What Does ‘Knowing a Word’ Mean to Korean EFL Learners? : The Effect of Their Perception of ‘Knowing a Word’ on Vocabulary Knowledge

( Hyunjeong Nam ) 글로벌영어교육학회 2023 Studies in English education Vol.28 No.2

Beyond L2 learners’ vocabulary knowledge based on the dichotomous notions (e.g., size vs. depth and receptive vs. productive knowledge) in previous research, the study explored Korean EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge in multilayered components of vocabulary knowledge (form, meaning, use, sentence-level production). In addition, the study investigated learners’ perception of what entails ‘knowing a word’ and relations between learners’ perception and their vocabulary knowledge. It also explored the gap between learners’ perceived and actual vocabulary knowledge. A total of 84 EFL learners at an intermediate level participated in the tests comprising 7 components of the vocabulary knowledge for 30 target words. Based on the results from ANOVA, Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test, and Pearson correlation coefficient, the study confirmed the gap between learners’ perceived and actual vocabulary knowledge and the relations between their perception of ‘knowing a word’ and vocabulary knowledge. Learners’ perception of ‘knowing a word’ that is limited to word ‘form’ and ‘meaning’ may lead to their vocabulary learning based on L1-L2 translation equivalents and consequently, it may render the vocabulary knowledge ineffective for its ‘use’ and ‘production’.

A Study on Different Dimensions of Vocabulary Knowledge Influencing English Writing Performance

( Choi Jong-gab ) 대한영어영문학회 2022 영어영문학연구 Vol.48 No.4

Vocabulary knowledge is a critical component of L2 development. When L2 learners express their thoughts in writing, they employ various aspects of vocabulary knowledge. This study examines the relationship between different dimensions of vocabulary knowledge (the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge, and receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge) and the quality of L2 written performance. For this purpose, 56 university students were recruited and asked to complete four vocabulary tests (Vocabulary Levels Test, Productive Vocabulary Levels Test, Word Associates Test, and Vocabulary Knowledge Scale) and one argumentative essay. Correlations and multiple regressions were used to analyse the collected data. The results indicated that the depth of vocabulary knowledge was significantly correlated with fluency in L2 writing, whereas the breadth of vocabulary knowledge was not. In addition, concerning lexical complexity in L2 writing, the breadth of vocabulary knowledge had a positive relationship with lexical density and sophistication, whereas the depth of vocabulary knowledge was correlated with lexical variation. Furthermore, the productive depth of vocabulary knowledge indicated a greater impact on fluency than did the receptive depth of vocabulary knowledge. Based on the study’s findings, strong implications for instructing English writing are discussed, and suggestions for future research are proposed.

The Relative Contribution of Vocabulary Knowledge and Syntactic Knowledge to L2 Reading Comprehension

Ha-sun Park 한국응용언어학회 2022 응용 언어학 Vol.38 No.3

The purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) the relationship between L2 vocabulary/ L2 syntactic knowledge and L2 reading comprehension and 2) the relative role of vocabulary and syntactic knowledge in L2 reading comprehension. L2 reading comprehension was examined as literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension as well as general reading comprehension. For this study, 47 Korean software high school EFL learners were administered a vocabulary knowledge test, a syntactic knowledge test, and a reading comprehension test. Results revealed that vocabulary as well as syntactic knowledge significantly correlated to general reading comprehension; however, vocabulary knowledge was correlated to literal and inferential comprehension, and syntactic knowledge to inferential and evaluative comprehension. For vocabulary knowledge, all of the frequency bands except 2K and 4K word families of the Vocabulary Size Test (VST) (Nation & Beglar, 2007) significantly correlated to general reading comprehension and inferential comprehension; however, low-frequency vocabulary showed the connection with literal comprehension, and high-frequency vocabulary with evaluative comprehension. Additionally, only syntactic knowledge played a crucial role in general reading comprehension and inferential comprehension, after controlling for other variables. Vocabulary knowledge was not found to be a significant predictor of reading comprehension. The findings imply the need for teaching syntactic knowledge as well as a broad range of vocabulary, in a Korean EFL reading comprehension class.

University Freshmen’s EFL Receptive and Productive Recall Vocabulary Knowledge and Use

Don Makarchuk 한국영어교육학회 2013 ENGLISH TEACHING(영어교육) Vol.68 No.4

This article reports on a study that compared EFL freshman university students’receptive and productive recall vocabulary knowledge and their ability to use that knowledge, as it remains unclear in the literature to what extent knowledge of vocabulary, especially productive knowledge, is indicative of learners’ ability to use vocabulary to communicate. The study first measured the vocabulary size of 169students from 24 majors. Next, deeper meaning word knowledge and vocabulary userelated knowledge were assessed by administering depth tests to 51 of the students who completed the size tests. The study found that the participants were able to use only 60.3% of the words that were known receptively and productively on the size tests, and that receptive deeper meaning vocabulary knowledge was 43.0% greater than productive knowledge. Finally, the study results support the concept of a vocabulary knowledge continuum, but highlight the importance of including both receptive and productive knowledge, as they were found to develop in a dissimilar manner.

Vocabulary Achievement by 6th Graders under the 2008 Revised National Curriculum

이효정 21세기영어영문학회 2012 영어영문학21 Vol.25 No.2

The present study investigated how well elementary 6th graders in Korea have learned their curriculum-based English words. In addition, the study tried to ascertain how far the participants had learned depending on the amount of instruction by recruiting the participants from different school systems. With Wesche and Paribakht’s (1996) vocabulary knowledge scale, a total of 36 words from 6th grade English textbooks were tested. The results revealed that first, all participants had slightly higher productive vocabulary knowledge than receptive vocabulary knowledge. Second, while the private school groups had more productive vocabulary knowledge than receptive vocabulary knowledge, the public school groups had more receptive vocabulary knowledge than productive vocabulary knowledge. Third, some words were similarly less-acquired, regardless of the amount of instruction. Fourth, the two groups showed similar errors at both receptive and productive levels. In conclusion, both groups' vocabulary achievement was statistically different, presented by vocabulary development levels; however, they revealed qualitatively similar erroneous features when they use the target words. These findings may have implications for English vocabulary learning and teaching, along with word-selection of English textbooks.

The Relationship Between Young EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge and Listening Comprehension

Dayoung Joo(Dayoung Joo),Junkyu Lee(Junkyu Lee) 한국초등영어교육학회 2022 초등영어교육 Vol.28 No.3

This study investigates the degree to which an elementary school EFL learner’s level of second language (L2) vocabulary correlates to their L2 listening ability. The study aims to further identify whether or to what extent various measures of vocabulary knowledge predict the variance in L2 listening comprehension. In particular, the study focuses on the relatively unexplored area of phonological knowledge of vocabulary. Three phonological measures which tap into both vocabulary breadth and depth knowledge were adopted in this study: the receptive phonological vocabulary breadth knowledge (RVB), productive phonological vocabulary breadth knowledge (PVB), and phonological vocabulary depth knowledge (VD) measures. Twenty elementary school EFL learners participated in the study and were required to complete an L2 listening comprehension test, followed by three vocabulary knowledge tests. Correlation analysis revealed that RVB most strongly correlated with L2 listening comprehension score (r = .77). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the best fitting model which consists of RVB and VD could predict about 75% of the variance in L2 listening comprehension. The findings indicate that phonological vocabulary knowledge is a significant predictor of L2 listening ability of young EFL learners.

코퍼스를 활용한 영어 어휘 학습의 효과 연구

박소연,윤현숙 한국중앙영어영문학회 2009 영어영문학연구 Vol.51 No.3

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of corpus-based approaches to vocabulary learning in high school. The study conducted a four-week long experiment where an experimental group was taught by corpus-based vocabulary learning techniques and a control group was taught by definition-based vocabulary learning techniques. After the experiment, the participants took vocabulary knowledge tests, which intended to measure the following two aspects: 1) knowledge of meaning and use of vocabulary, and 2) receptive and productive knowledge of vocabulary. As a result, the corpus-based vocabulary learning group showed better performance in the aspect of vocabulary use than the definition-based vocabulary learning. group. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the acquisition of word meaning. Also, the study found that corpus-based vocabulary learning had greater effects on the acquisition of both receptive and productive knowledge of vocabulary than definition-based vocabulary learning. Especially, the effects were found to be much more greater on productive knowledge of vocabulary than on receptive vocabulary knowledge. Implications for teaching are also discussed.

한국 고등학생의 듣기 이해에서 어휘지식의 양과 깊이의 역할

김영은(Kim Young-eun) 팬코리아영어교육학회(구 영남영어교육학회) 2008 영어교육연구 Vol.20 No.2

  The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between (a) breadth of vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension, (b) depth of vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension and (c) differences between the roles of vocabulary breadth and vocabulary depth in listening comprehension. Ninety-two Korean high school English learners were recruited in order to gather empirical data by means of written tests such as vocabulary knowledge tests or listening comprehension test. The results of correlational and regressional analysis showed that vocabulary depth as well as vocabulary breadth is closely associated with listening comprehension and can account for much of listening comprehension variance. The major finding of the present study was that depth of vocabulary knowledge is more strongly interrelated with listening comprehension than breadth of vocabulary knowledge. Depth of vocabulary knowledge could make an additional and unique contribution to the prediction of the listening comprehension over the contribution offered by vocabulary size. Based on findings on the relational and explanatory roles, deep vocabulary knowledge proved to be fundamental for successful listening comprehension, in the sense that it makes immediate and unconscious processing possible. From a pedagogical point of view, the present study addresses the need for learners to deepen their vocabulary knowledge as well as expand their vocabulary breadth.

고등학교 국어과 어휘교육내용의 구성요소 연구

김소영 ( So Young Kim ),이병운 ( Byung Woon Lee ) 부산대학교 과학교육연구소 2013 교사교육연구 Vol.52 No.3

본 연구는 고등학교 국어과 어휘교육내용의 체계성을 갖추기 위해 교육내용의 구성요소를 선정하는 것이다. 본 연구의 목적을 달성하기 위해 첫째, 고등학교 교육과정과 학습자 측면, 교사의 어휘지도 측면에서 어휘교육내용의 구성요소 선정의 필요성을 언급하였다. 둘째, 내용 구성요소 선정의 틀을 만들기 위해 어휘능력의 특성을 규정한 후, 고등학생들의 어휘능력을 더욱더 향상시키기 위해 어휘능력은 서술적 지식, 절차적 지식, 조건적 지식으로 나누어 어휘교육내용의 구성요소 선정을 위한 기본 틀로 삼았다. 셋째, 어휘교육의 목표를 어휘능력의 신장으로 규정하고 어휘능력의 구조와 관련하여 협의의 목표와 광의의 목표로 나눠 내용 구성요소 선정이 목표로 삼았다. 넷째, 어휘교육내용 구성요소를 상세화 하되, 2011 개정 국어과 교육과정에 제시된 항목과 비교하여 각각의 관련 구성요소를 나열하였다. 본 연구는 어휘교육이 국어과 학습능력을 향상시키기 위한 기반으로서 중요하다는 전제 하에, 초ㆍ중학생과는 다른 어휘 능력을 갖춘 고등학생들에게 적합한 내용요소가 무엇인가를 구체적으로 제안했다는 점, 이를 통해 학생들의 어휘 능력을 키우기 위한 구체적 내용이 무엇인가를 보였다는 점에 의의가 있다. 그러나 어휘학습의 계열화가 완성되지 않은 상황에서 고등학교 수준만의 내용 구성요소 선정을 제안하였다는 점과 이에 적합한 다양한 사례와 모형을 제시하지 못한 점이 한계로 남아 있다. The aim of this study is to propose components of Korean vocabulary education for high school students. In order to achieve the aim, the necessity of choosing components of the vocabulary education contents in the aspects of the high school curriculum and learners and the teacher`s vocabulary teaching were examined. Then, it defines the characteristics of vocabulary ability in order to make a frame for choosing the components. To improve the high school students` vocabulary ability, it sets the fundamental frame as the vocabulary ability which can be divided into descriptive knowledge and procedural knowledge, conditional knowledge. The goal of vocabulary education is defined as the improvement of vocabulary ability and content selection was made in light of narrow and broad goals. Finally, the frame is specified with the components of vocabulary education contents into descriptive knowledge, procedural knowledge and conditional knowledge, but each related component has been arranged according to Korean curriculum 2011. This study is under the fundamental premise that the vocabulary education is important as a basis to improve the Korean learning competence, it is meaningful to propose how the appropriate contents elements can be selected by high school students who have more developed vocabulary competence than elementary or middle school students and to show what the concrete components are for improving students` vocabulary ability. However, there are still some limitations: the contents were chosen only for the level of high shool students and sufficient examples and models were not provided.

외국인 학습자의 한국어 어휘 지식 평가를 통한 어휘 교육 방안 연구 -질적 지식의 평가를 중심으로-

이유경 국제한국어교육학회 2012 한국어 교육 Vol.23 No.1

The purpose of this study is to examine level of individual foreign learners' quantitative knowledge of korean vocabulary through the Foreign Learners' Korean Vocabulary Knowledge Assessment and to propose a vocabulary education plan reflecting the result. This assessment was written in focus of semantic relation to identify category, integrated and analytical knowledge of Korean verbs acquired by foreign learners and as a result, the following educational implications were made. First, the learners' knowledge about the vocabulary combinational relationship was very limited. Second, learners are not interested in vocabulary's synonymous relation and antonymous relations. Lastly, there needs to be a concern about postpositional particle-use education. The results of these kinds of research, observes the learners vocabulary acquisition process to determine Korean textbook and present vocabulary level in appropriate in terms of learners' perspective, and provide an opportunity to check if current professors' method is adequate and valid.