There is current research consensus that second language (L2) learners are able to adequately comprehend general English written texts if they know 98% of the words that occur in the materials. This ...important finding prompts an important question: How much English vocabulary do English as a second language (ESL) learners need to know to achieve this crucial level of known-word coverage? A landmark paper by Nation (2006) provides a rather daunting answer. His exploration of the 98% figure through a variety of spoken and written corpora showed that knowledge of around 8,000–9,000 word families is needed for reading and 6,000–7,000 for listening. But is this the definitive picture? A recent study by van Zeeland & Schmitt (2012) suggests that 95% coverage may be sufficient for listening comprehension, and that this can be reached with 2,000–3,000 word families, which is much more manageable. Getting these figures right for a variety of text modalities, genres and conditions of reading and listening is essential. Teachers and learners need to be able to set goals, and as Cobb's study of learning opportunities (2007) has shown, coverage percentages and their associated vocabulary knowledge requirements have important implications for the acquisition of new word knowledge through exposure to comprehensible L2 input. This article proposes approximate replications of Nation (2006), van Zeeland & Schmitt (2012), and Cobb (2007), in order to clarify these key coverage and size figures.
Many language courses now offer access to simplified materials graded at various levels of proficiency so that learners can read at length in their new language. An assumed benefit is the development ...of large and rapidly accessed second language (L2) lexicons. Studies of such extensive reading (ER) programs indicate general language gains, but few examine vocabulary growth; none identify the words available for learning in an entire ER program or measure the extent to which participants learn them. This article describes a way of tackling this measurement challenge using electronic scanning, lexical frequency profiling, and individualized checklist testing. The method was pilot tested in an ER program where 21 ESL learners freely chose books that interested them. The innovative methodology proved to be feasible to implement and effective in assessing word knowledge gains. Growth rates were higher than those found in earlier studies. Research applications of the flexible corpus-based approach are discussed.
Abstract Once seen as a neglected area, second language vocabulary research has come into its own in recent years. But classroom implementations have been slow to follow. One potentially very useful ...research finding is the impressive coverage power of a relatively small number of words: analyses of large corpora of language show that with knowledge of the 2,000 most frequent word families of a language, learners will be familiar with around 80% of the words they encounter. This position paper argues for refocusing language pedagogy to improve learners’ opportunities to acquire knowledge of these important words. The rationale is based on empirical studies showing how knowledge of vocabulary generally and 2,000 high frequency families in particular impact proficiency. Research also shows that “normal” classroom input does not support the acquisition of the words learners most need to know. Résumé Autrefois vue comme négligée, la recherche sur les connaissances en vocabulaire en langue seconde s’est imposée depuis quelques années. La mise en oeuvre dans les classes n’a suivi que lentement. Un résultat des recherches avec du potentiel est la couverture impressionnante que donne un nombre de mots relativement restreint. Des analyses de grands corpus démontrent qu’avec la connaissance des 2 000 familles de mots les plus fréquentes d’une langue, les apprenants seront familiers avec environ 80% des mots qu’ils rencontreront. Cet exposé de position plaide en faveur de recentrer la pédagogie des langues afin d’améliorer les possibilités pour les apprenants d’acquérir la connaissance de ces mots importants. La justification est fondée sur des études empiriques qui démontrent que les connaissances en vocabulaire en général et des 2 000 familles les plus fréquentes en particulier donnent l’avantage dans la maîtrise d’une langue. Les recherches démontrent aussi que l’apport des activités ordinaires dans les classes n’est pas suffisant pour acquérir les mots dont les apprenants ont besoin.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The purpose of this study was to determine whether it is possible to distinguish between "difficult" and "easy" constructions for second language (L2) learners by examining characteristics of the ...structures as they occur in aural input. In a multidimensional analysis of 3 English structures with different acquisition profiles—the simple past, possessive determiners his/her, and the progressive aspect—we examined the phonological, morphosyntactic, and lexicosemantic characteristics of the forms as they occurred in a 110,000-word corpus of instructional talk to L2 learners. We analyzed the type/ token distributions of the forms, their lexical properties, and their perceptual salience. Our findings revealed key input factors that distinguished between the early-acquired progressive, on the one hand, and the later-acquired past and his/her determiners, on the other hand. These results lend support to theoretical accounts of the input-acquisition relationship and also generate hypotheses for manipulating instructional input to increase the salience of opaque constructions.
University students used a set of existing and purpose-built on-line tools for vocabulary learning in an experimental ESL course. The resources included concordance, dictionary, cloze-builder, ...hypertext, and a database with interactive self-quizzing feature (all freely available at www.lextutor.ca). The vocabulary targeted for learning consisted of (a) Coxhead's (2000) "Academic Word List," a list of items that occur frequently in university textbooks, and (b) unfamiliar words students had met in academic texts and selected for entry into the class database. The suite of tools were designed to foster retention by engaging learners in deep processing, an aspect that is often described as missing in computer exercises for vocabulary learning. Database entries were examined to determine whether context sentences supported word meanings adequately and whether entered words reflected the unavailability of cognates in the various first languages of the participants. Pre- and post-treatment performance on tests of knowledge of words targeted for learning in the course were compared to establish learning gains. Regression analyses investigated connections between use of specific computer tools and gains. (Contains 10 figures, 6 tables and 3 notes.)
Bringing Home the Word Cobb, Tom; Horst, Marlise
Canadian modern language review,
11/2019, Letnik:
75, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The vocabulary research of the 1980s and 1990s brought a breath of fresh air into the language classroom. Teachers in many remote EFL locations had long suspected that vocabulary was their learners' ...main challenge, but there was little research evidence to confirm this or say what to do about it. Then, suddenly, work by Nation, Laufer, Meara, Schmitt, and others suggested a range of highly promising and usable ideas: the sequencing and testing of vocabulary by frequency; the distinction of basic vocabulary from advanced, academic, and technical; the interaction of vocabulary and grammar knowledge -- these were all frankly revelatory. After a decade of applying and, we hope, contributing to these developments in developing countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Hong Kong), we returned to Canada wondering what, if any, of this work would be usable here, what would have to be modified, and what could be added to it. Would ideas that made eminent sense in a development context make any sense in a developed country? Our paper describes the vocabulary scene we found in Canada on our return, what we attempted to add to it, and suggestions for next steps.
Bringing Home the Word Cobb, Tom; Horst, Marlise
Canadian modern language review,
11/2019, Letnik:
75, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Les recherches menées au cours des années 1980 et 1990 sur le vocabulaire ont apporté un bol d’air frais à l’enseignement linguistique. Dans beaucoup de pays éloignés, les enseignants de l’anglais ...langue seconde ou étrangère soupçonnaient depuis longtemps que le plus grand défi pour leurs étudiants était le vocabulaire, mais les études existantes offraient peu de preuves de ce constat et peu de solutions. Puis, brusquement, Nation, Laufer, Meara, Schmitt et d’autres ont avancé un éventail d’idées très prometteuses et des applications concrètes : le séquencement et l’évaluation du vocabulaire selon la fréquence d’utilisation ; la différenciation entre le vocabulaire de base et le vocabulaire avancé, universitaire et technique ; l’interaction de la connaissance du vocabulaire et de la connaissance de la grammaire — autant d’idées qui ouvraient véritablement de nouvelles perspectives. Après avoir consacré une décennie à mettre ces idées en pratique et, faut-il espérer, à contribuer aux progrès ainsi rendus possibles dans des pays en développement (Arabie Saoudite, Oman, Hong Kong), les auteurs reviennent au Canada en se demandant quels aspects de ce travail y seraient applicables, le cas échéant, moyennant quels types de modifications, et ce qui pourrait y être greffé. Des idées d’une pertinence évidente dans un pays en développement, seraient-elles aussi pertinentes pour un pays développé ? Les auteurs brossent le tableau du vocabulaire tel qu’ils l’ont trouvé au Canada à leur retour, décrivent ce qu’ils essaient d’y apporter et formulent des propositions pour les prochaines étapes.
Researchers have developed several tests of receptive vocabulary knowledge suitable for use with learners of English, but options are few for learners of French. This situation motivated the authors ...to create a new vocabulary size measure for French, the "Test de la taille du vocabulaire" (TTV). The measure is closely modelled on Nation's (1983) Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) and follows the guidelines written by Schmitt, Schmitt, and Clapham (2001). Initially, a pilot version was trialled with 63 participants; then an improved version was administered to 175 participants at four proficiency levels. Results attest to the TTV's validity: mean scores across the four frequency sections decreased as the tested words became less frequent, and more proficient learner groups outperformed less proficient groups. The TTV in its current form is intended to be of practical use to teachers and learners, but it is also expected to evolve; ideas for future improvements are discussed.
Opportunities for incidental vocabulary acquisition were explored in a 121,000-word corpus of teacher talk addressed to advanced adult learners of English as a second language (ESL) in a ...communicatively-oriented conversation class. In contrast to previous studies that relied on short excerpts, the corpus contained all of the teacher speech the learners were exposed to during a 9-week session. Lexical frequency profiling indicated that with knowledge of 4,000 frequent words, learners would be able to understand 98% of the tokens in the input. The speech contained hundreds of words likely to have been unfamiliar to the learners, but far fewer were recycled the numbers of times research shows are needed for lasting retention. The study concludes that attending to teacher speech is an inefficient method for acquiring knowledge of the many frequent words learners need to know, especially since many words used frequently in writing are unlikely to be encountered at all.
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