The role of vocabulary breadth and depth in IELTS academic reading tests

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Oct. 15, 2020, 10 p.m.

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Nov. 14, 2020, 1:26 a.m.

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Nov. 14, 2020, 1:26 a.m.

bitstream:

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/66574/1/32_1_10125_66574.pdf

bitstream_txt:

http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/66574/2/32_1_10125_66574.pdf.txt

collection:

Volume 32, No. 1

contributor.author:

Chen, Chen

date.accessioned:

2020-04-27T22:43:46Z

date.available:

2020-04-27T22:43:46Z

date.issued:

2020-04-15

description.abstract:

This study explored the role of vocabulary breadth and depth in second language learners’ performance in IELTS academic reading tests in China. Sixty-two Chinese learners of English as a foreign language completed a vocabulary size test, a vocabulary depth test, and an IELTS reading test. Results showed that vocabulary breadth and depth both correlated significantly with IELTS reading test scores. With regard to different IELTS question types, vocabulary breadth correlated significantly with True/False/Not Given questions, whereas vocabulary depth correlated more significantly with Multiple Choice, Matching Headings, and Sentence Completion tasks. Results of a multiple regression model indicated the increase of vocabulary size needed to improve certain IELTS band scores. This study has theoretical implications for broadening the conceptualisation of vocabulary depth, as well as pedagogical implications for supporting students’ second language reading development.

description.provenance:

Made available in DSpace on 2020-04-27T22:43:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 32_1_10125_66574.pdf: 971974 bytes, checksum: 460666ce425d096001d034b9c9adfa75 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020-04-15

endingpage:

27

identifier.citation:

Chen, C., & Liu, Y. (2020). The role of vocabulary breadth and depth in IELTS academic reading tests. Reading in a Foreign Language, 32(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10125/66574

identifier.issn:

1539-0578

identifier.uri:

http://hdl.handle.net/10125/66574

number:

1

publisher:

University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center Center for Language & Technology

site_url:

/rfl/item/437

startingpage:

1

subject:

vocabulary breadth vocabulary depth reading comprehension IELTS examination

title:

The role of vocabulary breadth and depth in IELTS academic reading tests

type:

Article

type.dcmi:

Text

volume:

32