Creating a Context for Vocabulary Growth

Abstract

This paper presents a practice-based action research study in which, based on a thorough analysis of the students’ vocabulary knowledge and learning objectives, a rich context is created for the acquisition of English vocabulary learning. Based on the initial vocabulary breadth and depth tests, the learners were divided into two groups. While both groups were given opportunities for extensive reading, written and spoken output, some language focused study and in-built strategy training, the less advanced group had more opportunities for extensive listening. The latter group also initially displayed a narrower range of vocabulary learning strategies. In addition, a small group of independent learners which engaged mainly in extensive reading and controlled output served as a comparison with the two treatment groups. While the learners in both treatment groups experienced vocabulary growth, which was not the case with independent learners, the less advanced learners achieved higher scores on the target vocabulary.

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