Word Identification Strategies in Reading a Foreign Language

Abstract

The acquisition of sufficient vocabulary for maximum comprehension in a foreign language is a difficult task. No doubt, few foreign language students have escaped the frustration caused by the gap between the carefully controlled vocabulary readings in beginning language classes and the independent (extensive) readings required in a history or literature class. A major problem may be that only a limited number of new words can be learned in the classroom. Obviously, the classroom instructor cannot possibly teach directly all the words, and the student cannot efficiently memorize long lists of vocabulary. However, this neverending process of vocabulary acquisition can be greatly enhanced, and the gap between the carefully guided classroom readings and outside independent readings can be narrowed, if the student develops efficient word identification strategies. Word identificafion strategy is defined as the process which the reader uses to assign meaning to a word or group of words. Review of LiteratureAlthough foreign languge researchers who deal with reading skills are few in number, they d o encourage language instructors to provide the student with opportunities to secure meaning from unknown words independently, and they also encourage them to help the student acquire skills that will allow him to increase vocabulary independently. For example, the instructor can show the student how to infer meaning from words by looking for clues in word families,] help the student develop a tolerance for inexactness as well as a willingness

Modeling the Role of Second Language Proficiency and Topic Familiarity in Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition Through Reading

“…Nonsense words were used to ensure that no learner had prior knowledge of the TWs. This approach has been used in previous research on L2 vocabulary acquisition (e.g., Chern, 1993;Haynes, 1993;Hulstijn, 1992Hulstijn, , 1993Lee & Wolf, 1997;Pulido, 1999;Walker, 1983). The nonsense words were invented words constructed according to the orthographic and morphological rules of Spanish.…”

“…Yet a larger body of research has suggested that lexical inferencing patterns and their success do not depend upon L2 reading proficiency, as determined by grades in a course, class level, or scores obtained on the dependent measures (i.e., scores from translations of the target passages, including the unfamiliar vocabulary). Instead, these studies reported that learners of all proficiency levels occasionally avoided unfamiliar words if they were considered to be too difficult (Bensoussan & Laufer, 1984;De Bot et al, 1997;Huckin & Bloch, 1993;Paribakht & Wesche, 1999), irrelevant, or unnecessary because the gist was easily understood (De Bot et al, 1997;Hulstijn et al, 1996;Paribakht & Wesche, 1999;Walker, 1983). This invites the empirical question as to whether or not the rich do indeed get richer in incidental learning tasks, when it is assumed that for a new word to be learned the reader must allocate sufficient attention while making a connection between the new word form and its meaning (Ellis, 1995).…”

The Effect of Exposure Frequency on Intermediate Language Learners' Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention Through Reading

“…The effectiveness of reading as an important source of L2 vocabulary development has been questioned because a number of learner and text variables have been identified that aid, but more often impede, beginning L2 readers' word inferencing process. The four major factors that can have an impact on the outcome of inferencing are: (a) learners' knowledge about the linguistic properties of an unknown word (Bensoussan & Laufer, 1984;Haynes, 1993;Na & Nation, 1985), (b) context properties in which the unknown word appears (Bensoussan & Laufer, 1984;Haynes, 1993;Huckin & Bloch, 1993;Mondria & Wit-DeBoer, 1991), (c) the approach taken by the language learner to infer meaning (Chern, 1993;Lee & Wolf, 1997;Walker, 1983), and (d) cognitive processes that influence L2 readers' awareness of and attention to unfamiliar words (Coady, 1993(Coady, , 1997Ellis, 1994;Perry, 1993;Schmidt, 1995).…”

Inférence et apprentissage du vocabulaire : effet de la lexicalisation en première langue et de la tâche

“…), ainsi que les connaissances générales de toute sorte (Haastrup [1991] ; Paribakht & Wesche [1999] ; Bengeleil & Paribakht [2004] ; Paribakht [2005] ; Wesche & Paribakht [2009]). La recherche pointe aussi diverses techniques et procédures auxquelles les lecteurs recourent afin d'inférer le sens des mots inconnus comme la décomposition du mot en ses parties constituantes, la répétition à voix haute du mot inconnu, la régression pendant la lecture, l'introspection, l'analogie, la comparaison, le contrôle, l'évaluation (Walker [1983] ; Nassaji [2003], [2004] ; Théophanous & Dreyfus [2004]). La recherche révèle également un certain nombre de facteurs qui participent à la réussite de l'inférence.…”