English Abstract
Abstract:
The current study aims at investigating a number of variables related to the vocabulary development of first intermediate female Saudi learners. An analysis of the coverage and repetition of the two thousand high frequency words in the first intermediate girls' textbook, entitled Say it in English, was carried out using the RANGE and FREQUENCY software (Heatly, Nation & Coxeahd, 2002). The textbook's coverage was then compared to participants' performance in two vocabulary size tests, namely the 1000 vocabulary size test, and the 2000 vocabulary level test (Nation, 2001b). Furthermore, an achievement test, constructed by the researcher, was implemented to explore participants' vocabulary performance in two parts: the vocabulary sections and the rest of the book. Finally, information about participant's most and least commonly used vocabulary learning strategies were collected using a questionnaire adapted from Schmitt's (1997) taxonomy of vocabulary learning strategies. Overall, two hundred and eighty six female students participated in the present study. The RANGE analysis indicated that the coverage of the 1st and 2nd thousand high frequency words in the textbook are 5.6% and 25.8%, respectively. As to participants vocabulary size, it has been found that the average participant knows at least 14.09% of the 1st thousand most frequent words and 4.84% of the 2nd thousand high frequency words. The frequency results showed that the fifty highest frequent words are function words. Furthermore, most of the words occur less than ten times in the textbook. On the other hand, the achievement test results showed that participants know at least 40% of the words in the textbook. In addition, participants' performance in the items presented in the vocabulary sections of the textbook surpassed their achievement in the vocabulary items found in the rest of the book. In relation to vocabulary learning strategies, the most commonly used strategies indicate that learners are interested first in gaining surface knowledge of words. On the other hand, the least commonly used strategies were neglected for requiring deep processing of information. A number of applications can be drawn from the results of the present study. To start with, textbook writers need to plan the sequencing, presentation and repetition of high frequency words bearing in mind that learners might end up learning less than 40% of the vocabulary items presented to them. Teachers, on the other hand, are urged to provide rich instruction of high frequency words and to train learners to use several vocabulary learning strategies.
