Volume 20, No. 2 Special Issue: Reading and Vocabulary

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    From the Guest Editor
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Waring, Rob
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    From the Editors
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) RFL Staff
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    Readings on L2 Reading: Publications in other Venues: 2007–2008
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Brantmeier, Cindy ; van Bishop, Tracy (Eds.)
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    Teaching Second Language Reading by Thom Hudson
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Ollerhead, Sue
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    Academic Reading (5th ed.) by Kathleen T. McWhorter
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Park, Kyae-Sung
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    Inside Reading: The Academic Word List in Context by Cheryl Boyd Zimmerman (Series Ed.)
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Coxhead, Averil ; Gari, Margaret ; Urakowi, Matella
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    Vocabulary assistance before and during reading
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Alessi, Stephen ; Dwyer, Angelique
    Intermediate learners of Spanish read a Spanish newspaper article with vocabulary assistance either before reading, while reading, both, or without any such assistance. Reading performance was significantly better for students receiving vocabulary assistance during reading, but not for those receiving it before reading. Reading time of the newspaper article was less for students receiving prereading vocabulary assistance, but total lesson time (the prereading time plus reading time) was more for those students. Given the particular activities of this study, a vocabulary activity before reading appears to speed up reading without affecting comprehension, while vocabulary assistance during reading appears to improve comprehension without affecting speed.
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    The effects of context on incidental vocabulary learning
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Webb, Stuart
    Japanese university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) encountered 10 target words in 3 sets of 10 short contexts that were rated on the amount of information available to infer the target words’ meanings. One group of learners met the target words in contexts rated more highly than the contexts read by the other group. A surprise vocabulary test that measured recall of form, recognition of form, recall of meaning, and recognition of meaning was administered after the treatments. The results showed that the group that read the contexts containing more contextual clues had significantly higher scores on both tests of meaning. The findings indicate that the quality of the context rather than the number of encounters with target words may have a greater effect on gaining knowledge of meaning. Conversely, it is the number of encounters that will have a greater effect on knowledge of form.
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    Evaluating L2 readers’ vocabulary strategies and dictionary use
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Prichard, Caleb
    A review of the relevant literature concerning second language dictionary use while reading suggests that selective dictionary use may lead to improved comprehension and efficient vocabulary development. This study aims to examine the dictionary use of Japanese university students to determine just how selective they are when reading nonfiction English texts for general comprehension. The findings suggest that high-intermediate and advanced learners are often selective when considering whether to look up a word. However, a third of the participants in this study were judged to have used the dictionary excessively. In addition, a quarter of the words looked up in the study were neither essential to the articles’ main points nor frequent or useful words, according to corpus research. It is concluded that some learners might benefit from training in selective dictionary use.
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    Beyond raw frequency: Incidental vocabulary acquisition in extensive reading
    (University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center, 2008-10) Kweon, Soo-Ok ; Kim, Hae-Ri
    Second language vocabulary can be learned incidentally while the learner is engaged in extensive reading or reading for meaning, inferring the meaning of unknown words (Huckin & Coady, 1999; Hulstijn, 1992; Krashen, 1993; Pigada & Schmitt, 2006). 12 Korean learners of English read authentic literary texts and were tested on their knowledge of vocabulary before reading (pretest), immediately after reading (Posttest 1), and 1 month after Posttest 1 (Posttest 2). The results showed a significant word gain between the pretest and Posttest 1 and that most gained words were retained at Posttest 2. Of the 3 different word classes that were used, nouns were a little easier to retain than verbs and adjectives. More frequent words were more easily learned than less frequent words across all 3 word classes. However, words of lower frequency were better learned than words of higher frequency when the meanings of the lower frequency words were crucial for meaning comprehension.