Asssing the Roles of Depth and Breadth of Vocabulary Knowledge in Reading Comprehension
David D. Qian
Abstract: This empirical study explored the relationships between depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension in English as a cond language (ESL). Using multivariate analys, the study examined the roles of depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge in asssing the performance of a group of young adult ESL learners with a minimum vocabulary size of 3,000 word families in carrying out general academic reading comprehension tasks. The results support the hypothes that (1) scores on vocabulary size, depth of vocabulary knowledge, and reading comprehension are highly, and positively, correlated; and (2) scores on depth of vocabulary knowledge can make a unique contribution to the prediction of reading comprehension levels, in addition to the prediction afforded by vocabulary size scores. The findings from this study call for a recogni
tion of the importance of improving depth of vocabulary knowledge in learners' ESL learning process.
Résumé : Cette étude empirique examine les relations entre la profondeur et l'ampleur des connaissances lexicales et la compréhension de l'écrit en anglais langue conde (ALS). A l'aide d'analys multivariées, l'étude examine le rôle de la profondeur et de l'ampleur des connaissances lexicales lors de l'évaluation des performances d'un groupe de jeunes adultes apprenant l'anglais langue conde, maîtrisant un vocabulaire minimum de 3000 familles de mots, lors de la réalisation de tâches générales de compréhension de textes académiques. Les résultats confirment les hypothès suivantes: (1) il existe une corrélation étroite et positive entre les scores portant sur l'étendue du vocabulaire, la profondeur des connaissances lexicales et la compréhension de l'écrit, et (2) en plus des prédictions suggérées par les scores portant sur la taille du vocabulaire, les scores de profondeur des connaissances lexicales peuvent constituer un excellent prédicteur des niveaux de compréhension de l'écrit. Les résultats de cette étude incitent à reconnaître qu'il est important d'améliorer la profondeur des connaissanc
es lexicales dans les processus d'apprentissage de l'anglais langue conde.
Introduction
In first language (L1) rearch, it has long been recognized that vocabulary knowledge makes an important contribution to reading comprehension (Anderson & Freebody, 1981, 1983; Mezynski, 1983; Stratton & Nacke, 1974; Tuinman & Brady, 1974). Second language (L2) rearch on the relationship between vocabulary and reading is, however, just beginning to gain attention. Within this area, the two ends of the scale are still rather unbalanced: the greater part of the literature has been on how L2 learners acquire their vocabulary through reading, while, except for a very limited number of studies (e.g., de Bot, Paribakht, & Wesche, 1997; Hirsh & Nation, 1992; Laufer, 1989, 1992, 1996), few studies have attempted to determine what role vocabulary knowledge plays in L2 reading comprehension. Even within the small number of studies that have assd the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension in L2, the majority focus on breadth of vocabulary knowledge. Little recognition is accorded to the roles other aspects of vocabulary knowledge play.flip
Defining depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge
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A recognition of depth and breadth as two primary dimensions of vocabulary knowledge is esntial to understanding the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension (Qian, 1998). To map out a conceptual framework for the prent study, it is necessary to clarify what we mean by `breadth' and `depth' of vocabulary knowledge. In the prent study, breadth of vocabulary knowledge is defined as vocabulary size, or the number of words for which a learner has at least some minimum knowledge of meaning. Depth of vocabulary knowledge is defined as a learner's level of knowledge of various aspects of a given word, or how well the learner knows this word.
bankerOver the years, rearchers such as Cronbach (1942), Dale (1965), Henrikn (1999), Nation (1990), and Richards (1976) have propod varying, but generally complementary, conceptual frameworks of vocabulary knowledge. However, produced in different contexts, the frameworks do not provide an explicit description of what compos the mass of vocabulary knowledge in the context of distinguishing depth from
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人力资源培训breadth. In order to provide a theoretical framework for the prent study, a working definition of depth of vocabulary knowledge is propod below. This framework takes into account the merits of previous frameworks, particularly the definitions by Nation (1990) and Richards (1976). The framework identifies various important aspects composing depth of vocabulary knowledge for reading, especially from the perspective of their possible contribution to reading comprehension process:
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1. Pronunciation and spelling: how different forms of the word are pronounced and spelled;wrapup
2. Morphological properties: the word's stem, its capability of inflection, derivation, and other word formation devices, and its possible parts of speech;
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3. Syntactic properties: the word's possible positions and its syntagmatic relations, including collocational relations, with other words in a ntence;
4. Meaning: not only identification of the denotative meaning of a word in context, but als
o, where applicable, knowledge of connotations, as well as polymy, antonymy, synonymy, and other paradigmatic relations the word may have;
5. Register, or discour features: including possible adherence to a stylistic, social, or regional variety, and the field, mode, and manner of discour concerning the application of the word;
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