The effects of word exposure frequency on incidental learning of the depth of vocabulary knowledge
This study examined the rate at which depth of vocabulary knowledge was learned and retained from reading a 300-headword graded reader, The Star Zoo. A total of 30 tertiarylevel students who learn English as a foreign language (EFL) in China volunteered to take part in a reading program. Incident...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2016
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10161/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10161/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/10161/1/11596-43158-1-PB.pdf |
| Summary: | This study examined the rate at which depth of vocabulary knowledge was learned and
retained from reading a 300-headword graded reader, The Star Zoo. A total of 30 tertiarylevel
students who learn English as a foreign language (EFL) in China volunteered to take
part in a reading program. Incidental learning and retention of the depth of vocabulary
knowledge was measured, complementing previous research along this line. The depth of
vocabulary knowledge was examined by using 36 test items within six bands of frequency
(more than 20 times to only once). The target words were substituted with pseudo-words.
Two tests were employed to measure receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. This
study was completed in three sessions: Students read the book for the first time and finished
tests; students read the book for the second time seven days later, and finished tests; finally,
retention tests were completed three months later. The findings showed that incidental
vocabulary learning through reading was very limited, and this learning was largely based on
a high frequency of word occurrence, that is, the higher the frequency level was, the better
the learners’ word-learning was. The number of times that Chinese EFL learners needed to
encounter a word to recognize vocabulary knowledge was 14 times, and at least 18 times
were needed for productive vocabulary knowledge. This study shows that attention to
building knowledge of known words instead of solely introducing new words should be paid,
and that both word exposure frequency and elaborate word processing are important as part
of successful vocabulary development. |
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