Quantity and quality of vocabulary knowledge in Greek-speaking university students

Abstract

This study investigates possible interrelations between quantity and quality of vocabulary knowledge in Greek-speaking university students. Research so far has shown that the difference in the quantity of vocabulary knowledge in adults is evident in low frequent words; while the quality of vocabulary knowledge depends on career orientation and educational level. Nevertheless, it has not been tested, so far, whether there are differences in highly-educated students coming from the same field of education; and if so, which are the parameters that affect their vocabulary knowledge. To this end, the present study tested seventy undergraduate university students of the Department of Greek Philology (aged 20-24 years; M: 21.5 years; S.D.: 0.8; females = 54) that were grouped based on their vocabulary knowledge (size and depth) into two groups (low & high). All participants completed an online test, which was consisted of four parts (correct stressing, synonyms, choosing the most accurate formal definition, producing formal definitions). The results revealed that students with higher vocabulary knowledge scored better in the tasks of stressing and synonyms, while no differences were attested either in the choose of formal definitions or the production of formal definitions. Nevertheless, correlations performed for each group separately exhibited that the production of definitions correlates with stressing and synonyms knowledge, though only in the group with higher vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that this link between different aspects of vocabulary is evident in individuals with higher vocabulary knowledge and that educational level per se is not a reliable indicator.