A framework for developing EFL reading vocabulary

By Alan Hunt, D. Beglar. Reading in a Foreign Language, 2005

339 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Effective second language vocabulary acquisition is particularly important for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners who frequently acquire impoverished lexicons despite years of formal study. This paper comprehensively reviews and critiques second language (L2) reading vocabulary research and proposes that EFL teachers and administrators adopt a systematic framework in order to speed up lexical development. This framework incorporates two approaches: 1) promoting explicit lexical instruction and learning strategies; and 2) encouraging the use of implicit lexical instruction and learning strategies. The three most crucial explicit lexical instruction and learning strategies are acquiring decontextualized lexis, using dictionaries and inferring from context. Implicit lexical instruction and learning can take many forms including the use of integrated task sets and narrow reading; however, this framework emphasizes extensive reading, which is arguably the primary way that EFL learners can build their reading vocabulary to an advanced level. The principal notion underlying this framework is that the most effective and efficient lexical development will occur in multifaceted curriculums that achieve a pedagogically sound balance between explicit and implicit activities for L2 learners at all levels of their development.

Subfields: Artificial Intelligence, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Language and Linguistics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/26ad890d86719319602051de13c8f1006dcaa469

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Artificial Intelligence

1. Parveneh Tavakoli
2. Johannes Eckerth
3. Stuart Webb
4. N. Schmitt
5. E. Peters
6. A. Pellicer‐Sánchez
7. Irina Elgort
8. B. Laufer

In Developmental and Educational Psychology

1. Parveneh Tavakoli
2. Johannes Eckerth
3. Stuart Webb
4. E. Peters
5. N. Schmitt
6. A. Pellicer‐Sánchez
7. Irina Elgort
8. A. Chang

In Language and Linguistics

1. Parveneh Tavakoli
2. Johannes Eckerth
3. Stuart Webb
4. N. Schmitt
5. E. Peters
6. A. Pellicer‐Sánchez
7. Irina Elgort
8. Yanxue Feng

Citations in the corpus

• Vocabulary acquisition from extensive reading: A case study (2006, neutral): “…studies (Day, Omura, and Hiramatsu, 1991; Dupuy and Krashen, 1993; Ferris, 1988; Pitts, White and Krashen, 1989; Saragi et al., 1978) have been criticised for a number of limitations (Hunt and Beglar, 2005; Raptis, 1997), most of which are also acknowledged by the researchers themselves.”
• The effects of word exposure frequency and elaboration of word processing on incidental L2 vocabulary acquisition through reading (2012, background): “However, and notwithstanding the usefulness and efficiency of explicit vocabulary teaching and intentional word learning, it is also widely acknowledged that classroom time is typically far too restricted to provide sufficient opportunities for intentional word learning (Hunt and Beglar, 2005; Schmi”
• The effects of context on incidental vocabulary learning (2008, background): “However, researchers agree that incidental vocabulary learning should be encouraged and incorporated into L2 learning (see for example, Hunt & Beglar, 2005; Nation, 2001; Schmitt, 2000; Waring & Takaki, 2003).”