Transcript Vocabulary acquisition from extensive reading: A case study

Vocabulary acquisition from
extensive reading: A case study
Maria Pigada and
Norbert Schmitt ( 2006)
1
A number of studies have shown:
 L2 learners acquire a small amount of vocabulary through
reading, by measuring only the acquisition of meaning and
not learning of words.
How
This case study explores:
extensive
reading
can
enhance
lexical
knowledge
2
Extensive reading
enhances knowledge of the
target words’ spelling,
meaning and grammatical
characteristics
vocabulary
acquisition
varies
according to
how often
words are
encountered
in the text
Results: you will know them later…

Introduction:
The process of incidental vocabulary acquisition is not yet
understood .
According to findings
Learners can
acquire
vocabulary
through
reading
3
Incidental
vocabulary
acquisition is a timeconsuming and
unpredictable
process
So:
4
this study came to….

Investigate the relationship between incidental vocabulary
acquisition and extensive reading with a particular focus on
the number of times a word occurs in the text.

Examine the effects of text frequency on the acquisition of
word meaning, spelling, and grammatical behavior
Benefits and limitation of extensive
reading for vocabulary learning:

Benefits:
1) Pedagogically
2) Two
activities:
efficient
Vocabulary
Acquisition +
3)
Pleasant
and
motivating
reading
4)
Increases
Sight
vocabulary
5
5) Theoretically
result in
substantial
vocabulary
learning
6) Opportunity
to meet words
in their context
of use.
Limitations!!!!!!!
2) Reading for
meaning doesn’t
lead to the
acquisition of
vocabulary
1) A little
evidence of
the substantial
incidental L2
learning
4)Richness of
information
can result
while ignoring
the target
words
6
5) Is
3) A distinction
between
guessing
meaning from
context and
retaining that
meaning
vocabulary
learning from
reading really
incidental
Studies on vocabulary growth…
Horst (2005):


Verified : exposure to reading texts can contribute to L2+L1 vocabulary
growth. (but in a small amount).

Saragi et al (1978) found: “ repetition affects learning but it is related to
some other factors”.
Limitations: 1) measuring instruments not sensitive.
2) the test was taken right after the reading.
3) the text might not have been interesting or motivating.
4) they did not adequately control text difficulty.

7
Incidental vocabulary acquisition research:

Extensive reading research:

Investigated : contribution of graded readers to vocabulary
learning by examining word frequency.

8
Finding: 1) Graded readers can be an important source of
vocabulary learning for second language learners if
used appropriately.”
2) gains in vocabulary using either direct or indirect
measures of vocabulary.
3) each learner seems to encounter some sets of words that
just will not be remembered.
Rational for the research design:





9
This study will involve a one- month period of extensive
reading in a language other than English.
It will cover a high number of target words (133).
It will include measurement procedures that are sensitive to
knowledge of words.
It focuses on three word knowledge : form ( spelling),
meaning ( form- meaning relationship) and use ( grammatical
functions).
It will employ multiple tests of word knowledge to determine
the vocabulary benefits which a learner of French derives from
a period of extensive reading.
The focused questions:
1)
Does extensive reading lead to increased word
knowledge, in terms of spelling, meaning and
grammatical behavior of words?
2)
Are these three aspects equally affected to
extensive reading?
3) Are words that occur more frequently in the texts
more affected in these three aspects of word
knowledge?
10
Methodology:



* Simplified materials were preferred instead of
authentic ones. Graded readers were used, Level 1 is the
first out of 4 Levels and the level of the readers was
selected considering the participant’s level in French.
*Participant:
“G” was a 27 year old learner of French. His mother
tongue is Greek, He speaks fluent English as a second lg.
11
*Words:
12

The target words consisted of 70 nouns and 63 verbs
(133 words in total). Both word groups were tested on
meaning, spelling and grammatical behavior .

For nouns, the grammatical behavior was defined as the
articles that are used with specific nouns. For verbs ,
grammatical behavior involved the prepositions that
follow the verb.

The target words organized into 6 sub groups according to
the number of encounters that the participant had with
each word.
Tests:

2 tests were taken in 2 different days.

*The spellings test: the words were read loudly by the
researcher and he had to write them down.

*The meaning and grammar tests:
were conducted simultaneously, first he was given a list of
all verbs and he was asked to report on any kind of
knowledge he had about “meaning” and at the same time
he was asked to report any of the prepositions that could
follow specific words.


13
Marking: 2 points for full correct answer- 0 for incorrect
one.
Results:



14
The results show that substantial learning of the target
words occurred during the extensive reading treatment,
although this was not uniform across the 3 types of word
knowledge.
For spelling there was relatively strong enhancement, with
improvement in all noun frequency groups.
For meaning, there was also improvement similarly, there
was improvement in all frequency groups in the
grammatical mastery of nouns.
Results:




15
They looked at the 133 target words individually and found
that:
(49.6%) were enhanced in one type of word knowledge
(9.8%) in 2 types
(6.9%) in all 3 types of words knowledge. This indicates
that there is more lexical learning occurring during
reading.
Discussion
16

Previous studies into incidental vocabulary acquisition from
reading have shown relatively small amounts of learning (one
word in twelve ) or ( one in five).
While:

This study found that about two thirds of the target words tested
were enhanced in at least one third word knowledge aspects.

It is important to say that the target words were not necessarily
fully mastered . But , if we say that vocabulary acquisition is
incremental and any movement towards mastery is beneficial ,
then we can answer the first research question that extensive
reading can lead to the enhancement of knowledge about the spelling
, meaning and grammatical behavior of words in the text .
The second research question asked: •
•whether
the three word knowledge aspects were equally
affected by extensive reading .
• Results:
* Extensive reading can be very beneficial for spelling
competence of learners . The researchers say that this
happened as a result of presenting the words to the
participant in a decotextualized manner . Therefore G
showed an enhancement in spelling , knowledge of
prepositions accompany particular nouns .
17
The third research question which
asked about:

The relation between frequency and the enhancement of
spelling meaning and grammatical behavior .
We’ve mentioned before that meaning was less affected by
frequency than spelling .For example single encounters
produced hardly any learning of meaning , while in the case of
grammar there was steady increase of learning along the
frequency scale .
* Two explanations for why higher frequency words did
not have greater chances of being learned :


18
1) G had partial knowledge of some of these words and as a
result there was less room for improvement .
2) Some of the low frequency words were easier for G for a
number of reasons such as morphology ,context in which the
word was encountered.



19
In a closer look the researchers mentioned that in the post test
interview G did not use a dictionary , he also did not report
about a specific strategy in order to learn them , this proves the
idea that guessing a word meaning does not lead to word
retention .
Pigada and Schmitt showed that one of the limitations of their
study was that G is considered to be highly motivated learner
SO, what about less capable readers ?
They also add that this study can be compared with other
studies which focus on spelling . However its results cannot be
directly comparable to most previous studies which focused on
meaning.
To conclude:
 Incidental vocabulary acquisition occurs through
extensive reading and it should be followed up with
intentional learning as many researchers
recommend.

20
This study seems to show that a capable learner can
substantially increase his or her vocabulary
knowledge through extensive reading.
Reflection:
21

As teachers we always try to implement the extensive reading
program with our students to enhance something from it’s
benefits.

Such benefits can be checked in a regular lesson by exposing
the learners to a new text or when they are asked to express
something in written presentations.

This study suggests that students do not necessarily acquire
all the aspects of the new vocabulary in other words we can
find that the words they know are not fully mastered by our
students .

We also recommend to start the extensive reading program in
early ages. Even if we as teachers face many difficulties in this
specific program it is still very beneficial for student who learn
English as a foreign language , this article comes to reinforce
the importance of the goals of extensive reading program.

In somehow , the extensive reading program could be
considered as a useful tool for acquiring knowledge,
especially with professional learners. So It’s not a bad idea
to apply it in the field.
Thank you…….
22