How many high frequency words of English do Japanese university freshmen (original) (raw)
Depth of vocabulary knowledge refers to how well words are known. Developing vocabulary depth typically involves the accumulation of knowledge through encountering and using words in a variety of different contexts in order to learn the forms, meanings, and uses of words. Knowledge of a word's spelling, pronunciation, derivations and infl ections, meaning senses, semantic associations, collocations, and grammatical functions, and when it may be appropriate or inappropriate to use it are all required to fully know words (Nation, 2001). Vocabulary depth is indicated by the extent to which these aspects of vocabulary knowledge are present, and this in turn signals the extent to which words may or may not be used successfully. The term " depth of knowledge " was introduced as one dimension of vocabulary knowledge by Anderson and Freebody (1981) in contrast to a second dimension, breadth of knowledge. Breadth refers to how many words are known and is typically indicated by scores on tests of vocabulary size, such as the Eurocentres Vocabulary Size Test (Meara & Jones, 1990) and the Vocabulary Size Test (Nation & Beglar, 2007). Breadth is usually determined by the degree to which learners are able to link form to meaning. Being able to link form to meaning is an important step in vocabulary development because it increases the likelihood that words may be understood and used. However, it does not ensure that these words will be understood and used correctly and this is why there is also a need for learners to develop vocabulary depth. Several studies have found positive correlations between depth and breadth of knowledge (Nurweni & Read, 1999; Qian, 1999; Vermeer, 2001). However, in each of these studies there was partial overlap between the constructs measured by the tests making further research warranted. It is important for teachers to consider depth when planning the vocabulary learning component of a course because accumulating the knowledge necessary to understand and use words fl uently may often be a long process. Awareness of how different types of learning may affect vocabulary knowledge can help teachers to design and sequence activities to promote depth. Teachers may also look at depth of knowledge when diagnosing language weaknesses. Measuring depth of knowledge can show us what learners know and do not know about words. For example, unusual word combinations in speech and writing often signal limitations in knowledge of collocation, while an inability to produce different derived forms of a word may indicate a lack of knowledge of word parts. Awareness of vocabulary depth can also help teachers to see how tasks and activities contribute to learning and the need for different types of tasks to be used together to develop richer knowledge of words. It is also essential for researchers to take vocabulary depth into consideration when measuring learning. Measuring learning with a single test of form and meaning may only measure a fraction of what may be known about a word.
High Frequency Words: the Bête Noire ofLexicographers and Learners AUke
dial.academielouvain.be
The highly polysemous and phraseological nature of high frequency words makes them a major stumbling block for both lexicographers and learners. This article seeks to investigate the lexicographic treatment of high frequency words through a detailed study of the verb make in five recent editions of monolingual learners' dictionaries (CALD 2003, COBUILD 2003, LDOCE 2003, MEDAL 2002 and OALD 2000. After a first section devoted to the nature of high frequency words and the difficulties they pose, sections 2 and 3 respectively focus on the semantic and phraseological treatment of the verb make in the five dictionaries. The article is rounded off by a series of suggestions for improvement and a plea for increased learner training in dictionary use.
Vocabulary for listening: Emerging evidence for high and mid-frequency vocabulary knowledge
System
This article presents empirical evidence aimed at informing approaches to vocabulary development for the purpose of supporting L2 listening comprehension. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the relationship between second language (L2) aural vocabulary knowledge (AVK), L2 listening comprehension and the overall L2 proficiency among 247 tertiary level L2 learners of English. Three frequency based levels of AVK were measured. Measures of level 1 (0e2000 frequency range) and level 2 words (2001e3000 frequency range) tapped AVK of high frequency words, and level 3 words (3001e5000 frequency range) tapped AVK of words just beyond the high frequency range. Listening comprehension was measured with a version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Regression modeling showed that AVK at each of the three levels contributed uniquely to the prediction of L2 listening for the entire cohort. Only measures of level 2 and 3 AVK were uniquely predictive of L2 listening for a relatively high proficiency subgroup, whereas only level 1 AVK offered a unique contribution to the prediction of L2 listening scores for a relatively low proficiency subgroup. Results are interpreted in order to provide a range of pedagogical recommendations.
Online study of frequency list vocabulary with the WordChamp website
The intentional study of vocabulary is an effective way for learners to increase their vocabulary in the target language. Word frequency lists help learners determine the most useful words to study. In order to systematically study vocabulary, learners may first take a test to determine their vocabulary knowledge, then drill the appropriate words. However, to date, classroom teachers and researchers have focused on traditional methods of intentional study, i.e., non-computer. The worldwide web offers numerous ways to help students study systematically by providing various vocabulary level tests, word frequency lists, and opportunities for language learners to study frequency word vocabulary intentionally. A preliminary study checked the effectiveness and viability of WordChamp study in Japanese university English Communication courses, then a follow-up study compared the usefulness of WordChamp drilling with paper study of frequency word vocabulary. Finally, the way each method was viewed by learners, evidenced by an attitudinal survey, was noted.
The present study reports on assessment of high-frequency and academic English vocabulary prior to university and at the end of each of the first two semesters of study at the University of Niigata Prefecture (UNP) (n = 292). Using a test of the New General Service List (NGSL) to assess comprehension of high-frequency words, about two-thirds of the cohort began university with mastery of test levels 1 and 2 (the most frequent 1,120 modified lemmas) while less than one-third began with mastery of levels 3 through 5 (the next most frequency 1,680 modified lemmas); knowledge of words on the NGSL increased during the year, but problematic deficiencies persisted at all test levels. Using a test of the New Academic Word List (NAWL) to measure knowledge of academic terms, very few students entered university with satisfactory understanding of the words on this list, and there were only small gains during the study period. Considering the importance of high-frequency and common academic vocabulary, the results suggest that many UNP first-year students would benefit from intentional study of unknown words on the NGSL, and almost all would benefit from intentional study of unknown words on the NAWL.
Vocabulary Size among Different Levels of University Students
Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2020
This study aimed to analyze the vocabulary size and mastery level of English department students. The present study employed a descriptive-quantitative research design. The subjects of the study were the first, third, and fifth semester students majoring in English language education at Institut Agama Islam Negeri Ponorogo. Three-hundred and nineteen students participating in this study were given the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) to measure their English vocabulary size. The findings of the present study reveal that the students only knew about 1,366-word families. The result was still below the threshold, as suggested by the scholars. The findings also show that the participants had a very low mastery level. They did not even master the 2,000 or 3,000 high-frequency word level. It can be concluded that the participants had low vocabulary proficiency. The results of the study suggest that the future research is needed to focus on investigating vocabulary learning and instructional strategies that are effective in developing the students' high-frequency words and academic words.
Does size matter? The relationship between vocabulary breadth and depth
Sophia International Review, 2011
This paper reports on an initial validation of a new productive vocabulary test that measures depth of vocabulary using multiple contextualized examples of sentences. The participants in the study were two intact writing classes, one higher ability, the other lower ability, of L1 (n = 3) and advanced L2-EFL learners (n = 27) in first-and second-year university, comprised of 11 males and 19 females, all with previous experience living and studying in English-speaking, or other foreign-language-speaking environments. The Vocabulary Size Test (Nation & Beglar, 2007) and a new measure of vocabulary depth, the 1K-VDT, described herein, were used to measure vocabulary. Findings revealed that the higher ability group scored significantly higher than the lower ability group on both vocabulary measures. A large correlation between scores from both tests for all learners was also found. Future research is still needed; however, there was evidence that the 1K-VDT may require a threshold of vocabulary size. Implications for EFL learners and teachers are discussed. The role and importance of vocabulary in an L2 setting has been shown to be an important factor related to comprehension (Laufer, 1997). In receptive tasks, Qian (1999) reported that breadth, depth, and reading comprehension were highly correlated; and Staehr (2009) found a positive linear relationship between breadth and listening comprehension. In production tasks, direct correlations were seen between breadth and output for writers (Laufer & Nation, 1995) and speakers (Ovtcharov, Cobb, & Halter, 2006). In settings where entire programs or faculties are offered in an L2, such as the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University, the importance of a learner's vocabulary knowledge cannot be underestimated. In such settings, Laufer and Yano (2001) highlighted the burden that L2-speakers face-having a smaller vocabulary than L1-peers, and or, a smaller vocabulary than required to read authentic text. In view of the importance of vocabulary, Hunt and Beglar (2005) presented a framework for developing vocabulary in EFL settings which included tasks that developed both vocabulary breadth and depth. Vocabulary breadth refers to the quantity of vocabulary items known by an individual. Knowing an item means more than its knowing its meaning (concepts, referents, associations), but also its form (spelling, pronunciation, word parts) and use (functions, collocations, constraints)
An Investigation into the Use of Frequency Vocabulary Lists in University Intensive English Programs
The use of vocabulary frequency lists in English language teaching and learning has been an area of continued research for roughly the past 170 years. There has been an increased focus on these lists in the last 25 years with a number of new and revised lists being developed, with three in 2013 alone. However, there has been comparatively little focus on how these lists are utilized. In order to cast light on this area, this exploratory study focuses on the extent of the use of these lists in university intensive English programs and shows that there is a substantial belief in the use of these lists, despite a number of limitations, and that they were used by a majority of the programs surveyed. Coxhead‟s Academic Word List was the most used list by far, but a range of lists was used depending upon the individual programs. Summaries of four individual programs and areas for future research are discussed.