Challenges of testing deep word knowledge of vocabulary: which path to follow?
Abstract
The present research explores the
challenges of testing deep word
knowledge of the vocabulary of
students of English as a Foreign/
Second Language (EFL/ESL) at higher
education. A productive test modelled
on the Lex30 test developed by Meara
and Fitzpatrick (2000) was presented to
the participants. Results indicate that
(i) ESL students outperform their EFL
counterparts of comparable class level,
(ii) aspects of deep word knowledge
among both higher education EFL and
ESL students develop in the order
of analytic relations, paradigmatic
relations, and collocations; and (iii)
aspects of deep word knowledge among
both higher education EFL and ESL
students grow alongside one another
and correlate significantly with overall
deep word knowledge; the strength of
which may reflect the extent to which
they contribute to it. On the basis of
these findings, we conclude that Lex30
may constitute a good measure of deep
word knowledge at the productive level,
which is the path we suggest should
be followed in order to test deep word
knowledge of vocabulary at higher
education. Furthermore, teaching
implications aimed to foster deep word
knowledge growth are discussed.
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- Faculty of Humanities [2042]