This paper examines the effects of explicit morphology instruction on English vocabulary acquisition and morphological awareness in a Swedish L2 secondary school context. The purpose of this paper was to research if explicit morphology instruction affects students’ vocabulary acquisition and morphological awareness. The research questions for this paper are: To what extent does explicit morphology instruction affect morphological awareness in a Swedish 7-9 school context? and to what extent does explicit morphology instruction affect vocabulary learning in a Swedish 7-9 school context? A quantitative method with pre- and posttests was used to measure the effects of the intervention at a school with three participating classes and one teacher that taught the intervention. The study was conducted during a four-week period with short sessions of the intervention taught in the experimental groups each lesson and the control-group were taught their ordinary materials. The results of our study were statistically insignificant because of issues regarding the number of participating students. Instead, we focused on highlighting specific examples from the experimental groups in both morphological awareness and vocabulary acquisition

本研究旨在實驗一套單字教學活動是否能成功增加台灣高中生的寫作應用字彙。在實驗開始前，研究者先進行前測，採用了字彙知識自評表(Vocabulary Knowledge Scale)和一份作文題目以了解學生一開始的字彙知識及主要單字的使用情況。之後，研究者開始了為期十二週的教學活動，此活動分為三階段：呈現(Presentation)、練習(Practice)、應用(Production)，每個階段皆採用不同的活動進行教學，並根據這四大原則來設計教導應用字彙的活動：刻意性、重複性、參與性、情境性。教學實驗過後，研究者進行後測以了解字彙知識的改變及主要單字的使用情況，並分析不同程度的學生作品，以了解學生實際的用字情況。 研究結果顯示，本教學活動能有效增進學生的辨識字彙能力及字彙的應用。字彙知識自評表顯示前後測分數有顯著性差異，在後測中，超過半數以上的單字進步到比前測更高的等級，而且有八個字進升到應用字彙的程度。百分之八十七的學生有把主要字彙用在他們的作文中，且正確的使用頻率及相關單字的使用也增加了，無論是新字或舊字，在後測的使用數量都是前測的兩倍。 / The current study experiments with a series of teaching activities for productive words to Taiwanese students at the senior high level. It aims to understand the changes of word knowledge and target word use after the experiment. In the beginning, a pre-test was administered with the help of two instruments, the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale and a writing prompt, to understand the students’ initial level. Then, the researcher conducted the teaching experiment for 12 weeks, which consisted of the Presentation, Practice, and Production stages. In each stage, the activities were designed based on four important principles for teaching productive words: intentional, repeated, involving, and contextualized. After the experiment, a post-test using the same instruments was carried out to analyze the changes of word knowledge and target word use. Moreover, individual writing products of different levels were analyzed to see the actual usage of words in the students’ writing. The results showed that the teaching experiment was effective in increasing the students’ receptive knowledge and productive use of the target words. The VKS scores of the pre- and post-test differed significantly. More than half of the words moved up to higher levels, and eight words moved to the productive level in the post-test. The students’ writing products also indicated a considerable increase in the use of target words in terms of the correct usages and related words. Eighty-seven percent of the students used the target words in the post-test. Moreover, the number of old and new words used doubled in the post-test.

Out of the debate in Swedish media about homework, the idea for this study was born. The idea was to investigate the popular belief of many foreign language teachers which suggest that homework glossing is a necessity in the English classroom for pupils vocabulary acquisition, while other assumes this method doesn’t lead to knowledge that last. Therefore, the purpose for this study was to examine how learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) manage to learn new words when they received glossing as homework and when they studied the words in a context during class. Furthermore, out of the argument that homework stress pupils and lowers their interest and motivation for the subject, a secondary purpose was to find out pupils’ opinions about learning new words through glossing as English homework. The study was focused on two teaching methods for vocabulary acquisition: the traditional teaching method designed to teach vocabulary by giving glossing as homework, and teaching new words during class with a focus on teaching the new words in context. Through the survey of these two different methods for vocabulary learning and an empirical study with two primary school classes in which these two methods were put on test, contrary to the expectation that learning words through homework glossing wouldn’t lead to vocabulary knowledge that last, the results of the empirical study showed that the group which received glossing as homework, did better on both test than the group which studied the word in context. Similarly, the data results showed the average pupil had a positive attitude to vocabulary homework as for the most part they felt it benefited them to study this method because of the effects of learning.

This study explores storybook illustrations in learning word meanings among English learners in a university intensive language program. The impact of children’s literature on the comprehension and vocabulary development of second language children is well-documented. However, the use of the literature with adults still needs to be researched. Therefore, a mixed-method study was designed (1) to investigate whether readers who read an authentic illustrated story differed from those who read the same story without illustrations; and (2) to learn more about the readers’ process of learning words from storybook illustrations. Results suggest that illustrations play an important role in both comprehending the text and learning individual words, however issues related to the accessibility of the text and readers’ ability to use context should also be taken into consideration. The findings support prior research that the benefits of learning from context take time to become robust. The study suggests that illustrated storybooks provide a rich context for adults to infer word meanings and recommends children’s literature as an alternative source of reading in programs serving adult English learners.

單字練習題常作為英語教師提升第二外語學習者單字學習成效的方式之一，然而針對不同單字練習題的實際成效，其相關研究仍顯不足。因此，本研究採用量化研究方法，以探究階層式單字練習題與抄寫練習題對國小學童英語字彙習得（word gains）與記憶保留（retention）的影響。 研究對象為臺灣北部一所公立國小四年級兩個班的五十五位學生，此均質的兩個班級被隨機指定為實驗組與控制組，實驗組於一般教學後施予階層式單字練習題,而控制組則於一般教學後施予抄寫練習題。兩組受試者皆接受每週一次、歷時六週的單字練習題，一共練習二十四個主要單字。之後，兩組受試者隨即接受包含所有主要單字的單字知識等級表（VKS）測驗，以得知兩組受試者的單字習得情形。一個月後，兩組受試者再次接受相同的單字測驗，以進一步得知單字的記憶保留情形。本研究主要發現如下：（1）在單字習得成效方面，接受階層式單字練習題的實驗組學生顯著優於接受抄寫練習題的控制組學生；（2）單字保留成效方面，接受階層式單字練習題的實驗組學生亦顯著優於接受抄寫練習題的控制組學生；（3）階層式單字練習題對於高、低英語學習成就者而言，在單字習得與記憶保留上皆有正面影響；（4）對於高、低英語學習成就者而言，抄寫練習題亦皆有助於提升其單字習得與保留成效；（5）對於高英語學習成就者之單字習得而言，階層式單字練習題與抄寫練習題的成效相同；然而，對於單字記憶保留而言，階層式單字練習題的成效優於抄寫練習題；（6）對於低英語學習成就者之單字習得與保留而言，階層式單字練習題的成效皆優於抄寫練習題。最後，研究者針對階層式單字練習題及抄寫練習題在實際教學上之應用提供建議，以作為教育學者們參考。 / Vocabulary exercises are regarded as one of the ways English teachers frequently utilize to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ vocabulary learning efficiency. Yet, studies focusing on the comparisons of the effects of different vocabulary exercises on learners’ vocabulary acquisition and retention seem comparatively few. Thus, the present study adopted a quantitative research method to investigate the effects of two types of vocabulary exercises, i.e., hierarchy vocabulary exercises and copying exercises, on learners’ word gains and retention. Participants of the study were two classes of 55 fourth-grade students in a public elementary school in northern Taiwan. With the homogeneity of English proficiency on Cambridge Young Learners English Test (CYLET), the two classes were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. During the instructional experiment, the experimental and control groups received hierarchy vocabulary exercises and copying exercises respectively once a week, with a total of six times, to practice a total of 24 target words selected in this study. After receiving the last vocabulary exercises, both groups received post-test 1, based on a Chinese version of Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), to measure their word gains of all the target words. One month after receiving the last vocabulary exercises, both groups also received post-test 2, which was the same as post-test 1, to assess their word retention. The major findings are summarized as follows. (1) In terms of word gains, learners receiving hierarchy vocabulary exercises significantly outperformed those receiving copying exercises. (2) In terms of word retention, hierarchy vocabulary exercises possessed greater facilitative effects than copying exercises. (3) Hierarchy vocabulary exercises exerted a significant effect on both high and low English achievers’ word gains and retention. (4) Not only high English achievers but also low English achiever reaped benefits from copying exercises on word gains and retention. (5) Hierarchy vocabulary exercises demonstrated superior effectiveness than copying exercises on high English achievers’ word retention, but not on their word gains. (6) Hierarchy vocabulary exercises led to both more word gains and retention than copying exercises for low English achievers. At the end of the thesis, pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research were provided.

<p>In this research project the question is raised whether it is possible to detect and analyse differences between incidental and intentional vocabulary acquisition within a traditional, systematic teaching setting of German as an L3. The ten par-ticipating Swedish students at the upper secondary level worked with two differ-ent German newspaper articles in two different ways. One set of lessons focused mainly on textual content (incidental learning) while the other involved both dis-cussions about the contents of the text and explicit vocabulary practice (inten-tional learning). The students were later tested on four separate occasions using a self-report-test involving 16 pre-tested words. The two main research questions are: How many of the encountered words will the students recall and what depth of knowledge does this recall represent? Results point to a very limited vocabu-lary acquisition through incidental learning compared to the acquisition through intentional learning which gave a higher score. The overall tendency is for ac-quired vocabulary knowledge to change over time and more so if intentionally acquired. This raises a further question: How much and what kind of work in-volving texts is needed in the classroom for long lasting vocabulary acquisition, incidental or intentional, to take place? Furthermore the results indicate that the self-report test used in the research project shows deficiencies regarding validity as well as reliability issues, which puts further focus on the test methods used in educationally applied vocabulary acquisition research.</p>

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

第二語言學習的研究者指出，有效的單字加強練習活動可以增強學生的單字學習，然而過去相關研究的練習題形式偏重於個人學習，較缺乏同儕之間的互動學習。因此，本研究採用準實驗量化研究法，藉此探討比較閱讀後的單字互動式任務(interactive tasks)及傳統的單字練習題(vocabulary exercises)對國中生英語字彙習得(vocabulary learning)與單字學習態度(vocabulary learning attitudes)的影響。 本實驗的研究對象為桃園縣某公立國中的兩班八年級六十三位學生，所有受試者依其原本的班級被隨機指定為互動式任務組和傳統單字練習題組，兩組同學於每堂課都接受相同的閱讀文章和閱讀理解問題，並在閱讀之後進行不同的單字加強練習活動，每堂課合計為45分鐘，歷時六堂，一共練習25個單字。實驗前後，兩組受試者分別進行單字測驗及單字學習態度前後測，以瞭解學生的主要單字(target words)學習情形和學習態度轉變。資料分析採用SPSS 18.0版本，包含描述性統計、獨立樣本和成對樣本t檢定、及共變數分析。 研究結果顯示: (1)在單字學習成效方面，接受互動式任務的學生明顯優於接受傳統單字練習題的學生；(2)在辨識字彙的能力(receptive vocabulary knowledge)和應用字彙的能力(productive vocabulary knowledge)方面，互動式任務明顯地有助於提升受試者在以上下文為主的試題(選擇題和文意字彙)表現，但在無上下文的試題(中翻英和拼字)方面，兩組並無顯著差異；(3) 就受試者單字學習知識(vocabulary knowledge)質的改變而言，互動式任務組亦優於傳統單字練習題組；(4) 對於受試者的單字學習態度，兩組在認知、情意、行為及單字練習加強活動皆有某些方面的改變。 最後，本研究認為英語教師可以多設計以單字為主的互動式任務來增進學生的學習，並提出建議供未來研究為參考。 / Research into second language learning has pointed out that effective word- focused activities can facilitate students’ vocabulary learning. Yet, previous studies have been mainly focused on individual learning and on lack of interaction between peers. Therefore, the study adopted a quasi-experimental research design to compare the effects of specialized post-reading interactive vocabulary tasks and traditional vocabulary exercises on junior high school students’ vocabulary acquisition. Changes in learners’ attitudes to vocabulary learning were also investigated. Participants were 63 students from two eighth-grade classes in a junior high school in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The two classes were randomly assigned to the IT (interactive tasks) group and the VE (vocabulary exercises) group. Both groups received the same reading texts and reading comprehension questions, but they completed different vocabulary enhancing activities. Each class session was 45 minutes, and there were six class sessions, with a total of 25 target words for practice. To assess learners’ vocabulary knowledge of the target words, the two groups took pre- and post-vocabulary tests and a vocabulary learning attitude questionnaire before and after the experiment, to see if there were any attitude changes among learners throughout the study. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 18.0, including descriptive statistics, Independent Samples t-test and Paired Samples t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results are summarized as follows. First, in terms of vocabulary growth, students completing interactive tasks significantly outperformed those who received vocabulary exercises. Second, concerning receptive and productive word knowledge, interactive tasks were helpful in elevating learners’ performance on contextualized assessments like multiple-choice questions and filling-in blanks. However, in decontextualized assessments like L1 translation and spelling, there was no significant difference between the groups. Third, interactive tasks led to better performance on learners’ qualitative changes in vocabulary knowledge than did vocabulary exercises. Finally, for participants’ vocabulary learning attitudes, both groups had some changes in their cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning, and in perceptions of word-focused activities. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that English teachers design and apply more word-focused interactive tasks to enhance students’ vocabulary acquisition, and provides suggestions for future research.

In this research project the question is raised whether it is possible to detect and analyse differences between incidental and intentional vocabulary acquisition within a traditional, systematic teaching setting of German as an L3. The ten par-ticipating Swedish students at the upper secondary level worked with two differ-ent German newspaper articles in two different ways. One set of lessons focused mainly on textual content (incidental learning) while the other involved both dis-cussions about the contents of the text and explicit vocabulary practice (inten-tional learning). The students were later tested on four separate occasions using a self-report-test involving 16 pre-tested words. The two main research questions are: How many of the encountered words will the students recall and what depth of knowledge does this recall represent? Results point to a very limited vocabu-lary acquisition through incidental learning compared to the acquisition through intentional learning which gave a higher score. The overall tendency is for ac-quired vocabulary knowledge to change over time and more so if intentionally acquired. This raises a further question: How much and what kind of work in-volving texts is needed in the classroom for long lasting vocabulary acquisition, incidental or intentional, to take place? Furthermore the results indicate that the self-report test used in the research project shows deficiencies regarding validity as well as reliability issues, which puts further focus on the test methods used in educationally applied vocabulary acquisition research.