The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge in Iranian EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension Performance: Breadth or Depth?

Farvardin, Mohammad Taghi; Koosha, Mansoor

doi:10.4304/tpls.1.11.1575-1580

Cited by 31 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…4;2016 VLT and DVK tests revealed statistically significant correlations, which conforms to the previous research (Akbarian, 2010;Qian, 1999;Qian, 2002). These two tests have been used in reference to variables such as reading (Farvardin & Koosha, 2011;Qian, 1999), grammar (Zhang, 2012) and lexical inferencing (Marzban & Hadipour, 2012). In addition to these variables, these two vocabulary measures were used in relation to the L2 vocabulary profiles in the present study, and since the breadth and depth dimensions of vocabulary knowledge have not been addressed previously in reference to their effects on vocabulary profiles, the relevant results could be counted as a contribution to the related literature.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

“…In his study, Qian (1999) showed that there is a significant and positive correlation between vocabulary size, depth of vocabulary knowledge, and reading comprehension; and that depth of vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading comprehension levels. Similarly, in their studies Farvardin and Koosha (2011) found that vocabulary breadth, depth of vocabulary knowledge, and reading comprehension were positively correlated, and vocabulary breadth was a stronger predictor of reading comprehension than depth of vocabulary knowledge. The results of their www.ccsenet.org/elt English Language Teaching Vol.…”

Section: Breadth and Depth Of Vocabulary Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

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Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Their Effects on L2 Vocabulary Profiles

Bardakçi¹

2016

ELT

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Breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge have been studied from many different perspectives, but the related literature lacks serious studies dealing with their effects on vocabulary profiles of EFL learners. In this paper, with an aim to fill this gap, the relative effects of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge on L2 vocabulary profiles were analysed. In the first stage of the study, learner essays (n=84) and native essays (n=75) were compared in terms of vocabulary profiles through the use of an online database, and each participant obtained vocabulary profile scores from four different levels. In the next stage, the learners' depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge were measured by using two different vocabulary tests, and then the scores they obtained on these tests were hierarchically regressed on their profile scores. The results suggested that both breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge had significant and robust effects on the L2 vocabulary profiles of the EFL learners; however, depth of vocabulary knowledge appeared to be a better predictor of vocabulary profiles than breadth of vocabulary knowledge.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Section: Breadth and Depth Of Vocabulary Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Their Effects on L2 Vocabulary Profiles

Bardakçi¹

2016

ELT

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“…Additionally, other research has examined the predictive power of L2 vocabulary knowledge for the four main language skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and, to a lesser extent, speaking) (e.g. Baba, 2009;Farvardin & Koosha, 2011;Laufer & Levitzky-Aviad, 2015;Meara & Jones, 1990;Meara & Milton, 2003;Milton, 2009Milton, , 2010Milton, , 2013Milton et al, 2010;Qian, 1999, 2002, Schoonen et al, 2003and, Staehr, 2008and, Staehr, , 2009). This brief summary highlights that a majority of the existing studies likely elicit vocabulary knowledge receptively, and compare such knowledge with reading, writing, and listening performance.…”

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confidence: 99%

Exploring the relationship between productive vocabulary knowledge and second language oral ability

Uchihara

Saito

2016

The Language Learning Journal

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The current study investigated the extent to which L2 learners' productive vocabulary knowledge could predict multiple dimensions of spontaneous speech production. A total of 39 EFL participants with varying L2 proficiency levels first completed a productive vocabulary knowledge task (Lex30). Their spontaneous speech, elicited via a series of picture description task, was then assessed for comprehensibility (i.e., ease of understanding), accentedness (i.e., linguistic nativelikeness), and fluency (i.e., speech rate). The findings showed that the productive vocabulary scores significantly correlated with L2 fluency, but not with comprehensibility or accentedness. Such results might indicate that more proficient L2 learners, as indicated by their productive vocabulary scores, might be able to speak spontaneously without too many pauses and repetitions, and at a faster tempo. Finally, future research directions will be discussed with a focus on the relationships between vocabulary knowledge and speaking.Key words: productive vocabulary knowledge; L2 vocabulary; L2 speaking; comprehensibility; fluency Introduction Measuring Productive Vocabulary KnowledgeVocabulary knowledge has gained recent prominence in second language (L2) education, as research seeks to examine the relationship between vocabulary size measures and general language proficiency. This has much practical appeal since scores from vocabulary size measures might act as a proxy for general language proficiency (Meara, 1996). Vocabulary size measures tend to elicit vocabulary knowledge via receptive, or passive, vocabulary knowledge tests (e.g., Vocabulary Levels Test; Nation, 1983Nation, , 1990; the Eurocentres Vocabulary Size Test; Meara & Jones, 1990). Accordingly, researchers (e.g. Milton, Wade, & Hopkins, 2010;Milton, 2010Milton, , 2013 have generally adopted a wide range of receptive vocabulary tests (e.g., standard yes/no vocabulary size tests), in order to compare test scores to overall proficiency benchmarks (e.g., CEFR levels; Milton 2010), placement tests (e.g., Harrington & Carey, 2009), and standardized proficiency examinations (e.g., IELTS;Milton et al., 2010). Additionally, other research has examined the predictive power of L2 vocabulary knowledge for the four main language skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and, to a lesser extent, speaking) (e.g. Baba, 2009;Farvardin & Koosha, 2011;Laufer & Levitzky-Aviad, 2015;Meara & Jones, 1990;Meara & Milton, 2003;Milton, 2009Milton, , 2010Milton, , 2013Milton et al., 2010;Qian, 1999, 2002, Schoonen et al., 2003and, Staehr, 2008and, Staehr, , 2009). This brief summary highlights that a majority of the existing studies likely elicit vocabulary knowledge receptively, and compare such knowledge with reading, writing, and listening performance.

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“…(Shen, 2008, p.136). Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) which consists of various word-frequency levels varying from high frequency (2000-word level) to low-frequency words (10,000-word level) (Farvardin and Koosha, 2011).This well-known test has received great attentions and supports form several researchers and is now accepted by many researchers as a suitable measure of vocabulary breadth or size (e.g., Laufer & Paribakht, 1998;Qian, 1999Qian, , 2002.…”

Section: Vocabulary Knowledge; Breadth and Depthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vocabulary Knowledge Learning and Reading Comprehension Performance: Which One Is Superior - Breadth or Depth?

Mohammadi

Afshar

2016

IJ21CE

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RESUMENLa lectura ha sido y es una tarea demandada para los aprendices de segundas lenguas. Igualmente, el aprendizaje de vocabulario juega un papel vital en el aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera y numerosos investigadores han establecido la correlación entre conocimiento del vocabulario y la comprensión lectora. Sin embargo, la investigación sobre la amplitud y la profundidad en el conocimiento del vocabulario de aprendices de inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL -English as a Foreign Language) y sus interacciones mutuas es inadecuada. De manera similar, este artículo intenta revisar las relaciones entre el conocimiento del vocabulario de alumnado EFL y su comprensión lectora, así como analizar si la amplitud y la profundidad de dicho conocimiento de vocabulario están correlacionadas. Habiendo revisado numerosos estudios al respecto, encontramos que al tiempo que la profundidad y la amplitud en el conocimiento del vocabulario tienen papeles esenciales en la comprensión lectora de los aprendices EFL, la profundidad juega un papel más esencial, si cabe. También encontramos que la profundidad y la amplitud en el conocimiento del vocabulario están correlacionadas de manera positiva, es decir, aquel alumnado que mostraba un amplio conocimiento en el número de palabras, también mostraba un conocimiento más profundo de esas palabras.Palabras clave: Actuación lectora, profundidad léxica, amplitud léxica. ABSTRACTReading has been and is a demanding task for foreign language learners. Correspondingly, vocabulary knowledge plays an extremely vital role in foreign language learning and numerous researchers have investigated the correlation between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. However, research on breadth and depth of EFL learners' vocabulary knowledge and their mutual interactions is inadequate. Accordingly, the present paper intends to review the relationships between EFL students' vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension and analyze whether breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge are correlated to each other. Having reviewed numerous studies in this regard, it was found that whereas both breadth and depth vocabulary knowledge have vital roles in EFL learners' reading comprehension performance, depth of vocabulary knowledge plays a more significant role. It was also found that depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge are positively correlated, that is, those learners who had large vocabulary size will have a deeper knowledge of the words, too.

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The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge in Iranian EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension Performance: Breadth or Depth?

Cited by 31 publications

References 22 publications

Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Their Effects on L2 Vocabulary Profiles

Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge and Their Effects on L2 Vocabulary Profiles

Exploring the relationship between productive vocabulary knowledge and second language oral ability

Vocabulary Knowledge Learning and Reading Comprehension Performance: Which One Is Superior - Breadth or Depth?

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