Incidental Vocabulary Learning Through Word-Focused Exercises: The Association with Vocabulary Learning Strategies

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Asian Journal of English Language Teaching ›› 2023, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (1) : 29-62.

Research Articles

Incidental Vocabulary Learning Through Word-Focused Exercises: The Association with Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Mark Feng TENG¹, Yuwei HUANG², Atsushi MIZUMOTO³

Author information +

1. Faculty of Languages and Translation, Macau Polytechnic University, MCSAR;
2. English Linguistics and Literature, Hainan University, China;
3. Kansai University, Japan

About the author(s):

Mark Feng TENG, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Macau Polytechnic University. He was the recipient of the 2017 Best Paper Award from the Hong Kong Association for Applied Linguistics (HAAL), as well as the Teaching Excellence Awards by the Education Bureau of China (2015). His research portfolio mainly focuses on L2 vocabulary acquisition, and L2 writing. His publications have appeared in international journals, including Applied Linguistics, TESOL Quarterly, Language Teaching Research, System, Applied Linguistics Review, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Computers & Education, Foreign Language Annals, and International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL), among others. His recent monographs were published by Routledge, Springer, and Bloomsbury. He also edited and co-edited special issues for international journals, including Journal of Writing Research, Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, and TESOL Journal. Yuwei HUANG is a postgraduate student of English Linguistics and Literature at Hainan University, China. Her present research interests include vocabulary learning strategies, and second language acquisition. She has successively presided the 2020 Provincial Scientific Research Project of Hainan Province. She has also published articles in Chinese journals. Atsushi MIZUMOTO, Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education, is Professor at the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies and the Graduate School of Foreign Language Education and Research, Kansai University, Japan. His current research interests include learning strategies, language testing, corpus use for pedagogical purposes, and research methodology. He has published articles in journals such as Applied Linguistics, Language Learning, Language Teaching Research, Language Testing, and System. He is the recipient of Best Academic Paper Award from Japan Society of English Language Education in the Year of 2014, the Research Encouragement Award from Japanese Association for English Corpus Studies in the Year of 2016, and the Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement from Language Education and Technology in the Year of 2017.

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Abstract

Reading is an important source of input for incidental vocabulary learning, and vocabulary learning strategies may affect incidental vocabulary learning outcomes from reading. This paper investigates incidental vocabulary learning through word-focused exercises among students learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The extent to which vocabulary learning strategies predict these impacts is also considered. Specifically, this study involved 486 Chinese university EFL students who were randomly and equally assigned to three word-focused exercise conditions: reading with marginal glosses plus comprehension questions; reading with a digital dictionary; and reading and filling in the blanks with a digital dictionary. All learners completed a survey on vocabulary learning strategies. The Vocabulary Knowledge Scale was adapted to measure vocabulary knowledge gains. Results showed that learners who read and filled in blanks with the use of a digital dictionary demonstrated significantly better vocabulary learning outcomes than the other groups. No significant differences were detected between the groups that read with marginal glosses plus comprehension questions or read with a digital dictionary. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed the roles of different vocabulary learning strategies on vocabulary learning outcomes in each group. Relevant implications are provided based on these findings.

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Mark Feng TENG, Yuwei HUANG, Atsushi MIZUMOTO. Incidental Vocabulary Learning Through Word-Focused Exercises: The Association with Vocabulary Learning Strategies[J]. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching. 2023, 32(1): 29-62

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