| Description |
While vocabulary is generally understood to be an obvious part of language learning and instruction, the actual "nuts and bolts" of vocabulary instruction are not fully understood. Though there has been a renewal of interest in research into vocabulary in recent years, in terms of both theoretical motivations and pedagogical applications, many questions remain about the most effective ways of teaching vocabulary and promoting successful vocabulary development among English Language Learners (ELLs). These considerations are particularly important when it comes to the development of academic vocabulary in a higher-educational context. This study reports results from a research experiment conducted at a public research university in the western United States. The study sought to compare two possible approaches to teaching vocabulary within the context of an academic, second language (L2) composition program. Both approaches offered students explicit instruction in academic vocabulary. The two approaches examined were a decontextualized, memorization dependent approach and a contextualized, integrated approach. Because previous research has indicated that integrated approaches to vocabulary instruction can be effective for L2 learners, it is hypothesized that students taught using a contextualized and integrated approach would learn targeted academic vocabulary more effectively than those taught using a decontextualized approach. In addition, because previous research also indicates that success in learning a second language is highly correlated with an individual's attitudes towards their own language learning, this study examined students' perceptions about each of these approaches, as well as how these perceptions appeared to influence their learning. The perceptual data were collected via student responses to a survey that used a Likert scale which was then examined in the context of students' scores on a test of vocabulary administered at the end of the course. Within-group results showed that a semester was not enough time for either group to make significant gains in their vocabulary knowledge and did not confirm the hypothesis that students who were taught vocabulary using a contextualized and integrated approach would learn more target vocabulary in a single semester than those taught using a decontextualized approach, confirming the results of previous research in the field. Students taught using both approaches also seemed to show positive attitudes regarding their own learning. A strong positive correlation was observed between students' attitudes and their performance on a vocabulary posttest. |
