A population-based study in Japan

ObjectivePermanent hearing impairment has a life-long impact on children and its early identification is important for language development. A newborn hearing screening (NHS) program has started in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, in 1999 to detect hearing impairment immediately after birth. We aim to examine the effect of this screening program on vocabulary development in pre-school children in a before and after comparative study design. MethodsA total of 107 5-year-old children who graduated from Okayama Kanariya Gakuen (an auditory center for hearing-impaired children) between 1998 and 2011 were enrolled in this study. The pre-NHS group (n=40) was defined as those who graduated between 1998 and 2003, while the post-NHS group (n=67) was defined as those who graduated between 2004 and 2011. The primary outcome was receptive vocabulary, which was assessed by the Picture Vocabulary Test [score <18 (low) vs. score ≥18 (high)]. The secondary outcome was productive vocabulary, or the number of productive words, which was assessed by an original checklist [<1773 words (low) vs. ≥1773 (high)]. We calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for vocabulary development and compared both groups. ResultsThe adjusted Picture Vocabulary Test score and number of productive words were significantly higher (p<0.01) in the post-NHS group than the pre-NHS group. Odds ratios were 2.63 (95% confidence interval: 1.17–5.89) for receptive vocabulary and 4.17 (95% confidence interval: 1.69–10.29) for productive vocabulary. ConclusionsThe introduction of NHS in Okayama Prefecture significantly improved both receptive and productive vocabulary development in hearing-impaired children.

Motivation and gender effect in receptive vocabulary learning: An exploratory analysis in CLIL primary education

The present paper seeks to address the connection between the receptive vocabulary size and motivation towards EFL of a group of CLIL primary graders by paying special attention to learners’ gender variation. In particular, our goal is to probe into (1) gender variation in EFL receptive vocabulary size, (2) gender variation in motivation towards the foreign language, and (3) the relationship between motivation towards the foreign language and scores in a receptive vocabulary test. No statistically significant differences are found on gender variation neither in EFL receptive vocabulary size nor in motivation, both boys and girls follow quite similar patterns; finally, we have identified a positive correlation between boys’ levels of intrinsic motivation and the number of words they know receptively. The waning effect of CLIL on gender variation, as shown in previous research, is adduced here as one of the possible sources of lack of differences both in vocabulary achievement and motivation.

Motivation and Gender Effect in Receptive Vocabulary Learning: An Exploratory Analysis in CLIL Primary Education

The present paper seeks to address the connection between the receptive vocabulary size and motivation towards EFL of a group of CLIL primary graders by paying special attention to learners’ gender variation. In particular, our goal is to probe into (1) gender variation in EFL receptive vocabulary size, (2) gender variation in motivation towards the foreign language, and (3) the relationship between motivation towards the foreign language and scores in a receptive vocabulary test. No statistically significant differences are found on gender variation neither in EFL receptive vocabulary size nor in motivation, both boys and girls follow quite similar patterns; finally, we have identified a positive correlation between boys’ levels of intrinsic motivation and the number of words they know receptively. The waning effect of CLIL on gender variation, as shown in previous research, is adduced here as one of the possible sources of lack of differences both in vocabulary achievement and motivation.

The Effect of Computer-Based Self-Access Learning on Weekly Vocabulary Test Scores

This study sets out to clarify the effectiveness of using an online vocabulary study tool, Quizlet, in an urban high school language arts class. Previous similar studies have mostly dealt with English Language Learners in college settings (Chui, 2013), and were therefore not directed at the issue self-efficacy that is at the heart of the problem of urban high school students in America entering remedial writing programs (Rose, 1989). The study involves 95 students over the course of 14 weeks. Students were tested weekly and were asked to use the Quizlet program in their own free time. The result of this optional involvement was that many students did not participate in the treatment and therefore acted as an elective control group. The resultant data collected shows a strong correlation between the use of an online vocabulary review program and short-term vocabulary retention. The study also showed that students who paced themselves and spread out their study sessions outperformed those students who used the program only for last minute “cram sessions.” The implications of the study are that students who take advantage of tools outside of the classroom are able to out perform their peers. The results are also in line with the call to include technology in the Basic Writing classroom not simply as a tool, but as a “form of discourse” (Jonaitis, 2012). Weekly vocabulary tests, combined with the daily online activity as reported by Quizlet, show that: 1) utilizing the review software improved the scores of most students, 2) those students who used Quizlet to review more than a single time (i.e., several days before the test) outperformed those who only used the product once, and 3) students who professed proficiency with the “notebook” system of vocabulary learning appeared not to need the treatment.

The Effect of Ecuador’s 1999 Economic Crisis on Early Childhood Development

In 1999 Ecuador experienced an economic crisis that was characterized by drastic increases in prices and the eventual adoption of the dollar as its currency. While many reports show that household consumption decreased and poverty increased, there are no studies on the impact of the crisis on early childhood development. This study uses data from 3 and 5 years after the crisis to investigate whether the 1999 crisis had a negative and persistent impact on child health and development. Using the variation in children’s exposure to the crisis that is due to birth month, I find that one year of exposure significantly decreased height-for-age z-scores by .08 SD and vocabulary test scores by 4.9 points. In rural areas, children from farming households and those with more access to nutrition programs were more protected.

Hispanic Respondent Intelligence Level and Skin Tone

Using the 2012 American National Election Study, the present article explored the relationship between interviewers’ assessment of respondent skin tone and their perception of respondent intelligence ( n = 459). Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that Hispanic respondents with the lightest skin were several times more likely to be seen as having high intelligence compared with those with the darkest skin. Importantly, this relationship was independent of respondent self-identified race, educational attainment, vocabulary test score, and several other respondent and interviewer characteristics. Implications for the growing body of research on colorism are discussed.

Quantity and structure of word knowledge across adulthood

Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from moderately large samples of healthy adults confirmed prior findings of age-related declines in measures of the quantity of word knowledge beginning around age 65. Additional analyses were carried out to investigate the interrelations of different types of vocabulary knowledge at various periods in adulthood. Although the organizational structures were similar in adults of different ages, scores on tests with different formats had weaker relations to a higher-order vocabulary construct beginning when adults were in their 60s. The within-person dispersion among different vocabulary test scores was also greater after about 65years of age. The discovery of quantitative decreases in amount of knowledge occurring at about the same age as qualitative shifts in the structure of knowledge raises the possibility that the two types of changes may be causally linked.

The Effect of Using PowerPoint on Iranian EFL Learners’ Knowledge of Abstract Vocabulary

The present study investigated the effect of using PowerPoint on Iranian EFL intermediate and advanced learners’ knowledge of abstract vocabulary. To this end, two experimental and two control groups (n=120): the experimental group using PowerPoint and the control group using traditional methods of instructions took part in this study. A pre-test and a post-test of vocabulary were administered to all groups. The data were analyzed using t-tests and one-way ANOVA. The results revealed that the learners in the experimental groups received higher scores in vocabulary test and using PowerPoint had a greater effect on intermediate learners’ vocabulary knowledge.

Parent–Child Gesture Use During Problem Solving in Autistic Spectrum Disorder

This study examined the relationship between child language skills and parent and child gestures of 58 youths with and without an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Frequencies and rates of total gesture use as well as five categories of gestures (deictic, conventional, beat, iconic, and metaphoric) were reliably coded during the collaborative Tower of Hanoi task. Children with ASD had lower Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores and gestured less and at lower rates compared to typically developing children. Gesture use was unrelated to vocabulary for typically developing children, but positively associated with vocabulary for those with ASD. Demographic correlates of gesturing differed by group. Gesture may be a point of communication intervention for families with children with ASD.

Impact of child care arrangements on Australian children's cognitive outcome: moderation effects of parental factors

AbstractThis study examines the effects of child care arrangements on children's cognitive outcomes. It is a secondary analysis, using data on 5107 children born in 2004 and their families from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Data were collected in 2004 (Wave One), in 2006 (Wave Two) and in 2008 (Wave Three). This study asks (i) Do children receiving non‐parental child care have different cognitive developmental outcomes at ages 4–5, compared with those who never had non‐parental child care during the first 3 years of life? Do parental factors affect these associations?; and (ii) among children with non‐parental child care, do child care characteristics such as types of care, quantity, entry age and stability of child care affect child outcomes? Do parental factors affect child outcomes? The study's findings suggest that children in non‐parental child care had higher Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test scores at age 5. Among children in non‐parental child care arrangements, quantity and entry age of non‐parental child care affected children's cognitive developmental outcomes. Along with child care arrangements, parental mental health was associated with children's cognitive outcomes.

Estimating learners' vocabulary size under item response theory

Perhaps the most qualitatively interpretable vocabulary test score is an estimate of the total number of words the learner knows in the tested domain, such as a frequency word list, or vocabulary taught as part of a course curriculum. In cases where it is not possible to test the entire domain word-for-word, vocabulary tests such as the vocabulary levels test (Nation, 1990) and vocabulary size test (Beglar, 2010, Nation &amp; Beglar, 2007) typically employ a polling method, in which total vocabulary size is inferred from a sample of tested words. A drawback of this method is that it assumes the tested words are randomly sampled from and therefore representative of the tested domain, which can affect test reliability in cases where there are many words in the domain that are far below or above learners’ ability. This paper outlines an alternate method for estimating vocabulary size from a test score using item response theory, which allows estimation of total vocabulary size from a nonrandom sample of words well matched to learners’ ability, resulting in tests of practical length with high reliability that can be used to estimate the total number of words a learner knows. Such a test scoring method, currently in use at a private university in southern Japan, is used as an example.