Read, J and Dang, TNY orcid.org/0000-0002-3189-7776 (2022) Measuring depth of academic vocabulary knowledge. Language Teaching Research. ISSN 1362-1688
Abstract
In second language (L2) vocabulary studies there is continuing interest in tests of depth of vocabulary knowledge, measuring various aspects of word knowledge other than just the form–meaning link that is the focus of breadth (or size) tests. This study aimed to explore new formats that could be used as diagnostic tools for assessing depth of academic vocabulary knowledge. The participants were 222 first-year students taking a programme of English for academic purposes (EAP) at a university in Vietnam. The depth measure was a newly developed test of a sample of words from Gardner and Davies’ Academic Vocabulary List, including sub-tests on receptive knowledge of synonyms, collocations and word parts. The participants also took the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test as a breadth measure, as well as a translation test. Results showed that most of the students had a relatively limited knowledge of general English vocabulary. There was a moderate correlation between the breadth and depth tests. The students had the best knowledge of synonyms, followed by word parts and then collocations. The collocation and word parts sub-tests included a Not Sure option to discourage blind guessing, and analyses of responses to this option offered useful insights into the students’ test-taking behaviour.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2022. This is an author produced version of an article, published in Language Teaching Research. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | academic word knowledge, Updated Vocabulary Levels Test, university students in Vietnam, vocabulary depth, vocabulary testing |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Education (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 10 Nov 2022 13:55 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 23:08 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/13621688221105913 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:193066 |