The Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Tertiary Students

Abstract

This study examines the vocabulary knowledge of 120 Saudi tertiary students in order to scrutinise their ability to communicate in English. A vocabulary test constructed by Nation and Beglar (2007) was utilised in the study. The findings revealed that the mean vocabulary size of Saudi EFL tertiary students was roughly 3000 words. Nevertheless, most of the participants achieved low scores in the vocabulary low frequency levels. Some participants were unable to answer any item correctly in these low and mid frequency levels. This suggests that while those students might be able to communicate at a basic level, dealing with reading simplified texts and comprehending listening materials, they may struggle with reading authentic texts, producing a high quality of writing and watching English TV programmes and films.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies in ESP Context: Knowledge and Implication

“…Considering the interpretation of data, EFL students showed a significant improvement their performance, as evident in the post-test scores. This also shows consistency with the findings in other studies (Zhao,2009;Noor & Amir, 2009;Omar, 2015;Taheri & Davoudi, 2016;Baskin et al, 2017;Altalhab, 2019). Hence, explicit training on the usage of vocabulary acquisition procedures makes it easier for students to acquire new words.…”

“…Furthermore, the most utilized strategies by the students were the 'determination strategies and the least ones were the cognitive strategies. Altalhab (2019) explored how Saudi university students' vocabulary knowledge (N= 120) affected their proficiency to communicate in English. The average vocabulary size of Saudi EFL students at the tertiary level was found around 3000 words.…”

An Investigation of the Relationship between Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Knowledge, and English Language Proficiency Level of Saudi EFL Learners

“…On the other hand, insufficient vocabulary was the main obstacle students faced in reading comprehension. This is confirmed by Altalhab (2019) and Al fatle (2017) who argue that lack of vocabulary might lead students to difficulty in understanding reading passages because vocabulary plays an important role in order to comprehend reading texts. Vocabulary is the most important part in language learning and language use (Gu, 2017).…”

“…In the same vein, Abedi (2017) found that lack of familiarity with vocabulary knowledge in test passages was an important element affecting EFL learners on a reading comprehension test. Al-Khasawneh (2019) and Altalhab (2019) found that the strength of the relationship between word knowledge and reading ability of EFL students increased as their grade level progressed.…”

“…However, learning a new language simply cannot be done without absorbing vocabulary. 'Vocabulary learning is not a goal in itself; it is done to help learners listen, speak, read or write more effectively (Altalhab, 2019). This suggests that vocabulary is an essential element in developing language skills.…”