Vocabulary Uptake Research Articles

The Impact of Narrow Reading on the Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge of Moroccan High School Students

Recent research on English as a foreign language (EFL) vocabulary instruction has surged due to its inherent importance and the challenge it poses, given the vast number of words in languages. Many studies explored how reading enhances EFL students’ vocabulary. However, empirical studies on how narrow reading aids beginners' vocabulary growth are lacking. Hence, this study purports to investigate the impact of narrow reading on the development of Moroccan EFL students’ receptive vocabulary knowledge. An experimental pretest post-test design is adopted. 75 10th grade (common core) beginner students belonging to three groups participated in the study. The first experimental group read 4 texts on the same theme and written by the same author. The second experimental group read 4 texts written by the same author. The control group read 4 texts written by different authors on different themes. Meara’s yes/no test was used to measure the participants’ receptive vocabulary knowledge before the treatment. The treatment lasted seven weeks.The vocabulary knowledge scale (VKS) was used to measure students’ receptive vocabulary gains. The results of a one-way ANOVA showed that the group which read texts on the same theme and by the same author outperformed the other groups. Informal discussion with the participants unveiled some factors that have eased vocabulary uptake.

L2 Vocabulary learning from reading: Effects of word-focused activity type, learner variables, and announcement

Classroom studies have shown that learning new vocabulary from reading can be enhanced if the reading task is followed by a word-focused activity, such as a fill-in-the-blank activity. However, little is known about: (1) whether a post-reading word-focused activity can also positively affect vocabulary uptake in out-of-classroom contexts when there is no instructor support, (2) whether vocabulary gains differ based on proficiency levels, and (3) whether awareness of an upcoming post-reading word-focused activity influences learning gains. The present study addresses these issues by having native (high-proficient) or nonnative (L2 high-intermediate) English speakers read a narrative containing 16 recurring non-word target items. Within each proficiency group, one subgroup of participants was instructed that they would be given the word-focused activity after they finished reading, another subgroup was not. Participants then engaged in a word-focused activity that involved either the non-word target items or real words from the narrative. Finally, all participants were given a vocabulary test. We found that, compared to the real-word activity, the target-item activity led to significantly greater vocabulary gains, especially for the L2 high-intermediate learners, regardless of whether or not participants were forewarned of an upcoming word-focused activity.

Digital Games and Second Language Learning among Tertiary-level EFL Learners: A Critical Review

Despite the increased interest in the possibilities of digital games in second language education, their use in higher education is a relatively uncharted territory. This review was carried out to examine how digital game-based language learning is used, and what its effects are on language learners at tertiary level in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Twenty-seven studies were short-listed from academic literature and were analysed for research methodology, theoretical frameworks, research foci, game types and specifications, research results, and pedagogical implications. The research revealed six types of digital games, each with its own affordances that could enhance language learning. It was also found that these games increased vocabulary uptake and long-term lexical retention, enhanced L2 reading and listening comprehension, fostered writing ability and communicative competence, and increased motivation and willingness to communicate in the L2. Therefore, it may be deduced that digital games can be employed as a beneficial tool for the development of L2 competence and for the enrichment of the language learning experience. Suggestions for further research and educational implications have been provided.

Digital Games and Second Language Learning among Tertiary-level EFL Learners: A Critical Review

Despite the increased interest in the possibilities of digital games in second language education, their use in higher education is a relatively uncharted territory. This review was carried out to examine how digital game-based language learning is used, and what its effects are on language learners at tertiary level in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Twenty-seven studies were short-listed from academic literature and were analysed for research methodology, theoretical frameworks, research foci, game types and specifications, research results, and pedagogical implications. The research revealed six types of digital games, each with its own affordances that could enhance language learning. It was also found that these games increased vocabulary uptake and long-term lexical retention, enhanced L2 reading and listening comprehension, fostered writing ability and communicative competence, and increased motivation and willingness to communicate in the L2. Therefore, it may be deduced that digital games can be employed as a beneficial tool for the development of L2 competence and for the enrichment of the language learning experience. Suggestions for further research and educational implications have been provided.

The Effects of Three Forms of Reading-based Tasks on Iranian Intermediate and Advanced EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Uptake

The present study explored the effects of three forms of reading-based L2 vocabulary tasks on learning and retention of 40 target words by Iranian intermediate and advanced male English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. To this end, 176 EFL learners were randomly selected and assigned to three experimental and one control condition across two levels of intermediate and advanced proficiency levels. The participants in the experimental conditions read 8 texts including 40 target words and performed word-focused (WF) tasks, oral reproduction (OR) plus summary writing (SW) tasks, and WF plus OR vocabulary tasks incorporating target words according to their task designation. The results of two-way MANOVA and Scheffe’s post-hoc test demonstrated that while all three experimental conditions significantly outperformed the control group in terms of learning and retention of target words, the WF plus OR task was found to be the most effective condition. The results are justified in light of Laufer and Hulstjin’s (2001) Involvement Load Hypothesis, Nation and Webb’s (2011) Technique Feature Analysis, the Skill Acquisition Theory, and Swain’s (1985) Output Hypothesis. The study concluded with pedagogical implications for language teachers and materials developers with regard to including both word-focused and meaning-oriented L2 vocabulary tasks in language classes and language textbooks.

Concurrent Group-dynamic Assessment of Intermediate EFL Learners’ Receptive and Productive Vocabulary Size

Although research studies on dynamic assessment (DA) yielded promising results to the field of language teaching, scant research attention has been paid to examining the effectiveness of group dynamic assessment (G-DA) in relation to vocabulary development. To this effect, the present mixed-methods study was designed to inspect the potential of concurrent G-DA in enlarging receptive and productive vocabulary size of 56 Iranian intermediate EFL learners. The study used two modalities: the control group, which was taught the selected lexical items through traditional procedures such as using word lists; and the experimental group, which was offered group-based supportive prompts for doing vocabulary exercises within the G-DA framework. The results of a series of independent-samples t-tests indicated the significant effect of G-DA in enhancing receptive and productive vocabulary size of EFL learners. The qualitative data underscored the role of group mediation in increasing learners’ motivation to increase vocabulary uptake within the G-DA framework and maintaining their positive attitude toward G-DA.

INTENTIONAL VS INCIDENTAL ESP VOCABULARY ACQUISITION BY POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS

The article discusses an experiment that researched the intentional vs incidental ESP vocabulary uptake in two university groups of third year political science students and addresses the implications of using an authentic audiovisual material as an input text for an ESP course. The procedure of intentional vocabulary learning involved pre-teaching of lexical items and explicitly informing the students they would have to use the vocabulary in a following productive activity (writing an essay), while the incidental uptake took place in the course of self-study where the students had to watch an authentic audiovisual recording and then write an essay on the subject discussed in the video. The case study employed a quantitative research method to calculate the amount of the target words and collocations used in the written output, and a qualitative method to assess the accuracy of their usage. Two months later a delayed posttest was done to check the students’ productive knowledge of the target lexis form. The experiment correlated with output- and involvement load hypotheses, and had to assess the effect of a text-based output on learning outcomes, as well as observe how applicable is the involvement load hypothesis to analysing the students’ self-study strategies. The study showed that the intentional mode of learning outperformed the incidental acquisition by over 20% and suggested what factors may have enhanced the scope of the ESP vocabulary retention. Further studies could concentrate on evaluating ESP learners’ both productive and receptive target vocabulary competence over a longer-term perspective.

Musicians Outperform Non-Musicians In English Language Vocabulary Uptake And Listening Comprehension Tasks

Numerous possibilities, that have arisen in the result of globalization and cultural integration, require modern specialists, and musicians in particular, to speak English language fluently. Thus, methods of teaching professionally directed foreign language should develop and heed special abilities of learners to meet their academic and professional needs. Foreign language acquisition is influenced by numerous factors such as deciphering and processing of speech sounds, words segmentation, pronunciation, memory, attention, the ability to associate the sound of the word with its meaning. It is considered that musical abilities have positive impact on these factors. The influence of musical training on foreign language acquisition has been in scope of many scholarly works worldwide. It is considered that music expertise facilitates the development of phonological, listening and vocabulary skills in foreign language learning. Moreover, musicians have abilities to detect subtle pitch deviations in music and language, segment continuous speech, as well as superior auditory abilities, which enable them to hear better even in noise. Therefore, we hypothesize, that listening can be an effective tool in teaching English professionally directed lexical competence to future musicians. In this study we analyse theoretical data relevant to the current research and seek to compare performance of musicians and non-musicians in various vocabulary and listening tasks when learning English lexical competence through listening. Our findings prove that musical expertise enhances listening comprehension skills; listening leads to vocabulary uptake and can be an effective source of English professionally directed lexical competence development in musicians.

Extensive Reading and Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition: The Case of a Predominant Language Classroom Input

A considerable body of research has investigated the effectiveness of extensive reading on incidental vocabulary acquisition in second language (L2) learners. However, we still know very little about the relationship between extensive reading and vocabulary development among Saudi learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) where language classroom is the predominant source of learning, if not the only one. In the present case study, a single participant was instructed to read extensively for eight weeks as an informal activity outside the classroom. The participant’s written receptive vocabulary knowledge was measured before and after the treatment. Results indicated that extensive reading contributed largely to the participant’s vocabulary gain, suggesting that a vocabulary uptake of about eight words from extensive reading intervention has occurred compared to about two words per contact hour from language classroom input where reading texts are short and scattered throught the textbook. Finding is interpreted in order to provide some pedagogical recommendations.

The role of informal learning activities in improving L2 lexical access and acquisition in L1 Arabic speakers learning EFL

ABSTRACT Case studies in lexical uptake suggest that some well reported language learning strategies, such as extensive reading and listening to songs, can be quantified accurately in terms of time spent on task and the nature of the vocabulary input they provide. These studies also show that these strategies can link very convincingly to growth in vocabulary size. This study adopts this approach in a case study which investigates the impact of extensive reading on the speed of lexical access and uptake from written sources. The study is conducted with a native speaker of Arabic learning English and previous studies have suggested that learners from this background are slow in adopting efficient reading processes for use in English, and that this may result from limited time spent in reading in any language. The participant in this study spent nearly 50 hours watching English language films and news reports with subtitles. Measures of vocabulary uptake suggest he added nearly 900 words to the orthographic side of his lexicon from this source through the intervention, and his reading speed increased by over 30%. It is suggested, therefore, that an extensive reading strategy can make quantifiable differences to a learner’s vocabulary uptake and reading speed.

Examining incidental vocabulary acquisition from captioned video

Abstract Previous comparisons of vocabulary uptake from captioned and uncaptioned audio-visual materials have almost consistently furnished evidence in favour of captioned materials. However, it is possible that many such comparative studies gave an advantage to the captioned input conditions by virtue of their use of written word prompts in the tests. The present study therefore examines whether aurally presented test prompts yield equally compelling evidence for the superiority of captioned over uncaptioned video. Intermediate EFL learners watched a ten-minute TED Talks video either with or without captions and were subsequently given a word recognition and a word meaning test, with half of the test prompts presented in print and the other half presented aurally. While the results of the word recognition test were inconclusive, the word meaning test yielded significantly better scores by the group that watched the captioned video. However, this was due entirely to their superior scores on the printed word prompts, not the aural ones. This suggests that evaluations of the benefits of captions for vocabulary acquisitions should take input-modality – test-modality congruency into account.

Vocabulary learning through viewing video: the effect of two enhancement techniques

ABSTRACTWhile most studies on L2 vocabulary learning through input have addressed learners’ vocabulary uptake from written text, this study focuses on audio-visual input. In particular, we investigate the effects of enhancing video by (1) adding different types of L2 subtitling (i.e. no captioning, full captioning, keyword captioning, and glossed keyword captioning which provides access to meaning) and (2) informing vs. not informing students that viewing would be followed immediately by a test of vocabulary from the video (Test Announcement). The study adopted a 2 (+/- Test Announcement) x 4 (Type of Captioning) between-subject design, resulting in 8 experimental groups. 227 Dutch-speaking university students watched three French (= L2) videos in one of eight conditions. Results revealed that students in the glossed keyword captions group (with access to meaning) scored best on the form recognition and meaning recall tests. Analyses of the look-up behaviour of students in the glossed keyword captioning group revealed that looking up a given word was positively related to the learning of that word. Test Announcement did not affect word learning or look-up behaviour. Participants’ vocabulary size was directly related to their learning gains as well as to their look-up behaviour in the glossed keyword condition.

On the benefits of multimodal annotations for vocabulary uptake from reading

ABSTRACTSeveral research articles published in the realm of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) have reported evidence of the benefits of multimodal annotations, i.e. the provision of pictorial as well as verbal clarifications, for vocabulary uptake from reading. Almost invariably, these publications account for the observed benefits with reference to Paivio's Dual Coding Theory, suggesting it is the visual illustration of word meaning that enhances the quality of processing and hence makes new words more memorable. In this discussion article, we explore the possibility that it is not necessarily the multimodality per se that accounts for the reported benefits. Instead, we argue that the provision of multimodal annotations is one of several possible means of inviting more and/or longer attention to the annotations – with amounts of attention given to words being a significant predictor of their retention in memory. After reviewing the available research on the subject and questioning whether invoking Paivio's Dual Coding Theory is an optimal account for reported findings, we report an eye-tracking study the results of which are consistent with the alternative thesis that the advantage of multimodal glosses for word learning lies with the greater quantity of attention these glosses attract in comparison with single-mode glosses. We conclude with a call for further research on combinations and sequences of annotation types, regardless of multimodality, as ways of promoting vocabulary uptake from reading.

The Impact of Different Instructions on Vietnamese EFL Students’ Acquisition of Formulaic Sequences

The paper explores how various teaching methods, namely Phonology-Based Instruction (PBI) and Translation-Based Instruction (TBI), have an effect on students’ acquisition of formulaic sequences. 20 multiword expressions were taught to 48 Vietnamese EFL students from three intact classes as 2 treatment groups (PBI and TBI) and 1 control group. Right after completing the tasks, the three groups were tested on their ability to identify (Form Recognition) and produce (Form and Meaning Recall) the lexical phrases by an immediate post-test. A delayed test was administered two weeks later for better comparsion of their retention. The results showed that PBI and TBI groups significantly outperformed the control one on most of the test levels. Especially, TBI tended to be more effective than PBI in two cases as regards both Repeating and Non-repeating items. It is believed that if the results and the proposed suggestions of this research are taken into consideration, major improvements could occur in language teaching programs, leading to students’ higher vocabulary uptake.

Does adding pictures to glosses enhance vocabulary uptake from reading?

This article reports three trials of a pen-and-paper experiment where adult L2 learners’ recollection of glossed words was tested after they had read a text with or without pictures included in the glosses. Unlike previous studies in which a superiority of multimodal glosses over text-only glosses was claimed, the experiment furnished no evidence that the addition of pictures helped the learners to retain the glossed words any better than providing glosses containing only verbal explanations. When learners were prompted to recall of the written form of the words, the gloss condition with pictures in fact led to the poorest performance. The results suggest that the provision of pictures alongside textual information to elucidate the meaning of novel words may reduce the amount of attention that L2 readers give to the words proper.

The influence of morphological knowledge on lexical processing and acquisition: The case of Arab EFL learners

Although morphological knowledge has been proposed to enhance second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition, little is known about which morphological process has the greatest impact on lexical acquisition. To address this question, 400 school-learners of English from high schools in Saudi Arabia were presented with a morphological decomposition task of regular and irregular inflection and derivation, and an L2 vocabulary size test. The results indicated some significant levels of correlation between knowledge of regular inflection and derivation, and L2 vocabulary knowledge. Irregular inflection and derivation, on the contrary, were not found to have a significant effect on L2 vocabulary acquisition. Although significant correlations were observed between regular morphology and L2 vocabulary learning, regression analysis showed that only regular inflection processing has a sizable effect on vocabulary uptake. This variable explained about 38% of the variance per se. The findings also revealed no clear effect of the first language (L1) regularity of morphological rules, which apply extensively in Arabic, on acquiring words that are regular in English. The overall findings propose an explicit focus on teaching regular inflectional morphology in the language classroom because of its marked influence found on vocabulary acquisition.

An Investigation of the Relationship between L1 Lexical Translation Equivalence and L2 Vocabulary Acquisition

Initial vocabulary acquisition is established through mapping second language (L2) word form to the existing first language (L1) meaning. However, although raised by some research, the effect of word translation equivalence on L2 vocabulary uptake is downplayed or disregarded. This study investigates the relationship between L1 lexical translation equivalence and L2 vocabulary acquisition in an experimental setting. A total of 156 native Arabic participants were given a vocabulary test in which they had to identify whether a word was known to them and then to supply the meaning of the word in their L1 and/or L2. The findings showed that L2 words with direct Arabic translation equivalents were significantly learned than words which do not. The study also indicated a smaller word frequency effect on learning words with non-direct L1 translation equivalents.

The Effects of Differing Densities of Glossing on Vocabulary Uptake and Reading Comprehension

This study investigated the effects of differing densities of glossing on the uptake of target words and the comprehension of idea units from a reading text. The focus was whether different densities of glossing would create trade-off effects. Thirty-three Malaysian ESL learners were assigned to three different conditions: high-density glossing, low-density glossing, and no-glossing. Three weeks after a vocabulary pretest the participants read a text under one of the conditions, and took a reading comprehension test and a vocabulary posttest. The results revealed that there were no trade-off effects between reading comprehension and uptake of the target words. However, the glossed words did appear to detract from the uptake of un-glossed vocabulary. The results also hinted at a trade-off effect between attention given to idea units containing glossed target words, and those that did not contain glosses. The findings suggested that teachers should be aware of potential side-effects of glossing.

Intentional vocabulary learning from watching DVDs with subtitles: A case study of an ‘average’ learner of French

Watching films with subtitles is a popular activity among language learners, but little research has sought to thoroughly examine its potential impact on vocabulary uptake and retention. In particular, there is a lack of longitudinal studies involving intentional rather than incidental learning. This paper seeks to address this gap by investigating the vocabulary gains of a post-beginner learner of French from watching the same film once a week for two months in the reversed subtitling condition (L1 audio and L2 subtitles). The results are encouraging in that the participant continually learned new words after each viewing, while retaining all the words learned in previous weeks. However the very poor uptake rate per hour after the first two viewings suggests that such an activity is not worthwhile beyond a few hours spent on watching the same film. The relationship between repetition and word acquisition/retention was not straightforward, and was probably overshadowed by word-based (e.g. word class) and affective (e.g. motivation) factors. Nevertheless, if learners enjoy watching subtitled films anyway, enough vocabulary acquisition accrues from one or two viewings to recommend this activity as a useful supplement to formal instruction.

Vocabulary input from school textbooks as a potential contributor to the small vocabulary uptake gained by English as a foreign language learners in Saudi Arabia

Research repeatedly reports very little vocabulary uptake by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in public schools in Saudi Arabia. Factors such as the teaching methodology employed and learner motivation have been suggested to explain this but a further explanation, the vocabulary input these learners receive, remains uninvestigated. An examination of the textbooks in the EFL program in Saudi Arabian public schools suggests they provide around 2800 words from the most frequent 5000 words and an additional 1000 less frequent words over a period of seven years. Most of these words are introduced before the secondary stage which suggests little input and much repetition in the final years of school learning. There is little thematic variation, which suggests the textbooks are dull and will demotivate learners. Surprisingly, portions of the Ministry of Education’s own target word-list are not presented at all. Poverty of input, therefore, helps explain the small volumes of vocabulary uptake. Among the words which are available for learning, three difficulty factors – word length, repetition and concreteness – might explain 63–80% of variance in vocabulary learnability although some caution is suggested since the sample of words investigated is very small.