Browsing by Subject "Vocabulary instruction"

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Open Access
Corpus-aided language pedagogy
(2015-02-13) Kazaz, İlknur
This study investigated the effectiveness of the use of a concordance software and concordance lines as a pedagogical tool to learn the target vocabulary of a text book. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of corpus-aided vocabulary instruction with traditional vocabulary teaching methods. This study also examined the extent to which students used the target vocabulary in paragraph writing exercises. Students’ perception as to the use of concordance lines in their vocabulary learning was explored as well. Eighty-two students from four intermediate level EFL classes at Karadeniz Technical University School of Foreign Languages participated in the study. The quantitative data were collected through the administration of three tests, three writing assignments and a student questionnaire. v The statistical analysis of the test results revealed that using concordance lines in vocabulary instruction was more effective and yielded higher scores when compared to traditional vocabulary instruction with the text book. Additionally, it was found that using concordance lines in learning the target vocabulary produced similar results when compared to using a text book in less controlled paragraph writing exercises. The analysis of the student questionnaire showed that the students had positive perception about using concordance lines in learning English vocabulary.
Open Access
Teaching for breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge: learning from explicit and implicit instruction and the storybook texts
(Elsevier, 2019) Dickinson, D. K.; Nesbitt, K.; Collins, M.; Hadley, E.; Newman, K.; Rivera, B.; Ilgaz, Hande; Nicolopoulou, A.; Golinkoff, R.; Hirsh-Pasek, K.
This paper reports results from two studies conducted to examine word learning among preschool children in group book reading while we developed a scalable method ofteaching words during book reading. We sought to identify factors that fostered both depth and breadth of learning by varying the type of information children heard about words while holding exposures constant. We also asked whether prior word knowledge affects children’s learning across our different instructional approaches. In Study 1 we evaluated pre-post gains from two types of explicit instruction (Didactic and Conceptual), an implicit instructional approach (Review), and repeated Exposure. For all three instructed conditions growth in receptive knowledge (our measure of breadth) was statistically equivalent when compared to control (d = 0.43) and exposure words (d = 0.41). In Study 2, words were taught using an augmented explicit approach and through repeated exposure. Moderate and statistically significant growth in receptive knowledge was found when comparing instructed to control words (d = 0.48) and large effects were found with an expressive task measure of depth of knowledge (d = 1.19). There also was evidence of learning from exposure. Children’s vocabulary knowledge moderated learning gains. In Study 1 children with limited knowledge of vocabulary (0.75 SD below the group mean) learned fewer words than others. In Study 2, pre-test vocabulary knowledge moderated gains on the expressive measure for directly taught words and gains on the receptive measure for words taught through exposure. Thus, when words were intentionally taught, all children except those with the weakest initial knowledge acquired the initial lexical representations captured by the receptive measure at a similar rate. Those with stronger vocabulary more quickly acquired initial representations from exposure alone and deeper knowledge when they received intentional instruction. We conclude that teachers can build depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge by combining intentional instruction of target words with repeated use of varied words by reading books multiple times and instructional comments that include use of novel words.