Explore the vast range of titles available.

This book introduces an innovative collection of easy-to-use computer programs that have been developed to measure and model vocabulary knowledge. It aims to help second language acquisition researchers explore some new instruments for L2 vocabulary research, providing examples of how the tools might be used in real research projects.

This study examined how well second language (L2) recall and recognition vocabulary tests correlated with a reading test, how well each vocabulary test discriminated between reading proficiency levels, and how accurate each test was in predicting reading proficiency when compared with corpus studies. A total of 116 college-level learners of English as a foreign language took a reading test and 2 vocabulary size tests: meaning recall and meaning recognition. Participants were divided into 4 reading proficiency levels based on the reading scores. The authors correlated the reading scores with the 2 vocabulary scores, compared the 4 reading groups on each vocabulary test, and compared the vocabulary size of each of the reading proficiency groups with corpus studies. Both vocabulary tests were good predictors of reading, but the recognition test fared slightly better. The authors introduce the notion of 'comprehension vocabulary' and suggest that a recall test is more appropriate for measuring sight vocabulary while a recognition test is more appropriate for measuring comprehension vocabulary. (Verlag, adapt.).

Retrieval-based learning using word cards promotes durable vocabulary retention, yet few studies have explored how localized, bilingual materials can enhance engagement among lower-proficient EFL learners. This pilot study aimed to design and evaluate contextualized NGSL-based vocabulary cards for Japanese university students with limited English proficiency. A total of 437 bilingual cards, comprising 302 unique headwords (words), including 105 polysemous ones, from the first 700 headwords of the New General Service List (Browne, et al., 2013), were collaboratively developed to facilitate retrieval practice and strengthen form–meaning connections (Nation, 2013). Each card included familiar examples drawn from daily life and popular cultural to sustain motivation and deepen processing. The materials were piloted with 19 first-year students; those who attended multiple training sessions demonstrated improved recall on the end-of-quarter NGSL test, and observations suggested greater engagement during study sessions. The design framework, along with a shareable subset, offers a replicable model for integrating retrieval practice and cultural relevance into vocabulary instruction in similar EFL contexts.

This study aimed to design and validate a pioneering student-generated vocabulary testing paradigm aimed at cultivating autonomy among TEFL Ph.D. candidates or holders in Iran, encompassing both male and female participants. Employing a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, the research unfolded through a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, 30 Ph.D. candidates or holders in TEFL engaged in insightful semi-structured interviews. Subsequently, the quantitative phase saw the development of a comprehensive questionnaire based on the emergent themes from the qualitative inquiry. The questionnaire was piloted with a sample of 274 participants to capture the intricacies of the learners' experiences based on the insights gathered from the interviews. The pilot study substantiated the construct validity of the questionnaire through exploratory factor analysis, while Cronbach's alpha affirmed its reliability. The questionnaire was then given to a larger sample of 384 EFL learners. Further bolstering the study's robustness, Structural Equation Modeling analysis was executed through Smart PLS software. As a result, a validated model was created as a valuable asset for future research endeavors in the realm of student-generated vocabulary testing in the Iranian context. The student-generated vocabulary testing model advocated in this study not only encourages meaningful engagement with vocabulary learning tasks but also fosters a profound understanding and retention of vocabulary items.

Many studies in a variety of educational contexts show that learning curves are non-linear (e.g. Freedman, 1987 for the development of story telling skills in the first language, DeKeyser, 1997 for the acquisition of morphosyntactic rules of an artificial second language or Brooks and Meltzoff, 2007 for the development of vocabulary in two-year-old infants), but there is no agreement on the best non-linear model which may vary between different contexts. Although there are strong arguments, both on empirical and on theoretical grounds, that a power curve is appropriate in most educational settings (Newell & Rosenbloom, 1981; Ninio 2007) other models have also been proposed (Van de gaer et al., 2009; Verhoeven & Van Leeuwe, 2009). However, little is known about the long-term patterns of vocabulary learning in a foreign language. In the present study we analyse the vocabulary used in 294 essays by 42 students written at regular intervals over a period of two years. We use several measures that focus on vocabulary richness as well as ratings from trained IELTS teachers. Our analysis is supported with structural equation modelling, where a latent learning curve, based on the power law, can be identified. The present study is relevant for the discussion on methodological approaches in the measurement of vocabulary knowledge but also has pedagogical implications, as it allows teachers to identify when a certain plateau has been reached and when further vocabulary learning is only effective with additional pedagogical intervention.

In recent years, there has been increasing debate and research regarding which modality of vocabulary knowledge has the strongest correlation to reading, with particular focus on distinctions between testing L2 form and L2 meaning, and between recall of answers from memory and recognition of answers from fixed options. However, relatively little attention has been paid to find out which modality has the strongest correlation to listening ability. A recent meta-analysis by Zhang and Zhang (2020) indicated that meaning recall was the superior predictor of reading proficiency. Although their results showed that form recall had the highest correlation to listening, the difference between form recall and meaning recall was statistically insignificant. The present study uses data from McLean et al. (2020) of learner responses to 1000-item vocabulary tests employing written tests of meaning recall, form recall, meaning recognition and Yes/No modalities, sampling them with replacement to create thousands of 100-item tests using a bootstrapping approach. The test scores were then correlated to measures of listening and reading proficiency for comparison. The results indicated that for written tests, meaning recall, form recall, meaning recognition and form recognition had the strongest correlations to both reading and listening, in descending order. All comparisons were statistically significant.

Although the Word Associates Format (WAF) is becoming more frequently used as a depth-of-knowledge measure, relatively little validation has been carried out on it. This report of two validation studies tackles various important WAF issues yet to be satisfactorily resolved. Study 1 conducted introspective interviews regarding students’ WAF test-taking behavior along with interviews on featured target words to determine how accurately the most common scoring system for the WAF reflects the examinees’ actual knowledge of the words. Analysis is provided concerning WAF accuracy and item answering strategies and patterns. Study 2 repeated the interview procedures from Study 1 with several modifications, including the addition of a receptive dimension in the word knowledge interview. The various WAF-scoring methods were compared, and the format types (6 and 8 option), distractor types, and distribution of answers were examined in depth. Both studies indicate that the WAF reflects true lexical knowledge fairly well at the extremes of the scoring scale while scores in the middle do not lead to any reliable interpretation. Furthermore, there is the likelihood that the WAF may both underestimate and overestimate vocabulary knowledge. Suggestions regarding item construction and use of the WAF are given to improve its accuracy and reliability.

This study examines the application of an IRT analysis of words on lists including the General Service List (GSL), New General Service List (NGSL), Academic Word List (AWL), New Academic Word List (NAWL), and TOEIC Service List (TSL). By comparing line graphs, density distribution graphs, and boxplots for the average difficulty of each word list to related lists, we can get a visualization of the data’s distribution. Japanese EFL students responded to one or more of 84Yes/No test forms compiled from 5,880 unique real words and 2,520 nonwords. The real words were analyzed using Winsteps (Linacre,2005) resulting in IRT estimates for each word. By summing the difficulties of each word, we can calculate the average difficulty of each word list which can then be used to rank the lists. In effect, the process supports the concurrent validity of the lists. The analysis indicates the word family approach results in more difficult word lists. The mean difficulties of the GSL and the BNC_COCA appear to be more divergent and more difficult particularly over the first 4000 words, possibly due to the use of Bauer and Nation’s (1993) Affix Level 6 definition for their compilation. Finally, just as we should expect word lists for beginners to have higher frequency words than subsequent lists, we should also expect them to be easier with more words known to learners. This can be seen with the gradual but marked difference between the different word lists of the NGSL and its supplemental SPs.

This research explores the efficacy of word cards as a deliberate vocabulary learning technique and investigates the effects of testing on motivation for deliberate vocabulary study. While word cards are a widely supported method of deliberately studying target foreign language vocabulary, there is a surprising lack of research-based evidence supporting them, and very few researchers have asked students how they feel about word card learning. In addition, it is well known that testing can increase extrinsic motivation, but the motivational effects of regular vocabulary testing has so far been largely overlooked. The first two experiments in this study investigated the learning outcomes associated with making and studying from word cards. Experiment 1 is unique in that it is the first known study to isolate the learning outcomes of making word cards. The results indicated that the process of making word cards results in significant initial vocabulary learning, but a substantial amount of this new knowledge is lost in a relatively short period of time if no further study is carried out. The second experiment compared the use of self-made word cards with premade cards. The results indicated that although both methods are effective in the short and long-term, learners might be better studying from premade cards. However, the results of the third experiment led to the conclusion that premade cards are best suited to motivated learners. Qualitative data analysis revealed that learners generally have positive views of word card learning and understand the benefits it offers over other methods such as learning from lists or notebooks. The final experiment in this study examined the motivational effects of regular student-generated vocabulary testing and investigated whether learners can act as reliable raters of their peers’ vocabulary development. Results indicated that peer-to-peer vocabulary testing increases motivation for deliberate vocabulary learning even if test scores do not affect the students’ grades. Surprisingly, the student-generated and administered tests were more intrinsically motivating than extrinsically so. Taken together, the results of the various experiments offer support for the use of word cards for foreign language vocabulary learning and indicate that motivation for such types of learning can be increased by through peer testing.