Knowledge of words, knowledge about words: Dimensions of vocabulary in first and second language learners in sixth grade

Despite acknowledging the complex nature of vocabulary knowledge, researchers have rarely investigated the dimensionality of this construct empirically. This study was designed to test a multi-dimensional model of English vocabulary knowledge for sixth-grade students from linguistically diverse backgrounds (n = 584). Participants included language minority students learning English as a second language (L2) and students who learned English as a first language (L1). Students were assessed on 13 reading-based measures tapping various aspects of vocabulary knowledge. Using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis, we found that vocabulary was comprised of three highly related, but distinct dimensions—breadth, contextual sensitivity, and morphological awareness. This three-dimensional model was found to hold for L2 learners as well as L1 speakers. Although the L2 learners were statistically significantly lower than the L1 students on all three dimensions, the magnitude of the difference for morphological awareness (d = .37) was somewhat smaller than that for vocabulary breadth (d = .52) and contextual sensitivity (d = .49). Results were similar for a subsample of Spanish-speaking L2 learners and for the full sample of L2 learners from various home language groups. Findings support a distinction between word-specific and word-general knowledge in understanding individual and group differences in vocabulary.     

Keywords and vocabulary acquisition: Some words of caution about words of assistance

Consistent results of two experiments with relatively technical, native language vocabulary, showed that effectiveness of keyword methods depended upon whether meanings of words to be learned were abstract or concrete and whether comprehension was assessed immediately or after a delay. Keywords bearing acoustical similarities to vocabulary items whose meanings were presented as sentences consistently facilitated students’ retention of the meanings of concrete items on immediate posttests. However, in contrast to recent research on foreign language vocabulary having simpler definitions, these experiments showed that it may be difficult to use the keyword method to aid long-term retention with moderately complex. abstract, native language vocabulary. Parts of this study, which was partially supported by the Kansas State University Bureau of General Research, were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, 1980.     

语境与第二语言词汇学习

语境条件与无语境条件是第二语言词汇学习中最为常见的两种学习条件。二者孰更适于词汇学习一直是研究者争论的焦点。本文拟对近年来该领域主要的研究结果做简要的梳理,并对需要深入的问题做初步的探讨。     

The development of word retrieval abilities in the second year and its relation to early vocabulary growth

The present research investigated the development of word retrieval abilities late in the second year when most children display a marked increase in word production. When asked what was hidden in a given box, children with still quite limited productive vocabularies were reliably less likely to produce the labels of the hidden objects than were children with larger productive vocabularies even though (1) all children could name those objects and (2) all children did well when asked to find those same hidden objects. Additionally, the provision of pictorial cues facilitated word retrieval, especially in the early stage of lexical development. Naming errors during a naturalistic book-reading session peaked in children whose productive vocabularies had recently begun to expand, further suggesting that word retrieval processes undergo significant changes at this time.     

国外二语词汇深度测量工具综述

本文对两种二语词汇深度测量工具（VKS和WAT）进行了回顾和总结,并对二语词表、二语词汇知识做了简单描述。文章指出,VKS和WAT在研究和测量二语词汇知识方面有各自的特点和不足,因此,研究者应结合研究目的,正确选择和利用这两种工具。     

Relationship between ability-paired interactions and the development of fifth graders' concepts of balance

This study describes the effects of ability-paired student interactions on achievement as fifth graders (10-year-olds) worked on laboratory activities relating to balance. Achievement gains were assessed (n = 83) by analysis of pretest–posttest differences on the lever concept test. Audio recordings and field notes (n = 30) were analyzed for the following laboratory behaviors: number of words spoken, tinkering, block moving, turns speaking, incidence of helping and distracting behavior. Results revealed that: (1) low-ability student achievement is greater when students are paired with high-ability partners; (2) low-ability students speak more words, exhibit less distracting behavior, and move blocks on the lever less when they are paired with a partner of high ability; (3) high-ability students speak more words, take more turns speaking, and exhibit more helping behaviors when they are paired with low-ability students rather than with other high ability students; and (4) there are no achievement differences for high-ability students regardless of the ability level of their partner. These findings suggest that heterogeneous grouping of students in science can be beneficial to low-ability students partnered with high-ability students, without being detrimental to the high-ability partners.     

An investigation of whether fantasy books,compared to same topic nonfiction,promote second graders' creativity

Narrowing of the curriculum because of standardised testing has caused creativity to be neglected in many schools; integration into reading instruction may provide a solution. This repeated measures study incorporated figural transformation drawings after a read-aloud of a book highlighting nutrition information as a way to both review book comprehension and integrate creativity. Nineteen second graders, aged 7–9 years from Iowa, USA, participated in 16 weekly trials, alternating between a nonfiction nutrition book and a fantasy book presenting true nutrition concepts. Results showed significantly greater creativity generally and in specific creative skill areas under the fantasy condition.     

英语词义演变略谈

探讨了英语词义演变的三个趋势。即新词的产生。旧诃的消失和词义的变化．以及词义演变的原因．旨在通过这种探讨．帮助英语学习者对英语词汇的演变有大致概念,提高记忆的效率。     

Using story dictation to support young children's vocabulary development: Outcomes and process

Creating opportunities for children to apply newly learned vocabulary in meaningful contexts is an important aspect of supporting vocabulary development. However, previous research has not adequately examined how this can be accomplished in preschool classrooms. To address this issue, we explored using story dictation to support preschoolers’ expressive vocabulary development. Thirteen children in a Head Start classroom were videotaped dictating a total of 38 stories. Scribed stories and videos of story dictation sessions were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to examine the outcomes and process. Results indicated that children used and learned target vocabulary during story dictations, and that target word use increased in number and complexity over time. How the teacher supported story dictations and target word use is discussed.     

All-day recordings to investigate vocabulary development: A case study of a trilingual toddler

Major innovations are becoming available for research in language development and disorders. Among these innovations, recent tools allow naturalistic recording in children's homes and automated analysis to facilitate representative sampling. The present study employed all-day recordings during the second year of life in a child exposed to three languages, using a fully-wearable battery-powered recorder, with automated analysis to locate appropriate time periods for coding. This method made representative sampling possible, and afforded the opportunity for a case study indicating that language spoken directly to the child had dramatically more effect on vocabulary learning than audible language not spoken to the child, as indicated by chi-square analyses of the child's verbal output and input in each of the languages. The work provides perspective on the role of learning words by overhearing in childhood, and suggests the value of representative naturalistic sampling as a means of research on vocabulary acquisition.     

The development of first graders' reading skill as a function of pre-school motivational orientation and phonemic awareness

This study examined the development of reading skill during the first school year. The predictors were pre-school motivational orientations, coping tendencies, knowledge of the alphabet and phonemic awareness. From 151 pre-school children (6 years of age) rated by pre-school teachers on motivational orientations, 32 non-readers were allocated according to their dominating motivational disposition to one of the following extreme groups: task orientation, social dependence, ego-defensive, and multiple non-task-oriented. Each group included 8 children. The subjects' phonemic awareness and knowledge of the alphabet were assessed. Coping strategies were observed in pre-school during a play-like construction task comprising three induced pressure episodes. At the end of the first grade the children were assessed on word reading skill and again on motivational orientation. Both group comparisons and idiographic analyses were made. Results indicated that pre-school phonemic awareness was associated with first grade word reading skill. Rated task orientation in pre-school enhanced significantly the prediction of fluent word reading. Task-oriented children showed significantly better word reading skill than ego-defensive or multiple non-task-oriented children. Ego-defensive and multiple non-task-oriented subjects showed significantly less task oriented, and more ego-defensive, coping behaviour under pressure than task-oriented subjects. This finding suggests greater vulnerability of ego-defensive and multiple non-task-oriented children which may contribute to diverging reading careers. Idiographic analyses indicated parallel developmental changes in reading skill, motivational orientations and coping patterns confirming the role of motivation in the formation of an individual's reading career.     

Matthew effects in young readers: reading comprehension and reading experience aid vocabulary development

The authors report data from a longitudinal study of the reading development of children who were assessed in the years of their 8th, 11th, 14th, and 16th birthdays. They examine the evidence for Matthew effects in reading and vocabulary between ages 8 and 11 in groups of children identified with good and poor reading comprehension at 8 years. They also investigate evidence for Matthew effects in reading and vocabulary between 8 and 16 years, in the larger sample. The poor comprehenders showed reduced growth in vocabulary compared to the good comprehenders, but not in word reading or reading comprehension ability. They also obtained lower scores on measures of out-of-school literacy. Analyses of the whole sample revealed that initial levels of reading experience and reading comprehension predicted vocabulary at ages 11, 14, and 16 after controlling for general ability and vocabulary skills when aged 8. The authors discuss these findings in relation to the influence of reading on vocabulary development.     

Relationships of naming skills to reading,memory, and receptive vocabulary: Evidence for imprecise phonological representations of words by poor readers

The main hypotheses addressed in the research were (1) whether imprecision in the phonological representations of lexical items underlies the impaired expressive naming abilities of disabled readers, and (2) whether weak verbal memory might mediate the relationship between naming and reading skills. From samples of 93 first graders and 67 fourth graders, extreme groups of good and poor readers were identified and compared on measures of receptive vocabulary, expressive naming, acceptability judgments for variants of object names, imitation and correction of naming errors by another speaker, pseudoword repetition, and long-term memory. Performance was generally better by older than younger students and by good than poor readers at each age, with little interaction between grade and reader group. The results indicated that for both good and poor readers, imprecise phonological knowledge, especially about long words, contributed to children’s difficulties on all naming tasks. Memory differences, however, appeared to play only a minor role in explaining the strong association between naming and reading.     

Spelling development: Fine-tuning strategy-use and capitalising on the connections between words

English spelling, as well as in many other languages, consists of three elements: morphology, etymology and phonology. Spelling instruction, however, focuses primarily on phonology and there is a dearth of intervention studies that examine the effect of explicitly teaching all three elements to children. We report two studies, which examined 5- to 11-year olds' spelling strategies and the effect of a spelling intervention. The intervention groups, in both studies, significantly outperformed control groups on all spelling measures. The benefits of teaching children about morphology and etymology are discussed.     

Academic vocabulary and reading comprehension: exploring the relationships across measures of vocabulary knowledge

Reading and Writing - This study examined the relationship between knowledge of academic vocabulary and reading comprehension in data contributed by 5855 middle school students. Each student...