Effects of Graded Texts on EFL College Students' Incidental ...

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Chapter One INTRODUCTION It is generally agreed by second language (L2) learning researchers that vocabulary growth commonly occurs incidentally while learners are engaged in other cognitive exercises involving comprehension. Among these cognitive activities, reading, especially extensive reading, has attracted much research attention due to the fact that tremendous vocabulary growth, high overall language competence, and better academic performances were observed from first language (L1) learners with pleasure reading habits (Nation, 2001). Moreover, incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading is also used to explain how children acquire mass amount <strong>of</strong> L1 vocabulary within a relatively short period <strong>of</strong> time. Huckin and Coady (1999) defined incidental learning in reading as a by-product, not the target, <strong>of</strong> the main cognitive activity. In the process <strong>of</strong> reading, learners’ incidental vocabulary learning is the unconscious acquisition <strong>of</strong> word meanings through engaging in texts for comprehension or understanding. In such process, word knowledge is thought to be cumulated and developed gradually through multiple exposures in various reading contexts. Krashen (1989) further claimed that “competence in spelling and vocabulary is most efficiently attained by comprehensible input in the form <strong>of</strong> reading” (p. 440). Extensive reading, as a form <strong>of</strong> comprehensible input, has the effect <strong>of</strong> providing learners with rich contexts ideal for vocabulary learning. During the reciprocal process <strong>of</strong> extensive reading, the acquisition <strong>of</strong> words is the result <strong>of</strong> successes in inferring word meanings from meaningful context, and through more reading experiences the developed and matured vocabulary inference ability could in turn contributes to reading pr<strong>of</strong>iciency. For L2 learning, extensive reading is considered as beneficial for overall language 1
competence (Elley, 1991; Hafiz & Tudor, 1989;1990; Krashen, 1993; Mason & Krashen, 1997; Renandya & Rajan, 1999) and fundamental to vocabulary development as well. Researchers such as Krashen believe that similar to L1 word learning, reading is the major means for acquiring vocabulary and have thus strongly encouraged the implementation <strong>of</strong> extensive reading programs in an L2 learning environment (Krashen, 1989). While extensive reading does have an impact on vocabulary learning, studies have found that reading for L2 vocabulary development may lead to problems such as wrong inferences, lack <strong>of</strong> retention, and most importantly, superficial vocabulary learning that impedes learners from using words actively and productively (Huckin & Coady, 1999; Hulstijn, 1993; Raptis, 1993; Wesche & Paribakht, 2000). Unlike native speakers, L2 learners <strong>of</strong>ten struggle with their lack <strong>of</strong> sufficient word knowledge necessary for precise guessing <strong>of</strong> word meanings and the ample opportunities to encounter words within various contexts required for more complicated word development. Correct inference <strong>of</strong> word meanings is conditional upon accurate recognition <strong>of</strong> surrounding words and sensitive use <strong>of</strong> reading strategies (Huckin & Coady, 1999). However, with previous studies indicating L2 learners’ common insufficiency in word knowledge and lack <strong>of</strong> active use <strong>of</strong> different reading strategies (Chen, 1998; Grabe & Stoller, 1997), learners’ frustration in comprehension can be expected when facing overwhelming authentic texts in extensive reading, let alone incidental vocabulary acquisition. In addition to learners’ limited language competence, limited reading opportunities impose yet another common stumbling block for incidental vocabulary learning. Since word knowledge is not an all-for-nothing piece <strong>of</strong> learning, but a continuum gradually developed with each encounter <strong>of</strong> words in different contexts, meeting a certain word once is clearly inadequate for bringing learners further on the 2
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Page 3 and 4: Abstract Incidental vocabulary lear
Page 5 and 6: implicit learning for learners’ q
Page 7 and 8: 4.3. Discussion 70 4.3.1. The Feasi
Page 9: List of Figure Fig
Page 13 and 14: EFL classes, and determining the am
Page 15 and 16: consultation for second language le
Page 17 and 18: vastly reinforced with the ease and
Page 19 and 20: learning to occur. 2. Word meaning
Page 21 and 22: inging learners who are competent <
Page 23 and 24: (1993) suggested a required 5,000 w
Page 25 and 26: words in this set of</stron
Page 27 and 28: Besides the above potential limitat
Page 29 and 30: immediately after reading, one week
Page 31 and 32: 2.6. Measuring Incidental Vocabular
Page 33 and 34: 2.7. Summary We incorporated the em
Page 35 and 36: 3.1. Overview Chapter Three METHODO
Page 37 and 38: The Sinorama magazine is dedicated
Page 39 and 40: Word List (鄭恆雄, 2002; 2003),
Page 41 and 42: for the cut off po
Page 43 and 44: TextLadder; instead, our program pu
Page 45 and 46: target words within each text. Afte
Page 47 and 48: Table 3.2 Target word rate and targ
Page 49 and 50: 7. into the Exposed Word List Selec
Page 51 and 52: Table 3. 5. A comparison between Gh
Page 53 and 54: 3.3.4 Glossing of
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Page 59 and 60: Table 3.9 Instruments used in the s
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had finished all sixteen texts. The
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technical feasibility of</s
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a result, valid subjects dropped fr
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Table 4.2 Learners’ perspectives
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estimation of lear
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words from known words. The provisi
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vocabulary level, on the other hand
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4.2.4 The results of</stron
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Table 4.11 shows learners’ respon
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4.3 Discussion 4.3.1. The feasibili
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direct phonetic translations <stron
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on gloss suggested that they still
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measurement tool for its function <
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learners’ processing of</
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not be untangled without considerin
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5.1. Overview Chapter Five Conclusi
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with the same group of</str
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also accelerate sequencing time wit
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esponsible for connecting the two b
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REFERENCES Berman, R.A. (1984 ). Sy
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Hulstijn, J. H., Hollander, M., & G
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Rationale for Pedagogy (pp. 174-200
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第 1-6 題電腦方面 Appendix A
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Student Post□ 其他□__________
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26. optimistic 27. consumption 28.
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1. entrepreneur: VI. 我對這個
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21.calligraphy: I. 我對這個字
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41.insufficient: I. 我對這個字
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3 points entrepreneur: (item three
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Appendix F The In-class Evaluation
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Appendix H The Introductory Page on
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Appendix J A Search Example <strong
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Appendix L Student Reading Process
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第 1-6 題電腦方面 Appendix N
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13(2). 英文雜誌 41.7% (28/67) (
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Appendix P Results of</stro
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