Vocabulary Size of Malaysian Secondary School Students

Abstract

Vocabulary plays a vital role in second language acquisition and is crucial in comprehension of various texts. Without a threshold level of vocabulary proficiency, English Language Learners (ELLs) will have difficulties in processing texts. Indeed, it is well conceded that vocabulary is a good predictor of second language proficiency. While sizable studies have examined ELLs reading skills, little is known about the vocabulary size of Malaysian secondary school students. The current work is part of a larger study that examines the relationship between vocabulary size and critical reading ability. It aims to investigate ELL secondary school students’ vocabulary level and determine whether they are equipped with sufficient vocabulary proficiency for tertiary level education. Eighty-five (85) participants from a public school in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah were involved in the study. A set of receptive vocabulary test was administered during a two-period lesson. Results showed that most of the participants have not mastered vocabulary proficiency beyond the 2000-word level. The findings have pedagogical implications for the teaching of vocabulary at the secondary school level.

Effectiveness of Mnemonic Strategies to Boost Vocabulary Retention in ESL Reading Classes: A Conceptual Paper

“…The participants were somehow aware of the words or vocabulary listed but they failed to remember the spelling or the meaning of the words. Similarly, another study by Wong et al, (2019) that was conducted in a rural school located in Johor pointed out that the level of vocabulary of the pupils were very low and they faced difficulties to even comprehend the most basic vocabulary. As asserted by Chiew and Ismail (2021), inadequate vocabulary knowledge will cause reluctance among the learners to comprehend the language in use.…”

Vocabulary Size and Critical Academic Reading Ability of Secondary Students in Sabah

“…Within the context of ELL research in reading, findings on the reading processes and vocabulary threshold have consistently indicated the importance of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension (Alderson, 2000;Bernhardt, 2005;Fukkink, Jan, & Annegien, 2005;Garcia 1991;Koda 1994Koda , 2005Laufer, 1997;Nation, 2001;Zhang, 2000). In the Malaysian context, a number of studies have shown that the vocabulary knowledge of Malaysian university students was way below the university threshold level (see Harji, Balakrishnan, Bhar, & Letchumanan, 2015;Mathai, Jamaian, & Nair, 2004;Wong, Lee, Fung, & Willibrord, 2019). Mokhtar et al (2010) studied first-and second-year students from five diploma programmes in one Malaysian university.…”

“…They found that these tertiary students failed to achieve the passing level of the vocabulary tests. Wong, Lee, Fung, and Willibrord's (2019) claim that Form five students have difficulties in the vocabulary test beyond 2000-level. All these studies indicate that a majority of university students in Malaysia do not have enough vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary size to use English as their second language.…”