The role of reading comprehension in word meaning acquisition during reading

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of reading comprehension on the acquisition of word meanings from context and to compare it to the effects of local context characteristics, such as proximity and directness of context clues. The study also examined the effects of prior topic and enabling concept knowledge. Sixth-grade students were pretested on their knowledge of target vocabulary from two expository passages appropriate for their grade and reading level. The students were then familiarized with selected main concepts from one passage and, subsequently, read both experimental passages. Half of the target words appeared in an informative context, while the rest appeared in an less-informative context. A comprehension test and a vocabulary posttest followed the reading ofeach passage. Hierarchical Regression analyses indicated that reading comprehension level and prior main concept knowledge facilitated vocabulary learning from context. In comparison, the effect ofpresence or absence of informative context clues was not significant. These findings .underline the need for a reconceptualization of context to take into account the mental representation that readers construct in addition to the printed text that surrounds an unfamiliar word. IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which comprehension of text facilitates the acquisition of word meanings from context. The position that is advanced is that the context in which an unknown word is embedded involves more than the explicit text information Khat surrounds the word. Understanding and learning from text involves the construction of a mental representation that includes explicit text infonnation as well as inferences that result from the activation of relevant background knowledge. This mental representation will serve as the context on the basis of which specific inferences about an unknown word's meaning will be drawn. If that is the case, it can be expected that level of comprehension and factors that affect it will influence the extent to which word meaning acquisition from context takes place.

The Relationship Between Text Comprehension and Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition: A Matter of Topic Familiarity?

“…With regard to the role of passage comprehension in incidental vocabulary gain and retention, the present study confirms and expands the results from Diakidoy (1998), for L1 vocabulary development, and Jacobs et al (1994) and Rott (1997), for L2 vocabulary development. Level of comprehension achieved from reading the brief script-based narrative passages proved integral to incidental gain and retention of semantic features of new L2 lexical items from those passages.…”

“…The two empirical accounts that have studied the nature of this relationship involved mapping new lexical forms to familiar meanings or concepts already in the existing semantic or conceptual system. These are unlike studies in native language literacy that concerned the influence of reading comprehension on the development of new semantic and conceptual knowledge through reading (e.g., see Diakidoy, 1998). 4 Thus, the following literature review will consider only the body of relevant SLA studies.…”

“…In the studies cited here, it is uncertain whether or not the pool of vocabulary words used to represent lexical knowledge also appeared within the passages from which comprehension was measured. 4 Diakidoy (1998) explored the influence of reading comprehension on L1 incidental vocabulary acquisition. In this study 6th graders read lengthy expository texts (800-1,000 words) in English followed by an immediate comprehension test and a sentence verification task to measure vocabulary gain.…”

Modeling the Role of Second Language Proficiency and Topic Familiarity in Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition Through Reading

“…Cook, 1996;Gass, 1997;Krashen, 1985;Sharwood Smith, 1986;VanPatten, 1996). Moreover, previous research on L1 (Diakidoy, 1998) and L2 (Jacobs, Dufon, & Fong, 1994;Pulido, 2002;Rott, 1997) incidental vocabulary acquisition has revealed moderate to strong relationships between comprehension of specific texts and gain of new vocabulary encountered within those same texts.…”

The Relationship Between Text Comprehension and Second Language Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition: A Matter of Topic Familiarity?

“…4 4 Diakidoy (1998) explored the influence of reading comprehension on L1 incidental vocabulary acquisition. In this study 6th graders read lengthy expository texts (800–1,000 words) in English followed by an immediate comprehension test and a sentence verification task to measure vocabulary gain.…”