Fostering Cultural Understanding Through Vocabulary: The Case of Graded Readers

Abstract

In the present study, a selection of two adapted versions addressed to basic and intermediate levels (A1-B1) of the classic novel A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens will be compared in terms of their cultural vocabulary. Our analysis attempts to determine to what extent cultural words are part of the two adapted texts for basic and intermediate level EFL learners, and to establish how the frequency and complexity of cultural words is addressed in each book. To accomplish these goals, the books were processed with the vocabulary analyser software LancsBox and cultural loaded words were examined employing Cultural Linguistic framework of analysis. The main findings indicate that: (i) cultural vocabulary at basic and intermediate levels of proficiency does not increase in proportion, (ii) cultural word occurrences in graded readers are not enough to facilitate their acquisition whereas the most frequent cultural words tend to be oversimplified. However, cultural conceptualizations address different and more complex cultural concepts progressively what may contribute to the development of EFL learners’ cultural understanding through their receptive vocabulary.

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